This is the first story I've noticed on this new feature designed for cars that holds such an obvious result.
KANAZAWA -- A man has been arrested after watching the TV in his car instead of looking at the red traffic light in front of him, causing an accident that killed one and injured another six, police said.
Killed in the crash was 65-year-old Kiyo Arai, who was hurled from the back seat of the car her husband had been driving when it banged into another vehicle after being hit by a car belonging to Kenichi Terao.
None of the other six hurt in the crash sustained major injuries.
Terao, 49, has been arrested for negligence resulting in death and injury, after he allegedly ignored a red light and caused the crash by running into Arai's car.
"I was watching my car TV," Terao told the police.
Police said the crash was caused after Terao ignored a red light and allowed his car to continue traveling into the traffic running perpendicular to him. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Jan. 2, 2004)
The BikeForums Team
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Cars with booming stereos, car phones, televisions. Aiya. All this proves how incredibly boring automobile tranport really is.
I confess that I like to listen to music or talk radio while I bicycle commute, but if I don't have a radio I don't miss it.
When the radio in the car is on the fritz, though, it seems like one long and painful drive.
How about these massage seats for cars? I am afraid to get one because I always fall asleep when I get massages.
Dchiefransom
Onboard computers with maps in the dashboard, also. Here in the U.S. they'd quickly shut them off and say they weren't watching them.
prestonjb
Today I was about a mile from my house when I noticed the girl in the car next to me was wearhing a full-ear-covering headset while driving!
THe new DVD player 2-DIN car stereos are designed with like 9 inch flat panels that pop out when the DVD is turned on so it is in full view of the driver.
At a gas station I saw one of these in the teen junk sports car (honda) and the DVD was a music video playing along...
I'm sure if the DVD/CD is new the driver's got his eyes on the ride... Yea ... yea that's it... Man we need ENFORCEMENT!
SamDaBikinMan
When will lives and safety become more important than convienience and entertainment?
I cannot beleive we have come to the point where we do not give a damn who we kill or injure while using our little devices as if we cannot live without them. Manufacturers will have to held accountable and production of these things stopped due to the non exsistent personal responsilbility of drivers.
dirtbikedude
All these new “luxury” accessories they put in vehicles these days are ridiculous. I for one do not like cell phones (even hands free) while driving. They all create too much of a hazard for a lot of drivers.
The one option I think is a good idea is the heads-up display some cars have (granted it to can cause a driver to crash if they can’t look beyond it). I had a chance to drive my fathers new Vett and the heads-up was great. Took it into the canyon and could get all the readings I needed with out ever taking my eyes off the road and it did not block any part of my vision. Yeah some drivers will not learn how to look beyond the display but if they could it would be a good idea for every vehicle.
:beer:
AndrewP
dirtbikedude
I dont know how car Head Up Displays work, but those used in aircraft have the image of the instruments in focus at infinity so you can only see them if you are looking beyond the display.
I was checking the Quebec rules and found that headphones were illegal in all vehicles - not just bikes.
I like having my cell phone when I bike, but it is so simple to stop when I answer it. It isnt easy to stop a car to answer a phone without blocking the traffic.
The Rob
Out of my way! It's a busy day,
I've got things on my mind...
Our society places too much emphasis on multi-tasking. All well and good when in the workplace, but it doesn't belong on the road. I'm surprised we don't hear more stories of kids on cell-phones in pizza-delivery vehicles causing mayhem. Every other business vehicle I see pass my workplace has a driver with a 'phone stuck to his/her ear, and is usually speeding to boot.
In our car we have rules. The passenger operates the radio and CD player and makes the cell-phone calls and reads the maps and directions. When in the car alone, we pull into a parking lot when necessary. Being a devout 'B' personality, these rules bother me not at all. The missus (an 'A' of the first water) has a harder time.
oscaregg
It really is long past time for some vigilantes to assault the drivers and vandalize the vehicles of the vermin who do this.
The Rob
It really is long past time for some vigilantes to assault the drivers and vandalize the vehicles of the vermin who do this.
Does anyone else shudder with revulsion when the term 'vigilante' is invoked?
