Phoning Whilst Driving

[Bellow]

I suppose you are correct, especially when the passengers are children, elderly relatives who have never driven, or they are concentrating on their conversation, and not the road around them.

Easier to tell them to shut up than it is a business colleague/contact though!

Putting my sarcasm aside, I do take your point.

At least with talking the eyes are free. Not so texting etc - which is of much greater concern to me than anyone talking.

 

[markjay]

Luxury. We never 'ad no doors...

Aye, and we all had jobs to go to.

... the Italian Job?






(I'll get my coat)

 

[baxlin]

Moving off topic a bit, sorry, but train of thought led me to thinking of how long I'd had a phone in the car.

Hands free is nothing new - my first "mobile" phone was a Cleartone analogue car phone, hardwire fitted to my 1986 MG eFi Montego from new, and, apart from the addition of a 7 after the first 0, I still have the same number.

It was complete with separate speaker unit in the passenger footwell area, and box bolted in the boot, to the underside of the rear parcel shelf. It had a curly lead to the receiver, domestic telephone style.

And no texting facility, I don't think texting had been invented then.

 

[Smithy53]

Why do you think holding the phone in his hand rather than using a handsfree made him go slower...isn't it more true that the actual conversation is the problem...not the equipment?

Would that be the same if you were talking to a passenger in the car?

 

[markjay]

Would that be the same if you were talking to a passenger in the car?

Listening to someone talking on the radio is the least distracting.

Talking to a passenger in the car is next in order.

Talking to someone on the phone is the most distracting.

 

[cb1965]

I think phones should be banned from cars as should any form of ICE or in car equipment that requires driver involvement e.g. A/C, gearbox modes. Items like windows and seat adjustment should only work when the car is stationary with the ignition key in the house. Also all additional seats should be removed so passengers can't be carried or an auto chloroform dispenser fitted to each seat to render any passengers unconscious for the duration of the journey. Sensing electronics should be fitted to the drivers area and a chip inserted into the drivers brain to communicate with these to ensure the driver is not doing anything other than concentrating on the driving and if he/she is found not to be the car is parked carefully via GPS and the the various electronics whereupon the driver is reminded of their misdemeanours by a sharp jot of electricity from the chip. Then and only then would threads like this finally stop being popular on MBClub

 

[renault12ts]

I think phones should be banned from cars as should any form of ICE or in car equipment that requires driver involvement e.g. A/C, gearbox modes. Items like windows and seat adjustment should only work when the car is stationary with the ignition key in the house. Also all additional seats should be removed so passengers can't be carried or an auto chloroform dispenser fitted to each seat to render any passengers unconscious for the duration of the journey. Sensing electronics should be fitted to the drivers area and a chip inserted into the drivers brain to communicate with these to ensure the driver is not doing anything other than concentrating on the driving and if he/she is found not to be the car is parked carefully via GPS and the the various electronics whereupon the driver is reminded of their misdemeanours by a sharp jot of electricity from the chip. Then and only then would threads like this finally stop being popular on MBClub

Whilst I agree with some of what you say (the first eight words), do you not think some of it would be at the very least impractical and in other cases dangerous?

 

[itaintemeyouno]

So today I take the car to Livi and since the weather's turned bad reach for the heater controls. It's set to 17C and on Screen and I reset it to 23C and scroll through to Footwell. After a while at this I look up and swerve to avoid the oncoming truck on his side of the road that i'd crossed over to.

So are buried digital heater controls any worse than a phone in your lug? Not in a 212 they're not.

I wish that car manufacturers would put demister/heating controls on the steering wheel like they do the entertainment things

 

[E55BOF]

I think phones should be banned from cars as should any form of ICE or in car equipment that requires driver involvement e.g. A/C, gearbox modes. Items like windows and seat adjustment should only work when the car is stationary with the ignition key in the house. Also all additional seats should be removed so passengers can't be carried or an auto chloroform dispenser fitted to each seat to render any passengers unconscious for the duration of the journey. Sensing electronics should be fitted to the drivers area and a chip inserted into the drivers brain to communicate with these to ensure the driver is not doing anything other than concentrating on the driving and if he/she is found not to be the car is parked carefully via GPS and the the various electronics whereupon the driver is reminded of their misdemeanours by a sharp jot of electricity from the chip. Then and only then would threads like this finally stop being popular on MBClub

Why do you want to see an end to threads like this on the forum? You may not care for them, or wish to contribute to the discussion, but plainly others do. There is room for us all, or at least, should be, don't you think?

 

[scumbag]

excellent thread.....where is my popcorn when you need it

 

[7om]

I have no idea why this rule exists. Changing a CD is more distracting IMO and that's not illegal.

I know you'll have the safety womble keyboard safety patrol infoming us of statistics but I think it really depends on the person. I was told not to use my mobile by someone once when driving, only to jump in a car with them doing 120mph on an A road a few weeks later. Pot and the Kettle!
I have a hands free kit now and find it makes no difference!

 

[brucemillar]

I have no idea why this rule exists. Changing a CD is more distracting IMO and that's not illegal.

Driving Without Due Care & Attention

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[markjay]

Generally speaking you may use anything that is built-in into the car by the manufacturer, persuant to generic 'due care and attention' rules, i.e. these are not specifically prohibited by law.

The assumption is that manufacturers will have carried out the relevant ergonomic research required to ensure their devices are safe to use while driving.

This is however a very optimistic view, given that there is no established standard as to what can and can not be done in a car while driving.

Until there is an industry standard for use of voice, data, and other devices in cars, backed by the relevant government authorities in various countries, the rather arbitrary situation that you can use whatever the manufacturer fitted but you can't use anything that's pluged into the cigarette lighter socket will remain.

 

[BTB 500]

Generally speaking you may use anything that is built-in into the car by the manufacturer, persuant to generic 'due care and attention' rules, i.e. these are not specifically prohibited by law.

The assumption is that manufacturers will have carried out the relevant ergonomic research required to ensure their devices are safe to use while driving.

As an aside, IIRC M-B say you should not use COMAND while driving?

 

[markjay]

As an aside, IIRC M-B say you should not use COMAND while driving?

IIRC The warning says that you should not let COMAND distract you while driving.

 

[markjay]

 

[zipdip]

Do not as a rule make calls but do receive them via Bluetooth,on the rare occasion I do make a call,I wait until I am stopped at lights or in a traffic jam,only takes a few seconds to locate number on command and hit the button,job done.

 

[190]

....The assumption is that manufacturers will have carried out the relevant ergonomic research required to ensure their devices are safe to use while driving.

This is however a very optimistic view, given that there is no established standard as to what can and can not be done in a car while driving....

I agree, a very optimistic view. I don't think controls are primarily designed to be ergonomic or easy to use. I think they are designed to be fashionable and sell cars in the face of the competition. Just the shear complexity means the controls on a modern cars are inevitably more of a distraction than they used to be. When cars have a mouse that is not illegal to use while driving we are way past any semblance of common sense or concern for safety on the manufacturers part. I blame BMW for starting it all off with idrive.

 

[BTB 500]

IIRC The warning says that you should not let COMAND distract you while driving.

I was thinking of the manual ... I seem to recall that specifically stating that you shouldn't change settings etc. while driving. But I could be wrong!

 

[scottydee]

I find it hard to understand the whole "it's the conversation that distracts you" I have had many conversations with passengers in my car and have not been distracted. In fact you're more likely to be distracted when chatting to a passenger as you're probably going to glance at them occasionally!