genec

We have dozens of studies pointing out that cell phones, especially used for texting, can be distracting to motorists.

Does anyone think that such distractions can be hazardous to cyclists using the same roads as these distracted motorists?

https://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Pre...aylight+Moment

howsteepisit

Note that distracted driving includes all forms of distractions, radio tuning, tape decks, GPS systems, fast food eating, purse searching, kid smacking and so on, much more inclusive than merely cell phones. Bottom line is when driving you should drive, and pay attention!

ModeratedUser150120149

Repetitive discussion of The Problem. Drivers do it. Pedestrians Do It. Cyclists Do It. Most everyone knows about It.

Matter of fact my last two on bike problems were with cyclists texting while riding. The one before that was with a pedestrian talking while walking and wandering back and forth on the MUP.

So, everyone knows about the problem. Some fanciful, or maybe I should say fantasy responses.

How about some practical solutions that can be put into use? Surely this impassioned group can be a source of solution.

B. Carfree

It looks to me like not quite everyone knows about it yet, even though this topic has been a recurring theme on this board. To wit:

I think there is still a great deal of public education that needs to take place before we can believe that the typical motorist understands the dangers of driving while distracted, particularly be devices that place one's brain in a different area code.

Sadly, it looks like Americans will accept almost any amount of carnage on our roads rather than change behavior. Even drunk driving is still accounting for something like 40% of roadway deaths after all these decades of effort to end that scourge.

Bring on the autonomous car. At least it can communicate and pay attention at the same time.

Feldman

Pedestrians on phones need guide dogs--call 'em iDogs instead of Seeing Eye dogs.

cyclingYEG

I put a car horn on my bike, so when ever I see people on their phones I let loose. The reaction is priceless, especially when I'm in a residential area and the only 2 people on the road are myself and the person on the phone. They look so scared and confused, silly zombies.

kite991

I don't understand how people can cycle and text at the same time. When I visit my girlfriend at USC I've learned to be more observant while I'm walking just because I've been hit once and nearly hit almost a dozen times by people texting and riding those beach cruisers.

genec

Just thought that this map might be useful in this thread...

vol

Only ban texting? What about making/answering calls?

I-Like-To-Bike

Or smoking, or adjusting the radio, or not driving with both hands at the 10 and 2 O'clock positions?

Keith99

You have bigger worries than texting. They even try to mug the football players down there. (It didn't make the press. They did not succeed and the player, a wide receiver but still a buff 220 Lbs beat the cr*p out of both of them.)

mrodgers

The biggest problem with texting and driving/walking/cycling can be figured out in the following two statements....

I can't text/talk on the phone while I drive.

I can't drive while I text/talk on the phone.

Those are 2 very distinct differences in action. Both designate a main action and a distraction to that action. This is the problem. Which action do most people make priority.

I don't talk on my phone while I'm driving. It isn't that I can't concentrate on my driving while I am talking on my phone. My problem is, I'm driving. I can't concentrate on what the other person is saying on the phone because my concentration lies with driving my car. If I was to be on the phone while I am driving, it impairs my ability in no way to driving my car. The phone conversation on the other hand is mostly me asking, "Wait, what did you say?" "Say that again." "What was that?"

Texting with the old numeric keypads was similar. I would be able to text with numeric keypad buttons because I didn't need to take my eyes off the road. I could feel the keys and punch them in. It would take me 10 miles to say something like, "Store, need anything?" or "on my way home." That in no way impaired my driving.

The problem is where people put their priorities. They think driving is no big deal and chat away oblivious to the main action they should be doing and put the 90% concentration into talking on the phone and 10% into the driving. Given the number of people on the roads doing this and the number of bad incidents that happen because of this, the ratio is actually quite low. Obviously it shouldn't happen at all, but the ratio is low. That makes it so that people believe even more that their actions are ok because the majority of people have never had a bad incident from it. If people would concentrate on what they are suppose to be concentrating on while they are driving, they would realize that they can't talk on the phone while they drive much like I realize and they wouldn't bother doing it.

Texting on a smartphone is an entirely different thing than texting on the old numeric button keypads as you have to be looking at the phone to do so. That doesn't stop anyone though because they still only put 10% of their concentration into the act of driving. Now I don't live in the city. Every time I get in the car I am driving at least 30 minutes before I have to come to a stop. Without traffic on the roads or the threat of deer running out in front of me, I know the roads well enough that I don't have to be looking to navigate the actual road. That means around me, just for navigating down the road, most people since they have been driving the same roads commuting for a long time just like me they also would be able to navigate the road without much concentration. What I see on the roads out here in the country is people driving with their heads down constantly obviously texting on a smartphone.

How much different would it be if people were glancing down at the phone and typing 1 letter every now and then to type out a text? That wouldn't ever happen nor am I saying it would be safe, but the distraction drops off significantly, pretty much to the point of the same as changing the radio station which has been going on at least as long as I've been around. Again, I'm not saying that texting would be safe in any way, I am just laying out what seems to me to be the real problem with texting /talking on the phone and driving is, which is the priority people put with their concentration, not the actual actions of texting/talking. The problem is people trying to drive while they use the phone rather than people trying to use the phone while they are driving.

genec

Yes distractions have always existed in cars... so why add more... especially one that we know causes both eyes and attention to be diverted. And yeah, truth be told I think modern radios are a real distraction too... used to be that all radios had the same user interface and only 5-6 buttons and two knobs... now they take a user manual to understand... that was NOT an improvement.

noisebeam

This is what can happen when your browse facebook on phone while motoring:

vol

When I read your post I thought it was an educational video to teach people what could happen... Now I just read this was a true story. Totally unbelievable and scary to think we share the roads with such drivers.

Paulfs67

Here's an online add that's been doing the rounds in Australia, something that I think everyone who uses a phone whilst driving should see, and all Learner drivers should watch before being able to sit behind the wheel of a car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9krX9fHAfHM

vol

Is that a real happening? How come they were all filmed? But if it's real, then it's great education video and as powerful as the video linked above. Nothing is more powerful than real stories of accidents. We can imagine most of the drivers who were hit by those face-book-watching/texting drivers were confident that they were following traffic rules. We could meet the same fate even if we ride following the laws and rules, as long as there are such drivers on the road.

GP

Use 4 and 8 if you have airbags.

genec

Doubt it was real due to the multiple camera angles involved... but it is dramatic and it shows how ONE cell phone collision can affect a dozen or more people.

Paulfs67

No not real, but it is a very powerful, confronting and thought provoking add

digibud

I don't know if it's true or not but I think the cycling has become significantly more dangerous with the advent of cell phones. I stopped using a mirror for a long time but I use one now. I've seen so many people veer off the road onto the shoulder for a few seconds and shake my head knowing that if a cyclist had been there at that moment they would have been killed. I am quite concerned about it but like so many things it's just an inherent risk in cycling today and there is nothing you can do to totally eliminate every danger of cycling other than stay at home. That aint gonna happen.

vol

At this link there is a longer video clip than posted by noisebeam of that real accident (I think true stories are always more powerful as there is no possible denial of what can and did happen as opposed to what "could" happen). For some reason "the video stream is currently unavailable", but there is also a series of snap shots.

"when police examined his phone they discovered he had been using the internet at the time of the crash.

"He was on Facebook looking at 'photographs of several women in provocative positions, wearing little clothing', 'photographs of a woman in a low cut dress', and photos of a man 'smoking something', according to police reports.

"Espinoza had also used his phone to look at YouTube, female escort web pages, porn sites and social networks on other occasions when he was logged in as driving, investigators said."

The accident killed a police officer.