TECHNOLOGY - Drivers More Destracted

Duh... It is the lack of attention to driving!  It does not matter if it's a phone call, the burger you're eating, a heated argument with a passenger.

"Why hands-free tech doesn’t necessarily make driving safer" PBS NewsHour 10/7/2014

Excerpt

GWEN IFILL (NewsHour):  In the age of the mobile phones and smart devices, today’s drivers are increasingly tempted to take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road.

Many of us take comfort in newer hands-free technology that allows us to stay connected, but with fewer hand and eye movements.  But a new study out today finds talking, texting and changing the radio dial even without using your hands may not necessarily make driving any safer.

Such distractions, in fact, may be make the process of getting from here to there more dangerous.

The study was conducted by AAA and the University of Utah.

Jake Nelson is the director of traffic safety advocacy and research for AAA, and he joins me now.

So, how distracted are we, Jake Nelson?

JAKE NELSON, Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research, AAA:  It’s a lot worse than we thought.

GWEN IFILL:  Yes.

JAKE NELSON:  It’s really important to remember that the auto industry has done a great job at helping to mitigate manual and visual forms of distracted driving by allowing motorists to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

Our concern at AAA is that there is the third leg of the stool here, which is the mental or cognitive piece, that also needs to be addressed.

GWEN IFILL:  And so technology may be hurting more than it’s helping?

JAKE NELSON:  Well, certainly, from a mental standpoint, using voice commands to do things like tune the radio and to send and receive text messages and the latter are actually more distracting than — from a mental standpoint than using your handheld device.

RANT - Discourteous Drivers

@$!##@! idiot!

Been driving and have other drivers drive you up the wall? Cutting you off, pulling in front of you with only feet between. Drivers who NEVER use their turn signals or use them two feet before they turn. Drivers on the freeway speeding at 75mph in down-pouring rain, or tailgate you.

In California drivers can be very bad or discourteous. Most do NOT know how to drive safely in the rain. Most do not observe the tried-and-true freeway rule of one car-length for every 10mph over 35mph (i.e. at 73mph you should maintain 7 car-lengths between you and the car ahead) whenever possible.

Here's the recent example of why I'm posting this rant:

This occurred on the North-bound 805 freeway in San Diego during my drive to work. Location was where Home Av on-ramp merges with the 805 (see pic below).

Starting 15mils back on the 805 traffic was backed up and moving at a crawl. I was in the right-hand lane because I new I wanted to get off soon (freeway 15 North ramp just passed Home Av). When I got to Home Av on-ramp there was a car stalled in the right-hand lane with his hood up. He was the cause of the 15mil backup.

In the pic below you can see where he was AND that there is a no-drive wedge next to him. ONLY FEET AWAY! This discourteous idiot was just sitting there making no effort to push his car into the no-drive wedge to get out of the way!

I left home at 09:30 (9:30am to civies) but got into work at 11:00, it normally take me 20min to get to work.


(click for better view)


Well, got that off my chest.