Neither is that drink you are sipping on, or even the turn signal that you are using. I assume you have never adjusted the environmental controls or radio settings while the car was in use?
You for some reason chose to cut off most of my reply, that mentioned that in most cases, there isn’t a need to touch it at all, but in the cases that you would, it’s not really as much of a distraction as you seem determined to make it out to be.
Certainly less than that of pulling out a map to find an alternate route.
Sounds like the sort of attempt at pithiness that a govt agency would come up with. Not really the sort of thing that you can base policy on. I also note that it doesn’t say, “Put your phone in the trunk or glove box” or “Turn off your phone.” or “Don’t use GPS.” And since you seem to take such a slogan to such extreme literal lengths, don’t you find it unsafe to drive while staring at the roof of your car?
When you pass a sign saying “Click it or Ticket”, do you click “it” to avoid a ticket, or do you simply continue wearing your seatbelt normally?
Oh, in that case, I like most pies, but not rhubarb.
I got lost a lot. I also wrote down the directions, and often fumbled with both paper maps and paper directions while i drove. I also sometimes pulled off the road to do that, but sometimes there’s no safe way to do that.
I’m a safer driver with GPS.
I also have my phone set to block most alerts while I’m driving. It doesn’t bing to tell me someone has texted me or sent me an email. I can check that when the car isn’t moving, i don’t need it while I’m driving.
I rarely mess with the GPS once i start driving. Ordinarily, i set everything up when i get into the car. Keys, seatbelt, GPS, check behind me, ready to go.
My satnav simply reroutes if I ignore her instruction. She does get a little silly sometimes, and keeps telling me to turn round, or tries to send me up some country lane to get back on her chosen route. She does give up quite quickly though.
Yeah, I was driving with one of those. He was texting with new GF. He could NOT stop looking at and replying.
Note it is not only drivers. Too many clueless pedestrians are crossing the street while not looking… at anything but their phones.
I remember a CA Judge ruled that using a Nav app was not illegal.
Yeah, we had those big Thomas guide map books. You don’t thinking looking at them was distracting?
Or “get off the Freeway at the beer billboard, turn right at the gas station, go past the house where the Smiths used to live, and it’s the white house”.
And the problem with directions is that if you miss a turn, you are LOST.
That is good and pretty safe as long as it is a short call such as “Honey, get some milk on your way home”, or “Freeway is jammed, I am gonna be late”. During a long conversation, you will zone out, have tunnel vision, and start driving slower and weaving.
Exactly. But it does not seem to be an issue if the call is short.
I don’t know about eating. I was travelling with my (now ex) brother in law many years ago, and he had a full plate of enchiladas on his lap, fork and knife at work, and thought that his knee on the steering wheel was sufficient for driving.
Refused to let me drive, “Nah, I’m good, I always do this.”
I haven’t been in his car since. I’m quite amazed that he hasn’t killed himself or others.
Does this mean I can’t eat a hard-shell taco when driving?
Seriously, though, if new car radios are that hard to search to find a station, I’d rather drive in silence than risk an accident. In the U.K., there is no eating or drinking anything while behind the wheel. While, it can make road trips a challenge, especially if you haven’t got a driving partner, it has had a positive effect.
Before you judge what I would do, why don’t you come on a drive with me. But you’ll have to not say anything because I might find that distracting. It would cause me to zone out, have tunnel vision, and start driving slower and weaving. Or so you say.
I say this because you are identifying me as a bozo on the road, without having proof that I am one of the bozos on the road. Yes, there are many, but please don’t condemn me without evidence. I never mentioned how long any call I might accept is or what the subject matter is. As I mentioned above, I ignore all messages and don’t pick up most calls.
You don’t even need cell phones to be an ass. About 30 years ago, I was driving on I-90 through Indiana. I passed a car and glanced over to see that the driver had a bible set inside the steering wheel well and seemed to be reading it! Maybe it was Mike Pence.
Yes, that’s what responsible drivers do. There’s a lot more than stop/yield,/speed limit signs.
Exit 122 is on the left. The 465 bypass is on the right. Reduced speed ahead–school or construction zone. No exit to Highland Avenue. Sharp curve. Steep grade. Road closed. Etc.
Unless it has changed very recently I don’t think that is a hard and fast rule.
It may be recommended not to do so but unless the eating or drinking is causing you to be distracted it isn’t actually illegal, not in the same way that interacting with a phone is.
From that link though you can see that there are plenty of infractions that can land you with a fine.
If you can safely spare a couple of seconds to glance at a road sign that says “[next road exit] 1.5 miles”, I don’t understand why you think I would struggle to safely do the exact same thing on my cell phone.