Repeat after me: "A negative imposed upon a negative does NOT result in a positive!"
oscaregg
Look, how can anyone care anymore? These things in cars are the equivalent of cougars stalking small children. Eventually we have to choose to either be victimizers or potential victims--I'm still on that fence, but recognize the need to make an eventual choice.
The Rob
Look, how can anyone care anymore? These things in cars are the equivalent of cougars stalking small children. Eventually we have to choose to either be victimizers or potential victims--I'm still on that fence, but recognize the need to make an eventual choice.
The cougar wishes to feed. The motorist wants to get from Point A to Point B, however badly he or she is at doing so. If you're speaking of unrestrained thrill-killers in motor-vehicles I'm right there with you, but most bad motorists aren't lunatics. They are simply careless and self-involved. Your analogy is a wash. Calling for overt hostilities may make you feel better, but the execution of such is neither practical nor moral.
oscaregg
RC, you just aren't smart enough to know how moral it truly is.
The Rob
RC, you just aren't smart enough to know how moral it truly is.
:eek: I'm tellin'!
Moderator peeps! oscaregg cawd me stoopit! :cry:
Brennan
I once saw a guy doing a crossword puzzle while driving, I kid you not.
megaman
I can't ever imagine being so involved in watching a stupid TV show or movie to become totally distracted from what I am doing. Let alone doing it in a car! Yeah, there's always stupids out there that will take any invention and put it where they're at right now. It's like anything you do while driving other than paying strict attention to the road. It can cause accidents. Are you aware some drivers can fall asleep at a stoplight let alone while driving? For the most part it comes down to all of us making choices every moment we drive or pedal. Sometimes those choices have grave consequences. Yeah, it's worse in a car cause you cover a lot more ground in a certain amount of time. But when I ride, I find myself being distracted cause I like to experience the ride. Sure it's slower but my helmet is the only safety item that I have going for me.
Now, as for the stupid SOB in the accident he should have to pay the expenses of everyone involved. Hit em where it hurts, in the wallet.
prestonjb
I remember the guy reading a book on I75.
I understand oegg's metaphor however the human brain sees the cougar as an external influence and anything inside the car as a personal thing that is protected (even it is not) by the constitution.
As for the comments about HUD in cars vs HUD in planes... The problem is that people who fly planes go through rigorous training, esp if landing at large airports, and thus are well aware of how to properly use them... If we put HUD in cars I suspect some chop-shop or back-yard mechanic/audio-shop will somehow get some sort of graphics or MTV-CD/DVD stuff to show on the windshield...
ocifer ocifer I didn't see that child on the bicycle I was too busy staring at <insert some pop-singer> on my hood!!!!
prestonjb
Oh... As far as vigilence, I suggest getting involved in your government. Vigilantes typically are ppl who are too lazy to take government into their own hands <because they want immediate results in this age of immediance and other comments made about those who multi-task...>
How many of you attend county or city bicycle meetings? Meetings on road construction or new malls and such? Or even send letters to town or county or state officials about such?
Time to start?
SamDaBikinMan
The cougar wishes to feed. The motorist wants to get from Point A to Point B, however badly he or she is at doing so. If you're speaking of unrestrained thrill-killers in motor-vehicles I'm right there with you, but most bad motorists aren't lunatics. They are simply careless and self-involved. Your analogy is a wash. Calling for overt hostilities may make you feel better, but the execution of such is neither practical nor moral.
Carelessness and inattention has been the excuse for way too long that sways the decision to exercise severe punishment upon those whose "busy little lives" end the life of another.
It is time that something be done about these busy bodies and their right to commit murder by happenstance and suffer only moderate if any punishment.
I say "hang em high til the buzzards pick out their eyeballs".
The Rob
Carelessness and inattention has been the excuse for way too long that sways the decision to exercise severe punishment upon those whose "busy little lives" end the life of another.
It is time that something be done about these busy bodies and their right to commit murder by happenstance and suffer only moderate if any punishment.
I say "hang em high til the buzzards pick out their eyeballs".
If you considered my prior post an apology for bad motorists, I fear you've misread or otherwise misconstrued my meaning.
