I only rarely talk on the phone while driving. If I have the top up I will occasionally talk with a headset. But with the top down whoever I'm talking to can't hear me over the wind noise at anything over about 25 mph.
Originally Posted by TheOtherDave™
1) Do you consider the time saved by multitasking behind the wheel vital to your carrer or livelihood?
No.
2) In your opinion, is your ability to drive safely hampered by talking on the phone? Explain.
Moreso if I don't use the handsfree, because I need one hand to shift and another to steer.
3) Have you ever had a "near-miss" (or an accident) while driving and using your cellphone? If so, did you consider the cell-phone to be a contributory factor?
Nope
4) What is your impression of the media's response to the issue of distracted driving?
Is the risk blown out of proportion?
From what I've seen they tend to report mainly on any new laws about the subject but don't really editorialize about what needs to be done.
5) Are the current laws regulating the use of cell phones behind the wheel too strict, or is further legal action needed?
I don't really know what the current laws are in every state, but I do know they vary by state. Not sure how I feel about an all-out ban on talking on a cell phone, but at least requiring a handsfree would be a good idea. The thing is, if someone has to take out their phone, fiddle around their car trying to find their handsfree, try to plug it into the phone and then hook it into their ear, that's a pretty big distraction too. So who knows.
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Michael Atlas, 22, Madison, WI