Another senseless tragedy

I think a big part of the problem is a lot of people think driving is easy & that they are good drivers.
So, if driving is easy & I'm a good driver I can also work a phone, have a few, go a bit fast & still be OK.

Unfortunately, driving is not easy, driving well takes a lot of skill & concentration & any distraction makes it more difficult.

Another issue is that the Bloody Mobile Phone has become all consuming!
When I'm driving & the phone rings I just ignore it but if the kids are in the car it stresses them that I won't answer the phone or let them do so.
That's why phones have message bank & call back facilities.

Jonesfam

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Originally Posted by workingonit

Hence 'etc' and the random outcome of operators being distracted. Is my math wrong and it would not be a combined impact of 30 kph? Somewhere on the Gold Coast I would think, maybe around 'Schoolies' week. You can also nominate a drunk mate to tension and release your cage - probably not fair on like the opposing cage, an an stuff, an that...(to the sound of gum being chewed).

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30km/h would be unlikely to kill anyone in a car.

but i like the ideas :)

Or watch Duel, at least you will respect truck space

At least they had the decency to avoid the walkers.

Drugs played role in fatal crash between stolen motorcycle and ute, coroner finds

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Originally Posted by tact

The more recent versions of Apple's iOS has a setting in the "Do Not Disturb" section called "Do not disturb while driving" that allows iPhone users to opt in to having ALL phone notifications turned off, automatically or manually, when driving. (includes no screen turning on, no camera flash flashing, no ringing, no vibration and no beeps/sounds for messages etc)

(Optionally automatically sending a msg to callers telling them you'll get back to them after you get the notification of their call or msg once you stop driving. Also optional, one can set up certain numbers that can break through the "do not disturb" for emergencies - giving the sensible person a chance to pull over and call back immediately)

The Apple "do not disturb" settings won't stop those who, by their own volition, deliberately pick up and use their phones as they please while driving anyway. But I like it for what it IS worth. (Likely this functionality is also available on non-apple smart phones too).

(The Apple version of the Do Not Disturb setting wasn't originally created for the driving situation. I have been using it for a year or two (since it was first available) to put my phone into "do not disturb" mode automatically from 10PM to 7am just for the peace and quiet. Certain people have the ability to break through if needed)

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I’ve just upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a secondhand iPhone 7 and noticed this new do not disturb while driving feature. I think it’s an excellent idea and it can be set automatically when the phone detects motion. Although I’m still trying to work out how to use the phone so I haven’t tried it out on automatic yet.

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Originally Posted by LRT

I’ve just upgraded from an iPhone 4 to a secondhand iPhone 7 and noticed this new do not disturb while driving feature. I think it’s an excellent idea and it can be set automatically when the phone detects motion. Although I’m still trying to work out how to use the phone so I haven’t tried it out on automatic yet.

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Good one LRT. Just a couple of tips around how I use "Do Not Disturb" (DND):
- I have enabled the "scheduled" option and set times that suit me. (e.g. 10pm to 7am the phone goes into DND)
- I also enabled the silence to be only when the phone is locked. i.e. if I am using the phone after 10pm and someone calls/msgs, its not like its a huge disturbance.
- have also set "allow calls from" and selected Favourites. Then only add to the Favourites group those people that I want to be treated as exceptions to the DND mode. e.g. if my wife calls me it could be something deadly serious, like "bring home eggs", or our lad has been bitten by a snake. Wouldn't want to miss family emergencies!

- (which does NOT imply I will use my phone while driving for said family emergencies. Just that the phone would beep/flash and let me know something potentially important had gone down. then I have options like asking SIRI to read messages or "call my wife" hands-free.)

- further.... I reckon having the "Repeated Calls" setting turned on is a good move. What it does is let a repeat caller through DND blocking if their second call is within 3 min of their first call. Kinda assuming that whomever they are, it must be reasonably urgent if they call back so fast.

- lastly I have "DND while driving" turn on automatically. I have an auto-response to the people in the Favourites group that says "This is an auto-response: I'm driving with Do Not Disturb While Driving turned on. I'll see your message when I arrive at my destination. If your need to reach me cannot wait, pls reply with the word "urgent"."
(if they reply "urgent" then they break through DND and I can then ask SIRI to read me the message, or pull over.


edit: nice guide here How to use the Do Not Disturb while driving feature - Apple Support

The very best "Do Not Disturb" method is to turn the phone off or put the bloody thing in your pocket and IGNORE it whilst driving.
The fines and penalties for using a phone whilst driving should be on a par with those for drink driving as both are easily avoided via abstinence and they are both extremely dangerous.
If you are unable to drive without using your phone then take don't be a thoughtless jerk and take the bus/train/taxi route instead.

So with all the rage over mobile phone use in cars I am yet to hear an explanation of why the road toll did not go up catastrophically in the reasonably short time that mobiles became popular. Similarly there is no difference in fatality figures in US states between jurisdictions where driving whilst talking on a phone is permitted against those where it is not. I would suggest that the role of phones in fatal accidents is somewhat overplayed by a bureaucracy who are incapable of reducing the road toll and are coming up with solutions that look like they are doing something to counteract the publicity over the loss of life over the Christmas period.
The road toll explanations this year have not mentioned the biggest change from previous years which is the distribution of public Holidays which results in a very different pattern of traffic on the roads. We live near the Hume and Cross it frequently, this year there was noticeably more traffic commencing the Friday before Christmas that continued for a solid week. These changed holiday traffic patterns as well as the balance of people deciding to drive to their Holiday destination Vs flying or going overseas all contribute to the concentration of incidents.

Regards,
Tote

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Originally Posted by Tote

So with all the rage over mobile phone use in cars I am yet to hear an explanation of why the road toll did not go up catastrophically in the reasonably short time that mobiles became popular. Similarly there is no difference in fatality figures in US states between jurisdictions where driving whilst talking on a phone is permitted against those where it is not.
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I have no actual evidence to support my ideas. I am just suggesting how it might be possible for mobile phones to be a problem in spite of the facts you have mentioned.

Perhaps, given the improved safety features in cars, there would have been a significant drop in fatalities if mobile phones had not negated the expected drop. After all, new cars are safer and the proportion of cars with relatively modern safety features is improving all the time.

In the US, it may be that people continue to use their phones in the places where it is illegal. There may not be a high level of compliance with the law. That wouldn't surprise me given how many Americans seem to think the gubbamint has no right to interfere with their god-given freedoms.

That could be the case, but it is difficult to sustain given the total lack of any statistical difference in trends between states with and without the ban on phone use. Over the period in which phones went from almost unknown to ubiquitous, the accident and fatality statistics continued on their downward trend indistinguishably in both states that ban phones and those that don't. While it is possible that there is zero compliance, it seems unlikely that it is absolutely zero.

Looking at the local situation, the downward trend has continued over the same period as phones became common - and with compliance here certainly nowhere near 100%, if phone use was as dangerous as it is portrayed, it is difficult to see how it could avoid showing up in the statistics.

My personal view is that it is no more of an issue than other distractions, including fiddling with the entertainment system or the GPS, or talking to passengers, checking a map, or dealing with misbehaving children (for example there was a fatal headon in Dubbo a couple of years ago where a mother, driving, turned round to take a swipe at a back seat passenger, and swerved into the path of a B-Double.) I suspect that most drivers can deal with these distractions simply by prioritising driving where necessary, and there is nothing special about phones as such.

Texting, though, is another matter.