Do not text and drive

Posted on July 28, 2009 / 7 Comments

The obvious has been confirmed by science. It is not possible to text and drive at the same time (or text, drive and not kill other people and/or yourself at the same time)

The first study of drivers texting inside their vehicles shows that the risk sharply exceeds previous estimates based on laboratory research — and far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions.

The new study, which entailed outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over 18 months, found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

7 Comments

Lacking Common Sense
July 28, 2009, 2:45 pm
Oh dear.. All you PhD nuts warming up the seats out there must be really jobless to have come up with this post. We all know we shouldn’t text and drive like we shouldn’t drunk drive. Now this is common sense. It prevails in here, how about at Lirneasia pseudo intellectual office?

Please, use this blog to post constructive articles than come up with such plain obvious crap that we all know. Perhaps you should have a full time editor with some COMMON SENSE.

May i also add, you shouldn’t sleep and blog, much like you shouldn’t text and drive.
1. yu wish yu knew
  
  November 18, 2009, 2:22 am
  
  What does Sleeping and blogging have to do with Texting and Driving? But, Driving tired isn’t safe either its the same as driving drunk.
2. shelby
  
  February 20, 2010, 1:02 am
  
  not everybody knows they shouldnt text and drive. i mean do u know how many people still do it. just beacaues we know it doesnt mean everyone does. and they most likly do have a jo bor they wouldnt have posted it.
Rohan Samarajiva
July 28, 2009, 4:44 pm
It is sad that one of our gentle readers lacks a sense of irony. The first sentence says it all: science confirms the obvious.

And does this gentle reader actually think that we funded the 18 months of videotaping that is reported in the study?

“Lacking a sense of humor” seems a better handle for this gentle reader.
Abu Saeed Khan
July 30, 2009, 12:59 pm
In September, a commuter train engineer missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend, leading to a collision with a freight train that killed 25 people in California. The accident also injured 101 people. In May, 62 people were injured when one trolley struck another in Boston, Massachusetts.

Now four lawmakers are pushing nationwide ban on texting while driving in the USA. CNN says more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/29/texting.ban/
Rohan Samarajiva
July 30, 2009, 2:20 pm
Contrary to the grumpy comment above, it looks like this research has legs: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/technology/30distracted.html?th&emc=th

Sometimes the obvious has to be quantified for remedial action to be taken
Abu Saeed Khan
October 2, 2009, 2:31 pm
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday signed an order banning federal workers from text messaging while driving on official business or using government vehicles.

“With nearly three million civilian employees, the federal government can and should demonstrate leadership in reducing the dangers of text messaging while driving,” said the executive order. Reuters reports: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN01286876