Do you talk or text on your cell phone while driving?

[Better Believe It]

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. The answer to your question is 'no'

which you need an option for. Not everyone who has a mobile phone is a moron.

[rcrush]

2. Only when eating chinese food and drinking a beer.

[Fuzz]

5. Agreed, that's the best way.

[lame54]

60. what a great last meal

[Robb]

3. I'll admit I tried it once.

I realized I hadn't even thought about driving while I was doing it.

Scared me but good. Never again.

[Fumesucker]

4. What, precisely, do you mean by "driving"?

Does the car have to be moving?

How about if you are stopped at a red light or in a bumper to bumper quagmire?

[Better Believe It]

7. The car must be moving. If you're parked that's not a problem.

In fact, if you need to use your cell phone pull off the road and park!

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. Hell, I can't text sitting down at home.

Tiny buttons. Big fingers. Predictive text is always wrong. 50+ yr old eyes.

[Phentex]

21. me either! My kids get so annoyed

at how slow I am. I wouldn't even attempt it in a car! But I don't have any reason to text anyway.

[customerserviceguy]

34. Tell your kids

that your phone has this really wonderful feature! You can push some buttons, and actually SPEAK to the person who has the other phone. And they can actually speak to you!

That's what I've done with the young people who insist that I turn texting back on with my phone...

[Maru Kitteh]

81. Texting can be quite handy in many situations. You can text several people simultaneously,

So sending out a message that dinner will be at 6, or we're meeting at the sports bar on 3rd for the game is quicker and less hassle than making multiple phone calls.

Also, with the phone on silent, one can handle short inquiries and exchange important information without interrupting a dinner, a movie, or a meeting. The last time we went to go see a movie, my daughter was able to ask me an important question about my mom's medication without disturbing my fellow movie goers.

[Fumesucker]

42. I'm older than Gates and have no problem texting..

I don't even have to look at the phone to do it, on my phone the predictive texting software learns the words you use most commonly and uses those preferentially after you get it trained.

I only learned last year and was reluctant to do so but I do find it handy communicating with my kids and grandkids, they often won't answer the phone but will almost always respond to text. It was quite surprising to me how quickly I learned really.

[hobbit709]

8. I don't text and have no wish to

And I rarely use the phone while driving- usually for very brief calls 30 seconds or less while I'm waiting at a light.

[Better Believe It]

10. I can't text, surf the web or make a pot roast with my cell phone!

It's only good for phone calls.

Call me old fashioned!

[kirby]

9. Texting is way different than talking...

While both can be a mental distraction, texting is also a visual distraction.

[backscatter712]

23. Agreed there.

Talking on a cell phone is dangerous enough, though I think it's not so bad as long as you're using a headset so you can have both hands on the wheel.

Texting while driving is Darwin Award dumb - your eyes should be on the road, not your cell phone's screen!

[Berry Cool]

43. If you think it's a given that a person wearing a headset has both hands on the wheel,

you have never seen some people talking on the phone.

When I see people talk who instinctively use their hands to make gestures the person on the other end of the phone can't even see, I realize that "hands-free driving" is what's going on with some of these people.

And that's aside from the fact that it's not having your hands occupied that is the sole danger, it's having your mind occupied by the phone conversation.

[RaleighNCDUer]

30. IOW, if talking on a cell is equivalant to drinking 3 shots of liquor, texting would

be equivalent to a knocking back a pint.

That sounds like a real good idea.

[Turbineguy]

11. I don't even

sleep while I'm driving.

Anymore.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. I talk while driving

I have a speaker phone. I have both hands on the wheel. I find it no different than having a passenger and talking.

[graywarrior]

13. NO!

I can't walk and chew gum at the same time never mind drive and talk on a cell.

[Iggo]

14. Talk rarely. Text never.

That wasn't one of the choices.

[bridgit]

15. Yeah *I* do, but then again I don't drive/steer the car

:dunce:

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. No - I respect other people.

[TexasObserver]

17. insufficient choices

[JonLP24]

18. I couldn't text I'd crash for sure

I can't use a cell phone while on the freeway, too much going on. I can handle a quick call while driving. Never had long conversations while on the road.

