# Be honest, how many of you fool around way too much with your phone while driving? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2019, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630 "2019-05-28T08:18:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![neutro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@neutro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutro)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/41 "2019-05-29T00:13:40Z")
I plug my phone into the car and it’s usable from the dash. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/42 "2019-05-29T01:00:30Z")
In answer to the OP’s question: Not at all. In the past five years, more people have died in Saskatchewan from accidents caused by “distracted” drivers than from accidents caused by drunk driving. I’m not going to contribute to that statistic, by killing someone else, or being killed. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/43 "2019-05-29T01:52:49Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > People have no clue, none, how badly they drive while holding a phone or they would never do it. I don’t think that this is true. While they may deny to themselves that they are driving terribly while on the phone, they receive constant feedback that they are drifting into the wrong lane, failing to maintain a constant speed and being caught unawares by changes in the traffic conditions. The fact that they know that they are fucking up and keep having to correct just isn’t enough to stop them. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/44 "2019-05-29T03:21:19Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Not at all now: > > “Drivers who are caught talking on their phones, texting, dialing or emailing using a hand-held device, such as a cell phone and other entertainment devices will be fined up to $1,000 with a three-day licence suspension and three demerit points.” > > Fuck that. That would be great in New Zealand. Instead we have a wimpy $80 fine, 20 points, no suspension. If you get 100 points in 12 months, 6 month loss of licence, 100 points in 2 years is 3 months loss of licence. I ride a bike to and from work most weeks, so see people looking at their phones all the time. In my car, when its connected to Bluetooth for calls, the notifications for texts, messages etc are muted. It does auto reply to texts, saying I’m driving so don’t expect a proper reply. I have a separate GPS unit (yes, so last decade) mounted on the dash so I don’t have to look down for the map. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/45 "2019-05-29T03:31:33Z")
I don’t really fool around, but I flirt with the voice that gives me directions. She’s just so patient and pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/46 "2019-05-29T04:01:09Z")
No. I don’t send or read texts on my phone while in the car. I will read texts on my watch at a red light. But no sending. I can answer the phone from my steering wheel. I don’t get many calls, but after my mom broke her pelvis and i was getting ten to fifteen calls a day, man did I love that feature.d WildaBeast, if you have android, look for an app called android drive. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/47 "2019-05-29T05:14:16Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Not at all now: > > “Drivers who are caught talking on their phones, texting, dialing or emailing using a hand-held device, such as a cell phone and other entertainment devices will be fined up to $1,000 with a three-day licence suspension and three demerit points.” > > Fuck that. Bingo. Interestingly, I was driving through northern Ontario a couple of years ago, when my phone rang. I happened to be driving by the local detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. I pulled over, shut the car off, grabbed my phone, and called my friend back while standing outside the car. I was in view of the OPP detachment, but as I was just talking on the phone while standing by my parked car, I was doing nothing wrong. Cumbersome? Yes. Better than the alternative you describe, **Leaffan**? Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/48 "2019-05-29T08:13:09Z")
> [@neutro](#): > > I plug my phone into the car and it’s usable from the dash. My car connects to my phone when I get in. I still don’t do any functions unless I’m stopped. It’s too easy to get distracted from your real purpose to drive w/o killing other people or yourself. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/49 "2019-05-29T11:27:32Z")
I saw a guy on a motorbike texting last week. Somehow he managed to control the throttle with the same hand that was holding the phone and his other hand was typing away. It looked like an automatic scooter/moped, so no foot operated brake and both hands were occupied so no hand operated brakes either. This was a country lane with a 60mph speed limit and a lot of deer. I was just glad he was going in the opposite direction to me. I use carplay so my texts are read out to me and I can respond via dictation. But I will admit to looking at the phone at lights to check email. If I see there’s something important I will pull over and deal with it as soon as I can. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/50 "2019-05-29T16:08:40Z")
> [@nate](#): > > Err… I mean, how many of you fool around way too much. Skipped a word there in the title. Nope. I plug it in to charge and there’s a bluetooth link for hands-free operation. If I want to check a map or something I’ll pull over. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/51 "2019-05-29T16:34:27Z")
I never answer my phone while driving. About five years ago I got pulled over for it and the cop let me off with a warning if I promised never to do it again. I never did. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630/52 "2019-05-29T16:40:23Z")
I’ll check texts at stop lights, because it’s almost always Mrs. ToKnow, and I need to see if she’s telling me to stop somewhere on the way home for some purpose or to avoid a certain stretch of road, with the background fear that she’s telling me she’s been in an accident on _her_ way home or to work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-honest-how-many-of-you-fool-around-way-too-much-with-your-phone-while-driving/834630.md?page=2)