# "Sure I text while driving. \*#@% you if you don't like it!" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 5, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271 "2016-02-05T21:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/61 "2016-02-06T03:48:28Z")
I have, personally, never seen any such thing. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/62 "2016-02-06T03:50:40Z")
Answers inline. > [@Bullitt](#): > > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to change the radio station? No. I have both steering wheel controls & I could literally press the buttons blindfolded. Also the design of my car (Mazda) has all the buttons in the dash, but the display is above the dash so if I were to look at the display, I’m not diverting my eyes as far from the road. > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to look at your cup of coffee in the cupholder to get it? No. It’s always in the same place. At most, it would be just a fraction of a second to locate the object (bottle/phone) & not long enough to be able to read anything on the label. > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to turn to your passenger to say something? If I were to do that, there’s another pair of eyes scanning the road. > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to look at a map? No, GPS is mounted on the glass, kind of like a HUD, & it speaks upcoming turns to me. Looking at your phone is more dangerous than any of the above. Mods, it was easier to answer inline like this rather than multi quote; hope this doesn’t break the spirit of no altering quotes. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/63 "2016-02-06T04:35:06Z")
Everyone agrees that texting while driving is a bad idea \*\*\*except \*\*\*when I do it safely. Bicycling seems so much more dangerous these days that a few decades ago. You never know when some asshat is talking on their phone or texting and not paying attention to the cyclist sharing the road. I would be curious if there are any studies showing or disproving this. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/64 "2016-02-06T05:48:52Z")
Any kids nd of distracted driving is not only illegal, it is dangerous. If you cannot **eat your burger** without being distracted from your driving, don’t do it. If you cannot **talk on your hands-free phone** without being distracted from your driving, don’t do it. If you cannot **enter a Siri request** without being distracted from your driving, don’t do it. If you cannot **look at a paper map** without being distracted from your driving, don’t do it. If you cannot **use your GPS** without being distracted from your driving, don’t do it. But if you can, and drive safely, then you are allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/65 "2016-02-06T05:50:15Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > This is kind of what I am getting at. There really is “surprisingly little research” investigating this topic–it just seems to be accepted as fact. He mentions a single major study, and I would LOVE to see that. Does anyone have any clue as to the one he is referring to? I especially would like to see how the likely hood of each was determined. Four times for just talking? 10 times for BAC over .08? I wonder how they determined a baseline to serve as the control, and how they determined whether someone was simply “talking”. Was this from a survey of some time? Police reports? I am legitimately curious. An even more interesting question would be, if someone can dig up any legitimate study that corroborates the .10 BAC level comparison, would you support the same level of punishment that a typical DWI comes part and parcel with? Heavy fines with a license suspension? Insurance surcharges out the wazoo? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/66 "2016-02-06T05:52:21Z")
I’ve strayed a bit while changing stations or grabbing my coffee. But the first and last time I tried texting… I almost died. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/67 "2016-02-06T07:06:45Z")
> [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](#): > > An even more interesting question would be, if someone can dig up any legitimate study that corroborates the .10 BAC level comparison, would you support the same level of punishment that a typical DWI comes part and parcel with? Heavy fines with a license suspension? Insurance surcharges out the wazoo? I agree that the level of punishment should be commensurate with the danger an activity poses to the public. I can’t say that I necessarily agree with the level of punishment associated with merely having a .10 BAC, as that is better left to another thread. But yes, if a study legitimately shows that, per Vehicle Mile Traveled, texting exposes the public to the same danger as driving with a .10 BAC, the two acts should be punished equally. If texting is worse, the punishment should reflect this. Before texting was the scary evil thing to do while driving, it was simply _talking_ on the phone. Everyone thought that talking on a phone was dangerous and distracting. Now it’s okay, as long as you don’t have the phone in your hand. And now texting is the scary evil thing to do. Even though the phone can be held up at eye level so that a person doesn’t even need to take his/or her eyes completely off the road to glance at the screen, as opposed to glancing at other knobs or buttons on the dashboard. Ironically, anti-texting laws make texting _more_ dangerous because they encourage peopl to keep the phone low where it is out of sight of cops, but away from the much safer position of eye level near the steering wheel. Just a thought. But anyway, so ever since cell phones have become so common–about the mid 1990s–they have received nonstop ire of concerned moms everywhere. Yet… since about that time, traffic fatalities have drastically gone down. In fact, they have gone down every single year since then except 3 or 4. But they are way down overall, and have dropped quite steadily since cell phones became popular. Obviously, I am not saying this proves cell phones are safe, or claiming that this _proves_ anything. Afterall, vehicle safety features have no doubt improved dramatically as well. But I still find it interesting. Hell, maybe texting causes people to drive slower. So, while it might cause more accidents, it results in fewer fatal accidents because it involves slower speeds. No idea. There needs to be a decent study that fully explores the issue, I think. What I do know, is that people seem to accept the fact that texting is one of the most dangerous things a driver can do in their car without even asking for a cite. What else, especially on this board, gets passed so easily without question or challenge? