People using cellphones & Driving as bad as drinking & driving

[Fire14]

People who talk on cell phones while driving, even using "hands-free" devices, are as impaired as drunken drivers, researchers said Thursday.

"If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving," said Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah who worked on the study.

The researchers used a driving simulation device for their study, published in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

They studied 40 volunteers who used a driving simulator four times--while undistracted, using a handheld cell phone, using a hands-free cell phone and while intoxicated to a 0.08 percent blood-_______ level--the average legal level of impairment in the United States--after drinking vodka and orange juice.

Three study participants rear-ended the simulated car in front of them. All were talking on cell phones and none was drunk, the researchers said.

Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly more slowly, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes, and varied their speed more than undistracted drivers.

Drivers with a 0.08 percent blood-_______ level drove a bit more slowly than both undistracted drivers and telephone users, yet more aggressively.

"Driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk," said Drews, who said _______ was involved in 40 percent of the 42,000 annual U.S. traffic fatalities.

Just like many people who have been drinking, the cell phone users did not believe themselves to be affected, the researchers found


http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6...tag=zdnn.alert

[UFO]

This study makes me feel confident that I could safely drive drunk! j/k ... But this study does assume a blood _______ level of 0.08. 0.08 is NOT the average legal level of impairment in the U.S. This is the lowest illegal limit in most places and a completely legal limit in many areas several years ago until MADD and other lobbyists got most states to lower the legal limit from 0.10. There is no basis for suggesting 0.08 is the average level of impairment. Also, it doesn't specify if the blood _______ concentration of 0.08 was obtained from _______ or simulated. There is a huge difference between the two. Most people that drive drunk have a much higher blood _______ level. Also, the study size was way too small. Cell phones do distract drivers and I'm not saying his results aren't true, but I'm not buying the information as a result of this study. Sorry, this study just gets under my skin because it appears to downplay how dumb it is to drive drunk. Much worse than talking on a phone.

At the very least, this psychology professor shouldn't be making such dramatic statements as a conclusion from the study. This is a good reason why some people (not all) involved in the social sciences shouldn't be trusted with studies like this.

[Ironwalt]

has anyone seen the show mythbusters did on cell phones and drinking and driving? The show showed how drinking and talking on the phone was about the same.

[bobolito]

Agreed 100%. I couldn't have said it better.

What doesn't make sense to me is that he said that 40% of the crashes were _______ related, but failed to mention what percentage were cell phone use related, yet he states that "Driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk". If you want to make a point, then show a comparison, not just one side of the story. He probably knew the fatality rate due to cell phone use is one of the lowest.

Originally Posted by UFO

This study makes me feel confident that I could safely drive drunk! j/k ... But this study does assume a blood _______ level of 0.08. 0.08 is NOT the average legal level of impairment in the U.S. This is the lowest illegal limit in most places and a completely legal limit in many areas several years ago until MADD and other lobbyists got most states to lower the legal limit from 0.10. There is no basis for suggesting 0.08 is the average level of impairment. Also, it doesn't specify if the blood _______ concentration of 0.08 was obtained from _______ or simulated. There is a huge difference between the two. Most people that drive drunk have a much higher blood _______ level. Also, the study size was way too small. Cell phones do distract drivers and I'm not saying his results aren't true, but I'm not buying the information as a result of this study. Sorry, this study just gets under my skin because it appears to downplay how dumb it is to drive drunk. Much worse than talking on a phone.

At the very least, this psychology professor shouldn't be making such dramatic statements as a conclusion from the study. This is a good reason why some people (not all) involved in the social sciences shouldn't be trusted with studies like this.

[Steve B]

I saw this report on the news and it just blew me away. I was so outraged. I am ashamed to say that I had to drive intoxicated before and I do drive while using my phone....somtimes. I can assure people that it is NOT the same. After that one time driving intoxicated. I swore never to do it again and I haven't. It however, after this study aired, allowed me to make the comparison. It's not the same. When you are drunk, you are impaired all around. When talking on the phone....you're not. I don't buy this study and I believe it is a bunch of crap. I think the person(s) behind this study are getting on the "lets go after the cell phone users" bandwagon. In short I think the cell phone use while driving is overstated a bit.

[walkguru]

i call bs on this, ha ha ha. proof anybody can say anything.

[josephd]

Originally Posted by SBacklin

I saw this report on the news and it just blew me away. I was so outraged. I am ashamed to say that I had to drive intoxicated before and I do drive while using my phone....somtimes. I can assure people that it is NOT the same. After that one time driving intoxicated. I swore never to do it again and I haven't. It however, after this study aired, allowed me to make the comparison. It's not the same. When you are drunk, you are impaired all around. When talking on the phone....you're not. I don't buy this study and I believe it is a bunch of crap. I think the person(s) behind this study are getting on the "lets go after the cell phone users" bandwagon. In short I think the cell phone use while driving is overstated a bit.

Unfortunately the minority who cause problems on the road while talking on the cell phone it is the majority who takes blame.But coming from someone who drives a heavy truck, People on cell phones are my biggest headache on the road.

[bobolito]

I still believe that those who cause problems on the road while talking on cell phones a minority. You'd be surprised at the amount of people that talk on their cellphones these days, much more than we think, yet the ones that we notice are talking on the phone is probably because they made a bad move. In other words, the only reason we notice they are on the phone is because they are not driving properly, not because they have one hand by their ear.

[Steve B]

Originally Posted by bobolito

I still believe that those who cause problems on the road while talking on cell phones a minority. You'd be surprised at the amount of people that talk on their cellphones these days, much more than we think, yet the ones that we notice are talking on the phone is probably because they made a bad move. In other words, the only reason we notice they are on the phone is because they are not driving properly, not because they have one hand by their ear.

Exactly. It's only the bad ones we notice while the vast majority are all doing just fine.

[billp]

the myth busters did a test on their show and showed talking on the phone dose act apone you reaction time at faster speeds just as drinking dose because your full attention is not on the road but placed on the call and the road many split second things like a animal or child after a ball the timed reaction rate was the same as drunk and the curvy road cone course was pretty much the same as drunk. it should be hands free call or no call when behind the wheel
but for those of us in states with cell phone laws while driving take not of the cops gabbing on the cell but are the free from this law they seem to think so seen one on the cell driving then pulled some one over for it at the same time