When I’m out driving, it often seems like I’m the only driver who’s not on the phone.
Usually I notice people on the phone who are about to run into me. In a parking lot, for example, or cutting a turn to close at an intersection. “Typical!” I think. But then I think…“Maybe all of those people who aren’t almost running into me are also on the phone.”
I’m never on my cell when I drive, mostly because I don’t have anyone to call. I’m not on my phone when I’m at home either. I don’t give out my cell number because I don’t want people to call when I’m out. I’d rather they call my home phone and leave a message. The last time someone called me on my cell (the veterinarian’s office) while I was driving, I missed my exit.
I know my SIL is on the phone every morning while she commutes an hour to work. She’s bored and uses the time to catch up with her sisters.
I’m just curious as to what the rest of the driving, cell-owning population is doing. Are you on the phone while you drive or does it stay off until you’re stopped?
I’m not trying to get into the legalities, safety or status symbolness of talking while driving. Just trying to get a picture of how common phoning-while-driving is.
I actually use my iPhone plugged into my car stereo to play tunes. In the event I do receive a call, I let it go to voicemail, then I’ll listen to the message when I get home or if I have to stop somewhere else anyway.
I don’t talk on the cellphone (either handheld or handsfree) or text while driving. Driving is the most dangerous thing I do, and I give it my full attention.
ETA: I have to stay aware to protect myself from all the other idiots on the road who are giving driving almost no attention at all.
I never speak on the phone while my car is in motion. I have, however, made a call or two (literally) while in completely stopped traffic to let my employer know why I’d be late.
I’m in the car a lot. About 20,000 miles per year. I’ll talk on the phone when I have a phone call to make or if someone calls me. I don’t call any less because I’m driving. I use bluetooth (through car speakers) for about 80-90% of my in car calls.
I’ve given very explicit instructions to the few people that have my cell number not to call during commute times unless it’s very important. Way too often people drive like brain addled idiots while on the phone and I don’t want to be like them. For the most part this arrangenment has worked very well.
I respond in kind and don’t call my wife or friends when I’m pretty sure they’re going to be driving. Whatever it is, it pretty much can always wait.
I usually leave my cell phone in view if I’m worried about the time, since my car doesn’t have a clock (yeah…doesn’t have one…it wasn’t installed on a base model 1996 Tercel!), so I’ll notice if someone calls, but I never answer while driving. I have occasionally seen a call come in and found a place to pull over in order to answer/call back immediately, though.
My husband has a handsfree/Bluetooth system in his new car and he’ll use it to call me to let me know when he’s coming home, but it’s rarely a long conversation; usually just when he forgot to text before leaving the office.
Using a cell phone without a handsfree system while driving is also illegal in Québec.
I answered 1-10%, but it’s probably less than 1%. If I’m in the middle of a trip and traffic is backed up because of an accident, I’ll call to tell my husband or parents that I’ll be late. Likewise, if someone in my family calls while I’m on the road I’ll pick up in case it’s an emergency, but I won’t keep talking if it’s not, even on my headset.
My cell phone lives in my car. I got it for emergency use on the road. If I get a call, it’s most likely from my husband, and I’ll answer. If I need to make a call, I’ll wait till I’m stopped, especially since the call is probably “I’m stopping at the grocery store - do you want anything?”
If I was in bad traffic or the weather was horrible, I don’t think I’d pick up. But mostly, I drive county roads with long stretches of nothing.
I never use a cell phone while driving. There’s an added incentive in that it’s illegal (state law) unless hands free, but my federal employer had an outright ban on all handheld devices while driving (and a simple, $5,000 fine and six months in jail). My fed employer also imposes the ban on any cell phone call if the other party is driving at the time (and I’m not) and any off-duty cell phone use where work could be discussed.
And, imho, if I believed in the death penalty, I would advocate for capital punishment if using a cell phone while driving resulted in the death of someone else (I also hold that view for anyone driving under the influence, be it alcohol, pot, etc.).
Like Procrustus, I drive 20,000 miles a year and use my car’s built-in Bluetooth for all in-car calls. I call my wife right after I leave the office to let her know when I’ll be home; I’ll take the rare call that comes in while I’m driving. I may read or send a text at a stoplight, but not while moving.
I generally don’t like talking on the phone to begin with- any phone, at any time- so I keep all calls as short as possible.
Oh- I answered 10%, but it’s probably less than that.
Same here except I put 0%. 4 hours driving divided by the 30 seconds of telling someone I will be late rounds down to zero in my book, especially since I only need to make such a call every 3 or 4 trips.
I don’t think the problem is people talking on the phone though. It is when they LOOK at the phone repeatedly, as when they dial or text. Here in Washington DC I see a lot of people driving with the phone in one had, held in front of them so they can sort of see if any large trucks are come toward them. In their other hand is some paperwork they are reading or discussing. This is why we will never have flying cars.
I don’t have a car, but every so often I will get a call from someone who is driving. When I realize that’s what’s happening, I always say, “for goodness sake, call me back when you get there, I don’t want to you get into an accident,” and hang up on them.
I find the “pull over to take the call” thing somewhat amusing. I guess there are people that do it, but it would extend my commute by about 50% to pull over for even one call. I spend about 15-20 minutes on the highway and 25-30 minutes on back roads driving to and from work. On the highway, the shoulder is so narrow that to pull over and sit there would put me and other drivers in more danger than if I kept driving; alternatively, I could wait a few minutes until I got off at the next exit and drove around to find a parking lot or side street to sit in while I took the call, but I would waste more time doing that than just taking the call and keeping it short.
On the side roads, they don’t have shoulders so I would have to drive through residential neighborhoods and park in front of someone’s house while having a phone conversation. That seems creepy, not to mention highly inconvenient. I can have a phone conversation on Bluetooth the same way I have a conversation with someone who is in the car with me; in fact, my phone conversations are generally shorter than my in-car conversations.