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/68 "2016-02-06T07:36:39Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I have been known, on a stretch of controlled-access road where I can see clearly for 20 seconds downfield, so to speak, AND IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, to type in a quick OK and hit Send. > > It is safe to do this. > [@glee](#): > > No, it isn’t. > [@Bullitt](#): > > Bull fucking shit. > [@Bullitt](#): > > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to change the radio station? > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to look at your cup of coffee in the cupholder to get it? > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to turn to your passenger to say something? > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to look at a map? > You don’t ever take your eyes off the road for 1 second to look at the written directions to get to where you’re going? > > Ever? > > You _ **never** _ take your eyes off the road? To scan quickly your gas gauge? Your water temp gauge? Your speedometer? > > Of course you do. As of course you know, the safest way to drive is: - looking at the road - thinking about what’s happening on the road - having both hands on the wheel When you text, you’re not doing any of these things (and are not prepared for the unexpected.) Having said that, I think you’ve lost the argument in general anyway, because: - when people disagree with you, you immediately give abuse, not reasoned argument - you give examples of other unwise behaviour to ‘justify’ yours - you confess that when teaching bike safety you forbid texting while driving ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/69 "2016-02-06T10:42:36Z")
I have to wonder what the Texting Nazis think about sending a text (or doing whatever else with a phone) completely within the span of a red stoplight and being done prior to it turning green. Still a mortal sin? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/70 "2016-02-06T13:08:16Z")
Look, I’m perfectly fine guzzling a liter of Chivas, dropping mescaline and driving 120mph in a school zone with a paper bag over my head. It’s a learned skill, and I know my abilities, thank you very much. If you can’t hack it, fine, don’t. But don’t try to nannystate the rest of us into your kindergarten Obamacare hugbox. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Personally, I would just like to see a study which doesn’t simply show a correlation and actually puts some effort into showing cause. Most Dopers here would not tolerate that kind of nonsense on any other issue, but for some reason it’s okay here. I don’t get it. High-fuckin’-five, broheim! And we all know those numbers can be twisted to fit the phone-grabbers’ agenda. They don’t take into account the thousands of defensive text uses that take place every day— but every time someone looks down to type an LOL to his friend’s WhatsApp link to a hilarious meme pic on 4chan and runs over a stupid kid or two, suddenly THAT’s all over the news. The socialist pansy girly-men in their pointy-headed ivory tower lab coats just need to face facts: the best defense against a bad guy texting is a good guy texting. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/71 "2016-02-06T13:18:06Z")
I typed up a big reply, then realized I wasn’t that invested in the topic. 99% of the time, the rule, the principle behind the rule, and the extra layer of caution by saying never do it, is sound. However, there is a point where there are safe exceptions. Kind of like stopping at a red light in the middle of nowhere with clear visibility in all directions and not waiting for it to turn green before proceeding because there’s zero other cars that would even see you do it, let alone reach the intersection in time. So when you stipulate that it’s wrong in essentially every case, but that you make an exception when you’re a very large distance away from all possible pedestrians or other cars, or even property you could possibly damage, then it becomes my risk to take, and it’s my safe risk to take. Like changing the radio station or taking a sip of my beverage. The absolutism of the rule is to protect people who are too stupid to use their own judgment, because their own judgment is bad. But like the above red light in the middle of nowhere example, I wouldn’t give a crap if rolling it is against the law, I’m still going to do it, and it will harm no one. I probably won’t even come to a complete stop. And somehow the world will keep on spinning. You can direct your righteous moral recreational outrage at me for violating the principle of the precious, and everyone who stands with Bullitt on this one safe exception. I know it makes the brain aneurysm happen, but the cops who enforce the law give themselves permission to speed, roll the same stop signs they’d give you a ticket for rolling, and have a computer inside their vehicle to type on. How they do that without the world coming to an end, I guess is a mystery for the ages. The bottom line is this: most people are too stupid to understand what is safe and what is not safe, so the absolutism of a rule is needed. Others know which rules inside the matrix can be bent or broken without incident. Free your mind. _jumps and flies through the sky_ ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/72 "2016-02-06T13:20:28Z")
