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No Surprises

September 18th, 2008 · Posted by Skuds in Life · 4 Comments · Life

We shouldn’t be surprised that research shows that people sending text messages while driving are not going to be driving very well.  On the other hand, we should be surprised and depressed that this will be news to some people.

The story has some quotes about advertising more to make us aware that trying to read words on a tiny screen and then concentrate on composing a reply on tiny buttons might make us less able to safely control a moving car.  I just doubt that anyone who can’t work that out on their own is going to be paying attention to such messages, and according to the research there are a lot of us in that particular boat – 50% of 17 to 24-year-olds have texted while driving apparently, and that really is scary.

Actually I do wonder if the flashy features on some of the flashier cars are not nearly as distracting.  It can be bad enough operating a sat-nav or stereo, but how about those screens in the new Jaguars with that big control knob down by the gear lever and the multiple levels of menu?

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4 Comments so far ↓

  • Rob Glover

    I know how hard it is to avoid taking the risk – I’ve done it myself, I admit, taking 5 minutes to type out “5 mins” as I’m driving to pick someone up. Ideally, you switch the phone off or put it onto mute when you’re driving, but the people you know who text or ring you in turn have to buy into that deal, knowing it means a return to the dark days of that antideluvian age, the pre–late-90s. And that means, no more replies to “where are you?”, no more “if you’re near the supermarket could do with some milk”, and no more sends of “I’m going to be late, stuck in a jam. Save my seat.”

  • skud's sister

    I don’t remember what the advert was for (phones or cars probably) but I do recall seeing a tv ad recently which starts with someone taking a text message while in a traffic jam and then flying off into a fantasy world where the sun was shining and there were no traffic jams…. I would have complained to the ASA but a) it was so amazingly irresponsible that I thought I must have imagined it and b) if it was real surely the AA/RAC/police would get it banned…. I haven’t seen it recently but adverts for phones and cars seem to change so quickly that it may just be advertising an obsolete product rather than a stupidly dangerous past-time!

  • Skuds

    Rob, you missed out the other option: use a bluetooth headset or the car’s built-in hands-free facility if there is one. Isn’t it better to take 10 seconds to say “5 mins” then to take 5 mins writing it.

    Mind you, I doubt most of the 17-24 texting is of the urgent variety. More likely to be stuff like “No way lol u gonna b at mikes 2nite? l8trz”

    If my phone goes off in the car I make a mental note that I should look at it when I get where I’m going, though I will admit I might have a quick look if I get held up at the level crossing or lights. I wouldn’t reply because I know that takes too much of my attention – I am not a natural texter.

  • Rob Glover

    I take your point on bluetooth headsets – I did try one for a while, but I get so few calls on the personal mobile that putting it on for each journey seemed pointless.
    Anyway, whet’s the betting that talking on bluetooth headsets is going to be the next practice to be outlawed?