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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Driving and cell phones: Why they don't go together

Time now for some important non-airline travel information. Those of you who have been reading this blog and its related Inquirer column awhile may recall what I have expressed before about driving while using a cellphone for talking or texting. I agreed with the National Safety Council in a January column when it called for an outright ban on using a phone behind the wheel because of the distraction it causes. And hands-free cell phone talking is no safer than using a handheld device -- it's a distraction issue, pure and simple.

In the last two days, the New York Times has begun a series called "Driven to Distraction" that anyone who drives and owns a cell phone, whether you agree with my thoughts or not, should read. The Times' Matt Richtel has done a masteful job of reporting on the conclusions of repeated scientific studies that show driving while on a phone call can impair a driver equivalent to being legally drunk. The long first installment of the series appeared on Sunday and can be found here.

Today, Richtel had another story saying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did extensive research on this topic six years ago -- yes, in 2003 -- but never published the findings. According to some of those quoted, there was concern it might have upset some members of Congress. Read that story, too, and let me know what you think.

For the record, I use a cell phone, and a few times I've dialed it while driving, but I try hard to avoid the practice. After reading this research, I'm not going to ever do it again, and I hope that we come to our senses and adopt a complete ban on driving while talking. It's not about personal freedom and Big Brother wanting to tell you how to live, folks. I don't drive 90 mph either, and not just because it's against the law.    
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 4:12 PM  Permalink | 2 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:12 PM, 07/22/2009
    Cell phone makes should add a mode to their phones where it would return an automated message to the caller stating that the person being called is currently driving. It should be a mode just like the phone profiles (silent, loud, normal) so that it is easy to select. Better still would be if the phone is plugged into the car (ala Sync), the phone would echo the message and allow the driver to at least hear the message that is being left by the caller.
    — cadguy
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:31 AM, 07/23/2009
    All it took for me to put the cell down while driving was meeting and talking with a family who lost a child because the driver of another vehicle was distracted while talking on the cell phone, ran a red light, and t-boned their family car. You feel for both sides since the driver of the other car is a good person and had no intention she would create such a horrible situation.
    — safetygal


2 comments
About Tom Belden
Tom Belden has been reporting about Philadelphia International Airport and other air travel subjects for more than 20 years, writing columns for The Inquirer's Travel and Business sections. His reporting (with colleague Craig McCoy) on baggage handling problems in Philadelphia have been credited with helping to improve the system. His previous blog was called Road Warrior. He can reached at tbelden@phillynews.com.
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