I advocate stricter controls and penalties for those drivers who demonstrate inadequate or diminished skills, or who display disregard for safety. I do not and will not advocate violence of the sort described by oscaregg. Spontaneous retaliation, whether targeting the vehicles or the drivers themselves, will not gain sympathy from the authorities. Crimes are crimes regardless of the injustices that precipitated them.
iceratt
Yeah, sure. The multitude of motorists with lean mean killing machines controll this country, but we should take em on, as an example of what the good people of Tibet should do to their occupiers. In the end, there won't be any of us left, and nobody will remember us, but we will be certain that we fought for what's right!
khuon
Out of my way! It's a busy day,
I've got things on my mind...
Our society places too much emphasis on multi-tasking. All well and good when in the workplace, but it doesn't belong on the road. I'm surprised we don't hear more stories of kids on cell-phones in pizza-delivery vehicles causing mayhem. Every other business vehicle I see pass my workplace has a driver with a 'phone stuck to his/her ear, and is usually speeding to boot.
In our car we have rules. The passenger operates the radio and CD player and makes the cell-phone calls and reads the maps and directions. When in the car alone, we pull into a parking lot when necessary. Being a devout 'B' personality, these rules bother me not at all. The missus (an 'A' of the first water) has a harder time.
I think our society needs to wake up and realise that we are required to multitask in today's world and that while it is all well and good to ban some practices, it is also important to properly train to handle ourselves in situations where we might be required to divide our attention. This is called context-switching. Many people don't do it well enough because they simply don't have the training and experience. Others can do it just fine. Pilots go through cockpit resource management training and learn how to properly divide their attention and prioritise tasks. This involves not just flying the airplane but managing the radios, keeping track of weather conditions, scanning the instruments and monitoring onboard systems, reading the map, calculating fuel flow, etc... "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate... in that order." Automobile drivers should undergo similar training. Just "keeping your eyes on the road" is not enough. There will always be distractions. Some of us volunteer ourselves for them (talking on the phone while driving) and others have them thrust upon us (screaming child in the backseat). The distraction itself is not always the problem... it's how we handle it.
SamDaBikinMan
Robcat,
Sorry if I seemed to be attacking your post. I quoted it merely to set the mood for my own opinionated and overly angry post.
I do not advocate vigilantes but there does seem to be a need for some action as the system regularly fails us, the victims.
As long as there are those willing to accept excuses for accidental but wrongful death then noone will see the need to change the behavior patterns that lead to the death of others. If being busy or distracted is a good way to get away with murder then we nave a great new weapon to use against those we do not like.
anikuma
where the original accident happened, kanazawa, japan is just the tip of the iceberg. I can't even tell you how many times I see the drivers here watching their dvd movies while driving. I could literally watch the TV with them if i drove next to them. Totally freaks me out when some guy/gal zooms past me and I see, and can tell what DVD/video/TV they are watching. The device sits in the center of the dash board either on top of, or built in just below the horizon of the dash. How can anyone watch the road if the are watching their small video screens. Argh, makes me want to carry a crowbar while i ride.
The Rob
I think our society needs to wake up and realise that we are required to multitask in today's world and that while it is all well and good to ban some practices, it is also important to properly train to handle ourselves in situations where we might be required to divide our attention. This is called context-switching...Just "keeping your eyes on the road" is not enough. There will always be distractions. Some of us volunteer ourselves for them (talking on the phone while driving) and others have them thrust upon us (screaming child in the backseat). The distraction itself is not always the problem... it's how we handle it.
Well stated, and I agree. The latter part of my original post spoke to my personal comfort zone rather than as a condemnation of every other motorist on the road. To be frank, you don't want Rob doing anything else while driving. Rob is a good driver, but Rob is a terrible multi-tasker. Apparently, there are quite a few people operating motor-vehicles that suffer under the delusion that they multi-task just fine, when obviously they don't. The difference is that I recognize my own limited talent in this (and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one) and so take steps to compensate because I try mightily, every day, to take responsibility for my actions.
As to the concept of multi-tasking as a requirement: I concede that view, and yet ask "Ain't that a shame?".
khuon
The difference is that I recognize my own limited talent in this (and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one) and so take steps to compensate because I try mightily, every day, to take responsibility for my actions.
