[Newsbot]

Title: Texting puts drivers at serious risk, study finds
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: WDHIII
Date: 2009-07-28 08:39:41
Canadian

[LightStarr]

"Researchers have found that composing text messages while driving has a negative impact on all key measures of driving performance."

No fucking shit. Don't do it. Stop being retarded. You don't need to text someone that bad whil you're driving.

[ridenrain]

New study proves that fire is hot and water is wet.

[Hyack]

Putting a loaded gun to your head and pulling the trigger could also put you at serious risk....

[Hyack]

Multitasking is great, but behind the wheel.... Maybe the cop should have tried the gun to the head....

[DrCaleb]

WDHIII WDHIII:

I realize this is one of those DUH stories but I posted it because I saw something the other day that got me thinking.

Musta been something going on in the neighbourhood because in a span of about 5 minutes I saw three cop cars pass while I was out back working in the yard. As the third one came down the street I paused to watch; as he passed I could see that the Officer was engrossed in the touchscreen puter theyre all outfitted with these days - obviously looking for an update on the situation.

And THEN I watched him almost slam into a parked car; a last second heave on the wheel was the only thing that saved him from planting himself in the bed of my neighbours Dodge P/U.

So really......... what is the difference here?

I think they are also supposed to be either stopped or have a second person in the vehicle when operating those systems.

[martin14]

wow, what band of idiots approved money for what is blindingly obvious ?

[Choban]

I was on Sarcee trail the other day, limit is 80 kmh. Coasting down the hill towards Bowness I reached speeds of around 90. A black altima came up behind me and flew past at probably about 110. the vehicle was weaving in and out of it's lane with no regard for cars beside it, almost hit 2 cars in front of me and narrowly missed going off the side of the hill.
The driver slowed down and I was able to catch up, my wife was a passenger in my car and told me the guy driving the altima was texting. There was a light ahead that he almost ran a red at, I pulled up beside him and proceeded to give him a wicked tounge lashing about the bone head he obviously is. He looked at me, gave me the finger and continued to drive into bowness with his cell phone perched at the top of his wheel and his little thumbs just clicking away. My wife grabbed my cell, called the police and gave them his plate #.
Point is, he came close to causing 3 accidents in the space of 5 minutes and didn't give a shit. I hope that when they have to scrape this guy out of his car at an accident scene that there are no innocent people hurt or killed because of his stupidity.
I also have a friend who is a firefighter, he arrived at an accident scene on the 2a highway up near Bearspaw, a teenaged girl had driven her car into the back of a tractor trailer that was parked on the shoulder of the highway (he had his reflecors and flares out). This young girl was pretty much decapitated, she was texting at the time of the collision, thankfully the only person she killed was herself.

[Lemmy]

The larger is texting itself. Texting is seriously dangerous and compulsive behaviour. I've observed people, people who USED to be relatively normal, that are so addicted to texting that they can't put down their Crackberries for even a few minutes. It totally takes over peoples' lives. Their compulsive behaviour is very much like crack or heroin use. When I notice someone texting in a lecture or seminar, I centre them out and ask them to leave. I understand it's even more disturbing among teenagers. The bullying that goes on in text-messaging circles is exceptionally dangerous. Any parents that allow their children to send and receive text-messages ought to have their heads examined. This is one technology that the world was better without.

[DrCaleb]

Lemmy Lemmy:

This is one technology that the world was better without.

I disagree. It's technology that is just used incorrectly.

I manage several hundred servers; each having many moving parts that overheat, seize, jam, or generally discombobulate. When they have a problem, they page or email me. This I believe is a very useful application of this technology.

When my cousin texts me, and therefore takes 5 minutes to say "Hi, what are you doing?" - that is a waste of time. Phone me. If I'm not busy, I'll pick up the phone. If I am, leave a message and I'll get back to you. An hours verbal conversation would be weeks worth of texting.

Life is too short for humans to communicate via SMS.

[Proculation]

what a suprise !! They had to do a research to find that...

[Lemmy]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

I disagree. It's technology that is just used incorrectly.

I manage several hundred servers; each having many moving parts that overheat, seize, jam, or generally discombobulate. When they have a problem, they page or email me. This I believe is a very useful application of this technology.

When my cousin texts me, and therefore takes 5 minutes to say "Hi, what are you doing?" - that is a waste of time. Phone me. If I'm not busy, I'll pick up the phone. If I am, leave a message and I'll get back to you. An hours verbal conversation would be weeks worth of texting.

Life is too short for humans to communicate via SMS.

Great, I'm glad it's working productively for you. My observation is that texting is creating more problems for our society, especially among our youth, than its worth. Hey, guns have uses when used correctly too, but both, I'd argue, are net "failures" by objective cost-benefit analysis.

[Choban]

Actually Lemmy, I agree with Caleb here. Technology that's useful and time saving is always welcome, but abuse is what leads to all the problems.
The issue with our youth isn't texting itself but parents that cannot or will not make their kids put this crap away for any ammount of time.
I see it as the same as tv watching or video games, theres a time and a place and there must be set limits enforced by parents.

Texting drives me up the wall as well though, even shorthand can't be as efficient as calling and speaking in most cases. don't text me to just say hi, if you want to chat then p/u the phone.

[SprCForr]

Couple months ago some idiot rolled a shitter truck into the ditch. The twat was texting and drove off the pavement onto the shoulder then jerked the wheel back. The CFB Suffield fire department cut him out of the cab and STARS airlifted him to Medicine Hat. For a cut finger and bloody nose. The rescue guys figured he was a goner.

[Tricks]

Choban Choban:

don't text me to just say hi, if you want to chat then p/u the phone.

Can't answer in class/at work. Can text though.