[Elwood P Dowd]

19. Rarely talk and never text while driving.

A friend of mine recently had a minor accident while backing out of a parking space. Yes, he was talking on the cell at the time and not paying attention.

[earthboundmisfit]

20. One year ago, a good friend was killed by someone texting while driving

Rick was on his motorcycle - the car driver was texting, ran part way off the road, overcorrected and went across the road, hitting Rick nearly head-on and killing him. (The car driver was not injured.)The world lost a prince of a guy, friend, brother, dad, grandfather - just because somebody couldn't wait till they were off the road to message. :cry:

[customerserviceguy]

36. Christ, I remember back in the late 1980's when I last had a motorcycle

and the drivers of cars didn't "see" us. Today, even without the menace of texting, drivers don't even "see" other cars.

There's no way in hell I'd get back on a bike again. Motorized or not.

[Liberal_in_LA]

68. Terrible! I hope the driver went to jail

[RFKHumphreyObama]

74. I'm so sorry beyond words

My condolences to all involved:hug:

That's very tragic

[Burma Jones]

22. Talk hands free, and briefly, if you text while driving you should lose your license

OK, if you're stuck in traffic, maybe texting then is fine

I don't like talking on the phone, I like cell phones less.

I text when the job demands it.

[customerserviceguy]

37. There's a difference between being completely stuck in traffic

as when it is actually NOT moving at all, and being stuck in traffic where one has to move up a few feet every five or ten seconds. Texting is just as bad during those times as it is at legal road speeds.

[Burma Jones]

52. Really? You're going to get killed moving a few feet every five or ten seconds?

So no, not just as bad.......

[customerserviceguy]

73. Ok, not killed

unless the guy in front of the texter is on a motorcycle.

It requires MORE concentration to keep going in stop-and-go traffic than it does in smoothly moving traffic. Neither is the right place for drivers to text.

[ejpoeta]

24. i do not text. i will talk if i have my earpiece in. i don't see anything wrong with doing that.

doesn't hurt my driving. not any worse than talking to (or yelling at) my kids... and unfortunately i have to do that.

[hlthe2b]

25. Only while shaving my legs at 90 mph...

I love to multi-task....:evilgrin:








:sarcasm:

[polmaven]

65. Well if that's when you text....

When do you put on your make up??? :shrug:

[hlthe2b]

67. Takes more concentration... so only at 75mph and while

juggling my extra hot latte and having a heated cell phone conversation. I find weaving in and out of traffic helps too. ;)

[polmaven]

70. Ahhh!

Well, at least you don't try to do too much multi-tasking.

[AllieB]

26. I talk with a headset, but I never text. I pull over to type or read.

I was rear-ended at a red light by someone texting. Taught me never to text or read my email while driving.

[seabeyond]

27. lol, i did whats a cell phone. i have one. carry it. company pays and bookkeeper called

to ask whose phone is this, no calls in two months.

i dont like to talk and drive. sheeeeit i dont like to talk on phone at all.

but every once in a great while i will get a call driving. i take it and end it fast. a couple times have pulled over. not good at it

hubby on other hand, does it all the time. his business. computers. and someone not able to get on line, geeeeez, end of the world as we know it. he hasnt had issue. i am not uncomfortable with him when he does it. so some people are better at it than others. dont think it should be the law

i speed, i am good at it. i know cause 3 decades adn only time i have problems is when putting under 15 mph. i am more comfortable at a higher speed that doesnt go with limit. others on the other hand do it poorly, feel the uncomfortable and they shouldnt do it

[seabeyond]

28. btw... how many people have kids in car while driving. talk about distractions, ... n/t

[stubtoe]

55. This is true. Moms in vans in my rear-view mirror tend to scare me.

Seems like they're often trying to stop a fight in the back seat, and sometimes it gets close to being a rear-ender.

[aikoaiko]

29. Talk while driving almost of the time, text at red lights.

sometimes I read texts while driving and I know I shouldn't

[mnhtnbb]

31. I rarely use my cell phone. Rarely give out the number. Occasionally I have

answered a call while driving, never talk more than 30 seconds, only when phone is right beside me. Have let phone go to voice mail lots of times when driving and check the messages at next stop. Never have texted while driving and never will.