Knowing one's limitations shows more responsibility and good judgement than almost anything else. To continue on along the lines of my post I'd like to quote the old adage, "there are old pilots... and there are bold pilots... but there are no old bold pilots." Failure to properly make the right judgement call in a go/no-go situation has been the downfall of many. I feel that worse than the actual act of watching a DVD while driving is the obvious display of lack of basic judgement required to properly execute the priviledges of driving or operation of any moving vehicle for that matter and those persons engaging in such activity should have their license revoked. I would feel the same about someone attempting to watch a DVD on one of those little personal DVD players while on a bike.
Someone mentioned the in-vehicle navigation system and I would have to say that while it is another display one has to look at, I feel that it doesn't present much of a danger and probably offers a certain level of added safety if used properly. The key is that one has to train themselves. I think the dangerous distractions are those where one has to context-switch well outside their current thread of thought. Pilots can effectively handle talking on the radio during the most critical stages of flight because the subject matter is related to what they're doing. You can bet that the guy strapped into an F-18 aiming for the three-wire trap of a rolling and pitching carrier deck while calling the ball over the radio is not chatting it up with the LSO about what happened during his alma matta's last Bowl game. Looking at a navigation display also is related to the act of operating the vehicle... one just has to know how to properly incorporate the act into their regular and abbreviated instrument scan. And you're right... not enough people take driving seriously enough to do things like go out to an empty parking lot and drive slowly against a curb while turning their heads to see how effectively they can control the vehicle using only their peripheral vision? That's what I do... it makes me aware of my limits both physically and mentally. People need to understand that in almost everything a person does, they're still in training.
The Rob
Robcat,
Sorry if I seemed to be attacking your post. I quoted it merely to set the mood for my own opinionated and overly angry post.
No worries. I know of no cyclist who rides the streets who isn't passionate about this subject!
As long as there are those willing to accept excuses for accidental but wrongful death then noone will see the need to change the behavior patterns that lead to the death of others. If being busy or distracted is a good way to get away with murder then we nave a great new weapon to use against those we do not like.
Agreed. Tough legislation is needed, laws that reinforce the fact that driving a motor-vehicle is a privilege and not a right.
zman92atl
where the original accident happened, kanazawa, japan is just the tip of the iceberg. I can't even tell you how many times I see the drivers here watching their dvd movies while driving. I could literally watch the TV with them if i drove next to them. Totally freaks me out when some guy/gal zooms past me and I see, and can tell what DVD/video/TV they are watching. The device sits in the center of the dash board either on top of, or built in just below the horizon of the dash. How can anyone watch the road if the are watching their small video screens. Argh, makes me want to carry a crowbar while i ride.
I'm not sure what the law is in Japan, but here you are not allowed to watch TV in the front of the vehicle, although I see it all of the time. The ones mounted in the rear are legal and O.K. I used to install car stereos a couple of years ago and at the same time that navigation systems got more affordable and popular. At least here in the S.E. United States. The most installed unit we sold was the Alpine CVA series which is used for Radio, DVD, Navigation, CD's and VHS. It is a unit designed for the radio opening in cars and flips out when needed. These units are to be installed with safety devises such as wire leads that connect to the parking brake, brake and ignition system so that you could only use the screen function if the car is stopped and in Park. Well like anything else in this world it can be bypassed. With the use of switches you have the ability to watch movies and use the navigation screen while driving. I installed a couple of these switches for customers but mainly for my bosses cars. After a few of these I finally put my foot down and said I would not do this any longer. Although he didn't care for it, I felt better knowing that I was not contributing to someones death or mine by allowing this to happen.
anikuma
I'm not sure of the law here either, but driving while on a cell phone, watching the video screen don't seem like punishable crimes. What really killed me, almost literally, was when i was buzzed by a guy who was reading a prono comic book while driving.
closetbiker
Human nature will have it's way.
Remember that AAA study that found, 50% groom themselves while driving, 40% read books or newspapers and/or wrote things down while driving.
There may not have even been any distactable items in a car but drivers bring them in with them anyhow.
