I don't know how many times I have been on the streets in my gas guzzling SUV, setting at a 4-way stop sign, only to see a motorist in some sort of trance, blow through the intersection whilst yakking on a cell phone, not even realizing where they are at and that they just ran a stop sign. I am really irritated by this now, especially considering that you have voice mail and can call back when you aren't hurtling down the road in a mass of metal weighing over a ton.
However, this is just the beginning, as now we have the "cockpits" of our cars adorned with an ever growing plethora of devices that have little to do with safe driving and only serve as dangerous distractions. According to this report over at CTV News up in Canada, popular shows like Pimp my Ride, have caused a significant upsurge in interest for in dash DVD players. Normally, they wont play unless your "ride" is in park with the emergency brake on. You know, that funny stick between the seats with the button on top you never use unless you are in San Francisco? Anyway, the survey by J.D. Power & Associates of new-car buyers last year, DVD players were favored by 28 per cent of respondents, up from 16 per cent in 2000. That's a pretty hefty increase, but we have to realize that many of these are probably the type that are fitted for the enjoyment of back seat passengers, but the survey does not break it down for us, so we don't know for sure.
As dangerous as this sounds, to watch Batman Begins while navigating city streets, or glancing over at your in dash GPS in hot pursuit of an ATM, or even chatting on a cell phone, these distractions are not (yet) the most common reason for accidents. But, with each new device, we certainly add to the likelihood of a serious mishap.
| The most common driver distractions recorded in the Crashworthiness Data System maintained by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are:
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Oddly, I do not consider a CD player or futzing with my radio a serious hazard as now days we have the seek button and multi-disc players that are easy to operate. In fact, my vehicle has almost all of the controls for everything, including climate control and sound system, right on the steering wheel.
Technology is changing and sometimes the safety solutions can cause a need to change old habits. When I was learning to drive, they told me to put my hands at the 10 and 2 positions on the wheel. Of course, I didn't follow the advice, but still, this is what they said, I remember. Good thing too, as now this isn't even such a good idea! It is currently recommended by experts to use the 9-3 or even 7-4 position. Air bags deploy at over 100 mph, to save us from head, chest and face injury, but if you have your hands up too high on the wheel, the airbag could cause you to hit yourself with your own arms!
For those that wish to read the article in it's entirety at it's source, please follow this link.
Source: CTV News
In many states, especially New York, it is illegal to play video (TV, Movie) in the drivers immediate view.. That applies to any device that is operating in the front passenger side of the vehicle..
We also have a cell phone ban, which applies to any phone, including Nextel's push-to-talk phones which act like walky-talkies.. People are under the misconception that because they dont have the phone to their ears, they are allowed to use such a device while driving.. The fact is, since you need to push the PTT button whenever you need to talk, you are in essence holding the device.. The law only allows for hands-free devices to be used..
Unfortunately in my state Colorado, they don't have the courage to enact such a law. Too bad, as it could save many from serious injury when people talk on cellphones. Oddly, they have no problem giving tickets for not wearing a seat belt. So it is OK to hurt others in my state, just not yourself LOL. They even tried to pass a law that if you were under 18, you could not talk on a cell and drive at the same time! It shows they know there is a problem, but, lobbyists have held down the lawmakers in my state from doing the right thing. I guess. It sure isn't logical. Plus, we dont HAVE to drive and talk on a phone, this is a recent invention. We did fine without it for many decades. [edited by Crabbyappleton on 05.12.2005 15:33]
I wish they would make dvd-audio decks for cars.
I'd love to have 4.3 gigs of space to mess with. It'd be really cool if you could burn cd audio onto a dvd, giving you hours and hours of room. You could fit entire live concerts without lowering quality or needing to swap discs.
i know this is about the dvd player with a screen in a car, but I have no need for the screen, but I'd love a dvd audio player in the car, one that's programmed to be able to read cd-audio of a dvd, as well as play dvd-audio and superaudio cds
They already have DVD audio decks for cars...don't you get the Crutchfield catalog?
As car audio DIY-ers know, it's not difficult to bypass DVD player setups so that the player will still play in view of a driver when the car is in motion. Don't know of a way this can be fixed, but it's a real issue.
I also agree on a mandatory "hands-free" law for cell phones while driving. It isn't perfect (some people will be distracted no matter what by a conversation) but I have a BT headset myself and it makes all the difference in the world for me, for the short conversations I hold while in the car. Both hands stay on the wheel, which is how I like it. Bigger deal yet for stick-shift drivers.
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