Re: Cell phone driving = drunk driving

donquijote1954 <nolionnoproblem@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:

> On Feb 24, 5:25 pm, nob...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Bill Z.) wrote:
> > donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:
> > > On Feb 24, 2:16 am, nob...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Bill Z.) wrote:
> > > > donquijote1954 <nolionnoprob...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:

> > > "This study does not mean people should start driving drunk," said
co-
> > > author Frank Drews. "It means that driving while talking on a cell
> > > phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk, which is
> > > completely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated by society."
> >
> > Which is nonsense because (a) "driving drunk" covers a wide range and
> > the minimum standard is set to what is hopefully a fairly safe value
> > and (b) the cell phone has no effect at all when sitting in the car
and
> > not in use, whereas the effects of alchohol cannot be turned off
> > instantly.
> 
> But there are far more drivers on the cell phone than on booze, so
> it's a greater risk.

The author was clearly talking about the risk per individual.

> > What hypocrisy?  They found that, while is use, the use of a cell
phone
> > was comparable to having drunk an alcoholic beverage, but being at
> > or just under the legal limit for DUI.  It's hardly compabable with
> > driving with a blood alcohol level 0.16, which people are known to
> > do.  Also, the fraction of the time spent on the phone has to be
> > considered.  If you spend 1 percent of your time calling, you've your
> > risk of an accident per mile by 1 percent of the risk you'd have by
> > driving at just under the legal limit for DUI.
> 
> A country that's tolerant of cell phones has hypocrisy written all
> over it, particularly when it's so strict about DUIs and speed limits,
> both of wich represent a milking cow for the system.

YOU can't be serious.  The U.S. is not "so strict" about DUI compared
to several European countries, which have far stricter standards.

> > I was describing the difference, not personal behavior, but calling
> > while stopped at a red light is perfectly safe.  It's an ideal time
to
> > call someone to simply say "Hi, I'm stuck in traffic and will be 15
> > minutes late".  I've yet to see someone cause an accident while
> > legally stopped on the road.  So let's keep a sense of reality here.
> >
> > --
> > My real name backwards: nemuaZ lliB- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > - Show quoted text -
> 
> If you ain't moving, and then the light goes green, chances are
> they'll have to blow the horn at you. Do you want that?

Around here, when you get have bad enough traffic to delay you 15
minutes and you are stuck at a red light, chances are you won't
get through the light on one cycle, and chances are you won't be
in the first car in a very long queue.  There's plenty of time
to make a quick call before there's even a slight chance that you
might get to start moving again.

-- 
My real name backwards: nemuaZ lliB