I just read a previous post on this board that said automatics are great because you can drink coffee and talk on the phone while driving. Just today I saw some idiot on a cell phone weaving back and forth across lanes. The main task should be driving. People who talk on Cell phones while driving are inattentive. What happens when you have to maneuver your vehicle out of an Accident? That phone could be the difference between having an accident and not having one, At least you can use the phone afterwards to call 911. They can't ban talking on cell phones while driving, more people have to die first. <br> <p>I'm sorry, Just venting. <br>

- putting on makeup<br>- shaving<br>- reading the newspaper<br>- reading a book<br>- doing a crossword puzzle<p>Scary!!! Anyone seen anything else?<p>CraigB

On a motorcycle:<br>Male facing one way, female the other and some really odd movements, while at 65 mph.<p>Same thing in car<br>Others..<br>Changing Diapers<br>Sewing<br>Reading the paper<br>Drinking Beer<br>Changing clothing<br>Fighting (With punches)<br>Sleeping<br>Passanger driving while the driver doing something else<br>Birdie, and the into a cop car (Yes, someone once flipped me the birdie, and while doing so, hit a cop car ahead of them, the ultimate revenge)<br>Any others...

Well, I won't describe in detail, but let's just say it has something to do with Monica and Bill.

I shave on the way to work everyday. Eliminates about 5 minutes.<p>I also drink coffee and eat a bagel or an english muffin on the way to work everyday. This eliminates about 10 minutes of wasted time.<p>I call in every morning to get my schedule on the way to work.<p>I commonly read depositions, motions, memoranda, and my mail while driving. Refreshes my memory on the way to court and etc.<p>I eat lunch in the car quiet a bit.<p>Even better, I commonly drink my coffee in the morning, while eating my bagel, talking to my secretary and shaving all at the same time. I have to steer with knee.<p>No at fault wrecks to date. I, however, did get nailed by a young girl who ran a red light while talking on the cell-phone a while back.

If it's not, then stay the f**k off of my roads.

People do everything while driving. Why do you think most cars come with cell phone hook-ups today. Alot of people that I know (I am in Commercial Real Estate), conduct their entire business in the car. I am not condoning it, not do I do any of these things myself, but when I was at Audi last night, the salesman said they get alot of orders for the Audi cell phone. I wonder if he was BS'ing me, or just enthusiasts like on this forum don't do these things while driving?

Hey, SUV's can't maneuver out of an accident anyway, so is it OK for SUV drivers to talk on their cell phones?<p>;-)<br>

Let's assume that you can't expect everyone to stop carrying drinks in their car. If you could, then that would be one thing, but seriously, people are going to bring drinks with them whether they have a cupholder or not. You can't fight it. But you might be able to make it more safe.<p>A person in a car without a cupholder is going to end up holding the drink themselves; either in hand or perhaps between their legs. Don't you wish these people had a cupholder? If they did, they would leave their drink in the cupholder most of the time which leaves their hands free for driving activities. Isn't this better than no cupholders at all?<p>Also, having a cupholder does not have to mean that the driver is drinking while they drive. As an example, I frequently hit a fast food drive-thru on my way home from work. I buy my dinner to take home and eat at home. The cupholder is the place I put my drink until I get home. Notice I am not drinking in the car, but I do have a need for a cupholder.<p>So, pick on bad driving habits if you must, but don't blame the cupholder itself.<br>

I hate to tell you this, but talking on a cell phone, even a hands-free phone in your car, means you are NOT paying as much attention to driving as you should be. Hell, even talking to some in the car beside you is a little distracting.<p>I've been rear-ended by someone talking on a cell phone. I stopped to wait for traffic before making a left turn (w/signal on). Idiot behind me was too busy talking on the phone to notice I had stopped and ran into me. Witnesses said there was little or no braking before he hit me. Witnesses also said immediately after hitting me, he was laughing! What a jerk!<p>I've also almost been hit three times by people going the wrong way down a one-way street talking on a cell phone. When I motion to them they are going the wrong way, they have gotten mad at ME! I'm the one paying attention and prevented these possible head-on accidents.<p>I realize that not <B>everyone</B> that talks on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. But a large number of drivers don't pay enough attention to their driving anyway, let alone trying to drive and talk on a cell phone.<br>Talking on a cell phone while driving is almost as dangerous as a drunk driver. I've heard of at least a couple of insurance companies investigating adding surcharges/increasing premiums/whatever for those who have cell/car phones. Bravo! I say make it illegal, but, in America, I doubt it will happen.<p>Sorry for the ranting, and please, nothing personal to anyone. Just be safe and pull over if you must talk.

George Carlin is correct regarding his postion on cup holders;<p>"Get a Fu#*&ing drink before you leave"<p>Enough said.

