Slashdot Mirror
Why Cell Phone Bans Don't Work
sciencehabit writes "You can take the driver away from the cell phone, but you can't take the risky behavior away from the driver. That's the conclusion of a new study, which finds that people who talk on their phones while driving may already be unsafe drivers who are nearly as prone to crash with or without the device. The findings may explain why laws banning cell phone use in motor vehicles have had little impact on accident rates."
I mean, when I can check Slashdot while driving, what could go wr
They tried to ban masturbating at my public library, but it didn't stop me. Why else would they have all those National Geographics there if they didn't expect a little knob floggin' now and then?
The brain can multi-task 4 things at one time, driving a vehicle uses most of them. Add one or two distractions...BOOM!...accident. I've seen people using hands-free devices almost have an accident because the CONVERSATION was what was distracting them. They were taking their eyes off the road to stare at the phone while they were making their point. Lastly, insurance companies have found that, on average, an accident happens within 2 seconds of looking away from the road (fumbling for a dropped CD was the number one reason.).
Let's verify...
60mph = 26.8224m/s
26.8224m/s * 0.005s = 0.134m = 0.440ft
Less than 1/2 a foot, not 4 feet. And at 3 seconds, it's 80.47m, which is 264 feet.
Were you driving while trying to figure this out?