What the law chooses to enforce is prioritized by political will and since 99% of people drive, restrictions to drive (by enforcement of laws) are limited.
khuon
I've said it before but I'll say it again. I'm under the impression that people don't really like driving. They just think they do.
Allister
How about this (http://www.arkon.com/laptop.html) neat safety device?
SamDaBikinMan
How about this (http://www.arkon.com/laptop.html) neat safety device?
Yep, and this company deserves a bucket load of lawsuits for even manufacturing such a blatantly safety negligent device.
But anyone killed in an incident involving this will be blamed on users descrepency and the manufacturer will be insulated from harm.
khuon
How about this (http://www.arkon.com/laptop.html) neat safety device?
I'm waiting to see the lawsuits roll in not only from people hit by drivers attempting to check and answer email while driving but also by those same drivers relegated to a hospital bed after having a laptop extract from their chest cavity following a steering wheel airbag deployment. The sad part is that despite the obviously stupid nature of this product, it will still generate sales.
SamDaBikinMan
OOPS, I'm sorry ma'am fro running over your child but I have a very important business deal going on and had to read my latest e-mail.
This does not have to happen while driving. A foot dropping off the brake pedal at an intersection where pedestrian cross can easily kill while one is "just so busy" checking the computer.
bac
Yep, and this company deserves a bucket load of lawsuits for even manufacturing such a blatantly safety negligent device.
I agree. This company doesn't have the money to pay off (I'm sorry, I meant contribute with soft money) our elected officials like the HUGE telecommunication companies. Now, if AT&T comes up with a laptop steering wheel - look out. Sad, but true. :(
LittleBigMan
I know the cell phone subject has been run and re-run more times than the Andy Griffith Show, but inattention is dangerous. I tried using my son's cell while on the freeway recently, and I almost missed my exit. Never again.
oscaregg
I think our society needs to wake up and realise that we are required to multitask in today's world and that while it is all well and good to ban some practices, it is also important to properly train to handle ourselves in situations where we might be required to divide our attention. This is called context-switching. Many people don't do it well enough because they simply don't have the training and experience. Others can do it just fine. Pilots go through cockpit resource management training and learn how to properly divide their attention and prioritise tasks. This involves not just flying the airplane but managing the radios, keeping track of weather conditions, scanning the instruments and monitoring onboard systems, reading the map, calculating fuel flow, etc... "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate... in that order." Automobile drivers should undergo similar training. Just "keeping your eyes on the road" is not enough. There will always be distractions. Some of us volunteer ourselves for them (talking on the phone while driving) and others have them thrust upon us (screaming child in the backseat). The distraction itself is not always the problem... it's how we handle it.This is insane, idiotic, nonsense, crap!
Multitasking is a current idiotic management fad--employers who demand it deserve employee theft and vandalism, at the very least. Some tasks are completely, totally inappropriate for it--a motor vehicle operator should no more "multi task" than a surgeon--they both hold other peoples' lives in their hands. Down, down, down, down with multi-tasking and its' stupid, evil practitioners!
bac
a motor vehicle operator should no more "multi task" than a surgeon--they both hold other peoples' lives in their hands.
That is an excellent analogy! It's very difficult for me to believe that others also don't understand the possible implications of their irresponsible actions. My guess is that they do; yet they continue to jabber away with disregard. It's sad, but it's not going away any time soon. :mad:
The Rob
Multitasking is a current idiotic management fad--employers who demand it deserve employee theft and vandalism, at the very least.
*sigh!* :rolleyes:
khuon
This is insane, idiotic, nonsense, crap!
Multitasking is a current idiotic management fad--employers who demand it deserve employee theft and vandalism, at the very least.
Please open your mind a little. The concept of multitasking goes well beyond driving and talking on a mobile phone. If you don't think you're required to multitask in almost everything you do then you must be about 3 years old or younger. The point is that there are lots of things happening all the time around us. We have to constantly deal with event driven intterupts to our thought processes. You can either learn how to deal with it or you can go back to kindergarten and learn how to walk and chew gum at the same time. I am not advocating conducting business while driving. I am however advocating proper training in risk management and task prioritisation.