[Fla Dem]

32. No and I won't talk to anyone on the phone who is driving. If they got

into an accident, I would feel to blame.

[Iggo]

38. I hear you.

I've added "I'm driving" to my informal list of reasons to immediately end a phone call.

Others include:

I'm eating.
I'm working
I just woke up.

[customerserviceguy]

33. You should have had the choice "Talk, but don't text"

Some people are actually capable of doing it without either having to look at the damned phone, or gesture with the other hand. At that level, it's really no different from talking to a person in the car.

Texting, on the other hand, is inherently dangerous. I'd be happy if it were disabled on all phones everywhere, especially in movie theaters. I can't stand having the clown in front of me shining what is effectively a flashlight in my eyes while I'm trying to watch a film in a dark room.

[Better Believe It]

41. Doing either is unsafe and should be outlawed.

Too many drivers think they can use a cell phone and drive without being distracted. Some people also think they can drive well when under the influence of pot or alcohol.

They are all wrong!

How can you prove you're not distracted because of your technique for using a cell phone.

Sorry.

It's needs to be outlawed for everyone. I don't know of any cell phone "test" that can taken to prove you can use a phone safely while driving.

[customerserviceguy]

45. I'd advocate a test

I remember when I went to get a motorcycle endorsement, I was given a test (paid for at my own expense) on my abilities to control a motorized two-wheeled vehicle.

Some people cannot do anything else at all while driving. They should be given conditional licenses (like the one I have that requires me to wear corrective lenses while driving).

It may be coming to the point where those of us who are competent to talk while driving are absolutely prohibited from moving our mouths while at the wheel (I can see using a five-inch strip of duct tape to convince a cop that you weren't doing it), but I will regret the loss of freedom for those who can effectively do two things at once that require separate skill sets.

[Jackpine Radical]

35. I admit it. I'm an idiot.

I get calls, I try to keep them short. I do a few things to somewhat mitigate the danger. If I anticipate a tricky situation, I tell my caller & say I'll get back to them. Sometimes I pull off the road if I can and I anticipate that teh call will be a long one.

[merh]

39. I have the bluetooth

I am able to keep my hands on the wheel as I talk and listen.

I don't care much for texting - I definitely do not text while driving.

[MajorChode]

40. Here is what I think about talking on a cell phone while driving

Personally I never do it. No exceptions. If I'm alone in my car I often turn my cell phone off. Otherwise I let it ring or let a passenger answer it.

I've heard some people say that it's just a matter of driving skills and some people can't handle doing both at the same time. That's how they justify an activity that they know the statistics say is unsafe. I'm an instrument rated pilot and I can fly an instrument approach in adverse weather conditions while simultaneously talking to a controller on the radio. The level of complexity in performing those tasks is much harder than talking on a cell phone while driving, but I still don't do it. The reason is because I have to ask myself, why on earth would I want to compromise my safety and those around me for something that is completely unnecessary? No phone call is so important that it can't wait until the car is stopped.

[flvegan]

44. Neither.

If something comes up that I have to call someone (or call someone back), I'll pull off the road to do so. Having a 6 speed is a good excuse for not answering a call as you need both hands and both feet to drive.

[xchrom]

46. increasingly manners keeps from using my personal devices at all.

i wouldn't use the cellie while driving, i wouldn't use it in a store, i wouldn't text in front of friends, -- consequently i'm starting to use all of it less and less.

[Salviati]

47. Only talking and only on the interstate.

city driving requres too much attention, what with all the starts and stops and turns and such, but on the interstate, either it's free flowing, or you're crawling along at 20mph, neither require nearly as much attention as driving city streets.

[Quantess]

48. I talk but never text.

Your poll seems to equate the two in terms of safety. Texting while driving is infinitely more dangerous than just talking.

[frylock]

49. i've used a hands-free device for eight years..

avid txtr, but never while driving.

[Better Believe It]

50. Has any bought the portable cell phone booth yet?

[Political Tiger]

51. I have a cell phone but rarely use it, and I couldn't text if my life depended on it!

[TorchTheWitch]

53. hell no - I have enough trouble doing it sitting in a chair at home!