I can see the complaints and safety issues of holding a cell phone and talking. The worst is dialing instead of looking at the road; drives me crazy when my friend does this in traffic. Also holding a phone prevents drving with both hands. Of course, many people only drive with one hand anyway. <p> What is the difference between using a handsfree cell and talking to your passenger, child, etc. Both can be equal distractions? Should talking be made illegal? <p>I have used my cell, and but if a slow down or other event occurs, I tell them to hold on, I need to drive. I do the same thing, if I am talking to my passenger.<br>My point is talking and driving can be done provided you continue to watch the road and realize driving is the first priority, and that is doesn't matter if its over a cell phone or to the person sitting next to you.<p>Just responding.<br>

People don't realize how much meaning is conveyed non-verbally during a conversation. If you're talking face-to-face with someone, you're gesturing, you're making faces, you're giving them all kinds of body language. Some people say 50% of meaning is transmitted non-verbally.<p>When you're talking on the phone (or typing on the 'net), you lose all that meaning. So you have to concentrate harder on the verbal aspects of the conversation, in order to make sure the meaning gets across. That's concentration that should be devoted to driving.<p>You may not believe me, but I *strongly* believe that this is true. Step back and watch yourself the next time you're talking to someone on the phone -- you might be surprised at how much attention you're giving it. <p>Personally, I think I'm a hard@$$. I get on my wife's case for looking at me when we're talking while she's driving. But I will always believe that driving a car is not as trivial as some people make it. You HAVE to pay close, close attention, or someday, somebody may get seriously hurt. It might never happen, but, then again, it might.<p>I applaud the fact that you realize that driving should be the first priority. I'd argue, though, that it should be the ONLY priority, within reason. <p><br>-vik<br>99.5 1.8tqms

You just wait, I'm sure they'll figure out a way to incorporate video phones in cars very soon. And from what I've seen, Vancouverites will be the first to have these things installed. :-)<p>BTW, my sister's brand new Golf IV GLS just got rear ended by a woman driving a 4Runner while talking on a cell phone. My sister was STOPPED at a red light!!<p>James Wu<br>A4 Club of Vancouver<br>1998 Black/Onyx 1.8tqa<ul><li><a href="http://vancouver.a4.org">A4 Club of Vancouver</a></li></ul>

In fact, read the entire message. Neither you nor George Carlin are going to change the habits of the driving population. Accept it and you will be better off.<p>Do you prefer to argue about cupholders and have cars that make it unsafe to carry a drink? Wouldn't it be better to simply add cupholders and reduce the risk? As I clearly said above, people will carry drinks whether you provide cupholders or not. I'd prefer that they have a place to put the drink so that they don't have to actually hold it all the time.<br>

k

what?

;-p

Well, I've seen TVs in some automobiles, and I just wonder. I checked the Texas statutes on this and found in the Transportation Code the following:<p>Sec. 547.611. Television Receivers Permitted.<br> (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with video receiving equipment, including a television and similar equipment, only if the equipment is located so that the video display is not visible<br>from the operator's seat.<p>Of course, I also found that reducing the clear view out any window is illegal too (w/exceptions) and determined that this would mean that parking stickers, college sticker, etc. that are placed on a car technically are illegal.<p>What I found that was really more troubling however, were the braking stopping distances required by law. For cars it was 20-0 in no more than 25 feet. Extrapolating this out to 60 (60 divided by twenty and the result squared) for an approximate 60-0 requirement, I came up with 225 feet as the legal stopping distance for cars. I believe that good stopping distances are about 120 feet; it seems unimaginable that nearly twice that long would still be legal. Buses were allowed 40 feet and all other vehicles 50. By my math then, a semi doing 80 (albeit illegally) could take as much 800 feet to stop (and that assumes no brake fade -- 80 divided by 20 and that result squared and multiplied by 50) and still be legal.

Yes, many Porsche drivers are idiots, too.<p>4-lane divided highway, wide grass median "valley" between opposing lanes. <p>Numnut was driving along in winter icy conditions, hears his cell phone ringing. Was in back seat area, so he reaches behind him to pick it up. Well, it's out of his reach, so HE UNBUCKLES HIS SEAT BELT, RECLINES THE SEAT, AND STRETCHES ALL THE WAY BEHIND THE FRONT SEATS TO THE PHONE IN THE REAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. Naturally, with no one steering, the car veers into the center grass median. Fortunately, he got it stopped (sideways) in the median without clobbering anybody or anything.<p>Surprisingly, he just seemed to brush it off as an unlucky event.

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I see this as two issues.<p>1) Drinking while driving. Not a good idea.<p>2) Cupholders in cars. They hold a drink.<p>Cupholders do nothing except hold a drink. I had hoped that my earlier example about using the drive-thru would make the point. In cases like this, I need a place to put my drink until I get home and drink it. If car makers make cars without cupholders, then guess what? I'm left holding the drink in my hand. Would you rather have the traffic around you holding drinks or holding the wheel?<p>So the other point I was trying to make is that you shouldn't blame the cupholders for drivers that drink when they drive. Blame the driver.<p>Yes, yes, yes, German cars don't usually have cupholders. This does not solve anything. The absence of cupholders does not keep people from carrying drinks in their cars. It merely makes it that much more dangerous when they decide to carry drinks in their cars. If it helps any, think of the cupholder as a safety feature (bet I get flamed for that one!).<br>

and I agree with you fully. I often carry drinks in my car, but never drink them in there. And it bothers me that I need to keep a hand on the drink to prevent it from falling over. I think people commenting that the bad cupholders are a "design feature" to make you not carry drinks just have some complex about their car being perfect, when nothing in this world is.