I found Vinyl Turnip’s post hilarious btw. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/73 "2016-02-06T13:36:04Z")
Doing anything that takes your attention from the road is wrong, when you are driving. It could be texting talking on the phone, checking your face in the rear view mirror, looking down to get some chips out of a bag. ANYTHING AT ALL. For me, “looking down to change a CD in the player” is personal. September 12, 1914, a local guy did that and when he looked up he saw my dad on his motorcycle. Rammed into him, propelling dad into the vehicle in from of them. Dad actually lived briefly, in great pain, and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The asshole who killed him never even spent a night in jail, all he got was dinged on his insurance. Nobody can make excuses that what THEY are doing is safe, if it takes their attention, however briefly, from the road where it should be. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/74 "2016-02-06T14:59:58Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > SOME ONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN! That’s your argument, then? Actually, my argument goes back to that “you’re driving a loaded weapon on a public highway” concept. if you’re too stupid to do it responsibility, then it’s up to the state to legislate you out of your driving privilege. I suppose there are no statistics as to how many people have died because some driver was reading the newspaper on the freeway, so lacking those statistics, let’s accept it as safe? What about the moron who defeats the lock on his dvd player and watches movies while driving - safely of course? You want either of those jackinapes sharing the road with your family? Yeah, let’s twist the lack of statistics and find out how many people who have walked on the moon have had texting accidents. I’ll bet none, so let’s send all potential drivers to the moon before getting their license. Problem solved. Ain’t statistics wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/75 "2016-02-06T15:24:05Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I have to wonder what the Texting Nazis think about sending a text (or doing whatever else with a phone) completely within the span of a red stoplight and being done prior to it turning green. Still a mortal sin? I’m thinking you’re one of the few here who could give a factual, first-hand answer to this [question.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=783148) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/76 "2016-02-06T15:30:35Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I have been known, on a stretch of controlled-access road where I can see clearly for 20 seconds downfield, so to speak, AND IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, to type in a quick OK and hit Send. > > It is safe to do this. Not by any stretch of the imagination. While you are texting, you are not paying the slightest bit of attention to your driving. Do one or the other, but not both. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/77 "2016-02-06T15:33:15Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I have a friend that claims to have called the cops and given them the plate number of a car any time he sees them doing anything dangerous. > > The kicker? He tells the dispatcher he saw them weaving and worries that they might be drunk. > > THAT usually gets a patrolman out on the road to see what’s up. Then the po-po get to see Entitled Jerk Driver [speeding/tailgating/whacking the kids in the back seat/almost side-swiping cars/texting/calling/filling the hookah] for themselves. > > I’ve always wanted to do that, but haven’t gotten mad enough yet. This thread might push me over the line… This is what you should do. Someone texting while driving is just as dangerous as a drunk driver. You’re doing everyone else a favor by getting the idiot off the road. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/78 "2016-02-06T15:57:06Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I have been known, on a stretch of controlled-access road where I can see clearly for 20 seconds downfield, so to speak, AND IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, to type in a quick OK and hit Send. > > It is safe to do this. And if you need to type in just a few more words and the traffic is really light, why that should be perfectly safe too. If your car starts to drift over the center line or someone pulls in front of you from a side road, there’s plenty of time to react and avoid an accident. No problem at all. You’re not like those other people who get into trouble texting and driving. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/79 "2016-02-06T16:26:02Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > And if you need to type in just a few more words and the traffic is really light, why that should be perfectly safe too. If your car starts to drift over the center line or someone pulls in front of you from a side road, there’s plenty of time to react and avoid an accident. No problem at all. > > You’re not like those other people who get into trouble texting and driving. A lot of ifs, there. You never take your eyes off the road, ever? I do not drive distracted. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271/80 "2016-02-06T16:28:09Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Not by any stretch of the imagination. While you are texting, you are not paying the slightest bit of attention to your driving. Do one or the other, but not both. It depends on where your phone is. If down in your lap, then I agree. But mine is held high, at the top of the steering wheel, so that if I glance at it briefly, my peripheral vision still catches the road in front of me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-i-text-while-driving-you-if-you-dont-like-it/745271.md?page=5)