Map tester

FYI. If they weren't illegal, I would love to have a cell phone jammer on my bike...but then, people would probably run into me while trying figure out why their phone isn't working.


Is hands-free actually safer?
Report: Federal officials say driver distraction is a big problem, even with hands-free cell phones.
June 9, 2005: 8:35 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The use of electronic devices such as cell phones, including hands-free, precipitated many crashes and near misses, according to a report Thursday.

Using a cell phone behind the wheel is a key cause of traffic accidents and hands-free devices provide little safety benefit, the Detroit News reported, citing federal officials.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration researchers said devices like head sets or voice-activated dialing led to longer dialing times than for hand-held phones. The delays offset the potential benefit of keeping both hands on the wheel, the report said.

The research adds to a growing body of studies that suggest hands-free cell-phone systems do not deliver the safety benefits automakers and legislators had thought.

But whether drivers use a handheld device or not, "phone use degraded both driving performance and vehicle control," said NHTSA's Elizabeth Mazzae, according to the paper.

Hands-free devices can give drivers a false sense of security, as research has shown that it is the act of conversation that leads to distraction and inattentive driver behavior, NHTSA officials have said.

Auto companies have been conducting their own research to gauge how well hands-free devices help drivers stay focused, the report said.

Jeff Greenberg, director of Ford Motor Co.'s (Research) driving simulator, conducted several studies trying to break down which parts of cell- phone conversations impair drivers. It is too soon to know what to do, he said.

"The preponderance of evidence suggests that long conversations while driving impair your ability to react to events," Greenberg said, according to the paper. "But it would be difficult to make rules about conversations in vehicles."

Cell phones on planes worry security too.

skanking biker

well i guess they should pass a law making it illegal to talk to a passenger while driving, or argue with your spouse, or yell at your kids. How are these activities any different than using a hands free cell??

dynaryder

How would they prove you had the jammer?

dynaryder

I would say that because you can't see the person on the other end of the phone, you concentrate more on the conversation to pick up cues about the person's meanings. Also,if there's another person in the car,it's another set of eyes to look for potential hazards.

I have however seen people so engrossed in conversation with a passenger that it effected their driving. The above statement it just a general rule.

steve_wmn

One of my college roommates had a compulsive need for eye-contact when talking. I hated riding anywhere with him because he'd be all over the road while trying to maintain a conversation and drive at the same time. It was so scary I'd go to extremes to stifle conversation with him, gazing out the passenger window, reading books, anything to avoid his glance.

Karldar

Gee, I'm glad the NHTSA spent tax money figuring out that riddle of the ages. When will the government and manufacturers realize that more driver education is what's really needed?

Hmm, I wonder if they'll ever outlaw my manual transmission so the shifter doesn't distract me while driving...probably been a study on that already, too.

emilymildew

Because driving a manual isn't something that takes a lot of brain activity. I can do it without consciously thinking about it.

Talking on a phone requires concentration. Try sometime to read a book while talking on the phone and see how much of both parts you remember. You will probably either remember only one or the other.

If you're driving a car, you should be driving. Not talking on the phone.

chris_pnoy

I don't like people that drive and talk at the same time....

but I admit that I was guilty of it recently right untill I passed a cop and the cop made a quick U-turn...

khuon

I think it's more a matter of the person's ability to manage sensory inputs, tasks and context switching.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...1&postcount=11

At anyrate, the article is just rehashing stuff already brought up countless times in the past five years. There's already been much discussion on this topic. Here's the last thread on the topic.

RonH

I've never had a close call on the bike or in the car with a motorist engaged in any of these activities.
Cell phones are another story - hands free or hand held. I've had more close calls than I can count both on the bike and in the car.

iana

To use a hands free cell, I still have to look down to operate the phone to make the call or check my messages or check missed calls, etc. I certainly don't have to do that to talk to someone in my car.