Gotcha! Driving while texting or talking on phone

[MattJ]

Thank you very much for teaching me the proper way to use the internet. I will be forever grateful to you.

Back on topic, you said that you kept the phone on your lap, and it falls off your lap onto the floor. Now you're saying you mount it? Make up your mind! It's also VERY simple to wake up the app, like I said, before calling bullsh*t you should research these things. You simply say "Hey Vlingo" and it then will say "what would you like to do?" without touching anything! Neat, eh? You can also customize these commands, so the wake up command can be whatever you want, as well as the reply. Totally hands free. My Jawbone is also not a new 2012 model. I've had older models that weren't Jawbones that read out caller ID and messages as well, one I bought before the law came into effect.

Your phone affixed to the car, and answering it with one finger is great. Until you get caught. You can argue the law with the cop on the roadside. If he catches you touching it, just like changing songs on an Ipod, it's illegal.

[lostsurferinbc]

considering you can get a visor mounted hands free kit at best buy starting at $30. I went out yesterday to test the theory having a phone on your lap vs a visor mounted bluetooth. What I noticed was when I looked down at the phone I could not see any wind shield in the peripheral vision and the vehicle would drift slightly, were as a quick look up I could still see the road lines through my peripheral vision and the vehicle would not drift. Plus I noticed my body was always trying to balance the phone phone on my lap making my driving habits change slightly.

I mean seriously spend the money and do it properly, why risk it?

[mexi cali]

Zen, you're at that point in the road where you know you're done but you don't want to go down. sorry for missing the link (get it) and thanks for publishing it but really, it's time to say you're sorry.

[zensiert]

Zen, you're at that point in the road where you know you're done but you don't want to go down. sorry for missing the link (get it) and thanks for publishing it but really, it's time to say you're sorry.

I now mount my phone. I have a single touch to answer to speakerphone. I now comply with the rules as stated in the legislation. If I get pulled over by the police, they cannot find fault in my setup, as it complies with the law as stated in what I linked to. I even have a printout in my glove box just in case.

I was short/wrong by two points originally (not having it physically mounted/secured, and having two touches to activate to speakerphone), and for that I apologize. I have no reason or need to apologize for anything else.

I even had an opportunity to talk to an off-duty cop over the weekend. The key points to any ticket would be a lack of eyes on the road and a lack of two hands on the vehicle (either steering wheel or stick) except to pick up or answer the call. Beyond that, it’s at the discretion of the cop. When I asked her about using the interface (by memory, and without looking at it), she seemed to have no issue with it, especially once I demonstrated going through the entire phone app without taking my eyes off of “the road” (I answered her phonecall while she held up her hands to simulate vehicles... I had to look at them and clearly recognize them). And this was up to and including placing a call through the favourites, so long as I was not physically holding the phone (only touching it).

Her explanation came down to an older flip dumb-phone that she had, which had a corded headset (the phone did not have bluetooth). This headset had no functionality beyond the auditory functions. In order to pick up a phone call she still had to reach down and activate the call by touching a button on the outside edge of the phone. As such, it was completely legal. The only benefit that the headset gave was that it made the other side of the conversation private, which is not an issue in my case (speakerphone). Because my phone could have just as easily made use of the same kind of corded headset, having a single-touch to activate is what makes it legal. In fact, the “mounting point” could be either on the vehicle -- or on myself. That's right - as long as the phone is securely fastened to either the vehicle or myself (in my pocket, on a holster, etc.), it was legal. In fact, according to her the law is worded such that a corded headset itself (like the one she had) could be considered the tether that makes the phone mounted to myself. Although that *was* stretching the interpretation to the breaking point... she strongly recommended either a holster or a pocket.

[zensiert]

What I noticed was when I looked down at the phone

Ah, but you did what I do not do... as in, look at the phone itself. I don't do that. I know how to operate my phone by touch, so I don't have to look at it. For any basic telephone function, at least.

Try again, just without taking your eyes off the road. Ergo, you get to see the entire road while answering the phone. But then again... it's like that game where you try to pat your head while rubbing your belly. Only the well-coordinated can do it successfully. It does take practise, just like driving a car takes practise and is not a one-skill-fits-all condition. Some people are better at doing it than others, thanks to the time they have taken to understand and practise what they are doing.

[metallica]

[quote="Roadster"]Will you two stop it,,, send a pic of yerselves on the cell phone while driving and prove yer right or wrong.[/quote
Or get a motel room.

[mexi cali]

Uncle.

[StraitTalk]

You're not special if you can drive while operating another device at the same time. But that moment you've got your eyes on the screen to type in those one or two words, that's the moment a little kid is going to show up in front of your car. Experience or no experience, skill or no skill, if you're distracted at the wrong moment, you're hooped, but not as hooped as the poor person you're endangering.

[mexi cali]

Again, uncle and thanks to strait talk. Spot on. Why would anyone argue that point? It is perhaps the most direct one made here.

Those who are arguing against the restrictions or have tried to modify them to suit themselves because they see themselves as the chosen ones need only to give strait talks post consideration and end of story.

Just drive.

[Woodenhead]

Straitalk's post also applies to the radio, climate controls, ashtray, and anything else you can think of. They are all equally distracting, but not held to the same regard under the law, unfortunately.

[mexi cali]

True, but the law can't legislate against everything. What can be controlled is controlled, at least in this case. Hard to make butting out a cigarette or changing the dial on the radio illegal even though the result could be the same but you can legislate against peripheral equipment.

So by that logic, books, magazines, razors, lip stick, brushes, GPS etc. should all be part of the ban. But the line has to be drawn somewhere until such time that cars will literally take you where you're going without you having to do a thing.

[Woodenhead]

True, but the law can't legislate against everything. What can be controlled is controlled, at least in this case. Hard to make butting out a cigarette or changing the dial on the radio illegal even though the result could be the same but you can legislate against peripheral equipment.

So by that logic, books, magazines, razors, lip stick, brushes, GPS etc. should all be part of the ban. But the line has to be drawn somewhere until such time that cars will literally take you where you're going without you having to do a thing.

They could do it if they wanted to. The old law worked well enough anyway - it was just rarely enforced.

The last part of your post - it's coming fairly quickly, actually, so this sub-forum may be rendered obsolete before we're dead & buried... one can hope, anyway!

[JTGTI]

For those that are complaining about this regulation. Be happy this isn't the UK, where drinking(anything non-alcoholic) or eating is illegal while driving. Drivers caught are charged with driving without due care and attention.

[noneofyourbiz3]

Eyes on the road please.

[GordonH]

Eyes on the road please.

Also use your brain as well.