I hate texting. I have email for that. I actually think it's kind of rude. If you can't be arsed to actually speak to me on my phone then don't bother me on my phone at all.

[Better Believe It]

54. Hey stupid! Drop the cell phone and drive

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6152938

[dionysus]

56. hellll no... last year we had an SUV full of chearleaders drive head on into a semi because the

driver was texting. madet he national news.

people who do so are craz (unless they are following the law and using hands free)

[ThoughtCriminal]

57. I can't even text while sitting at a desk

It appears that this is one of those things that is just now starting to hit the public.

It wasn't that long ago that:

- Penalties for DUI were relatively light, unless there was a fatal accident (And even then depending on who your daddy was).
- Seat belt usage was rare, even if installed in the vehicle
- Child seats?
- Laws requiring people to pick up their dog's waste were seen as a perfect example of a silly law.

[proud2BlibKansan]

58. No. I am too busy putting on my make up and fixing my hair.

[lame54]

59. I'm answering your thread while driving...

And I'm also cleaning my toilet

[RB TexLa]

61. Talk, text and use the laptop while driving.

[ecstatic]

78. I know someone who does that. He watches movies too!

I've expressed my outrage but he swears he's the safest driver. :eyes:

[dansolo]

62. You should have had a talk with handsfree in your poll

If I expect to get a phone call while driving (e.g. I'm meeting up with someone) I use my bluetooth headset so I don't have to fumble with the phone or have to hold my phone up to my ear. Personally, I don't believe the studies that say that using a handsfree setup is just as bad. The biggest distraction seems to be from manipulating the phone (answering, dialing, texting) and not from the talking.

[Peacetrain]

63. I was almost killed by an inattentive driver... who then had the gall to sue me

of course they lost, but it still cost money.. but that is another story all together. No way, no how, no time, would I text using a cell phone, and I pull to the side of the road to make a call.. Inattentive drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers.

[rucky]

64. I've been known to talk, even though it's wrong.

It's stupid - I admit. But texting while driving is insane.

[Skittles]

66. no

I have on occasion answered to say, "I'll call you back soon". I simply am not arrogant enough to think my phone conversations are more important than the safety of people on the road.

[mamaleah]

69. Only when yelling at the kids, while holding my cup of coffee and wrestling with my GPS

while trying to make sure my laptop is networking with the rest of the world.

Texting while driving=epic stupidity.

[theHandpuppet]

71. I must be the only person left on the planet who doesn't have a cellphone

Hate the damn things and have almost gotten T-boned several times by people who can't seem to simply SHUT UP AND DRIVE!!!

[AngryOldDem]

75. Good for you. Seriously.

Sometimes I think they are more of a hindrance than a convenience.

[Toasterlad]

72. I Have Bluetooth Built Into My Car

I hate talking on the phone, and didn't even consider the Bluetooth a selling point when I bought my new car in Feb, but it's been a godsend since. I've used it several time, and it's GREAT to be able to talk hands-free. I highly recommend it for anyone.

[Scout]

76. Other

I have occasionally talked, and then only when traffic is light and i know where i'm going.

i have never texted even when not driving.

[ecstatic]

77. If I do text, it's very cautiously with the knowledge that I could

get in a serious accident and go to jail. So I rarely text while the car is in motion and try to limit talk time or at least use bluetooth.

[Lorax]

79. Neither

I don't text that much to begin with. I could never text before I had my iphone because I just couldn't get the hang of it. Even though it's easier now, I prefer to just make a call.

I don't talk on the phone while driving because I have yet to find a bluetooth or a wired headset that performs well. If I could find one, I might make the occasional call.

[Maru Kitteh]

80. I do, but I know I shouldn't

Logic tells me that any call important enough to take is important enough to pull over for. Still, I admit that I do sometimes text or take calls while driving. I live in a small town so it's not like I have to negotiate 5 lanes of traffic, but still.

If I do take a call I make a special effort to be attentive to traffic signals, intersections and animals/children/pedestrians in the periphery.