"William M. Gilroy" wrote:
>
>> without the hands-free set-ups. It's because driver's minds
>> are diverted from driving towards the conversation.
>
> I don't doubt this statistic but I have a question. If it is the
> conversation that cause the problem how come talking to your
> passenger does not result in the same accident rate? Why
> is the phone call different than an in person conversation?
The difference is that the driver/passenger conversation is
a shared experience. Both are (should be) aware of the
surroundings, and experience the same events. When
things get "hairy" the conversation slows down.
When you are on a cell phone, the other party is not
"sharing" your experience, and "demands" more of
your attention to "keep up" with the conversation.
You also don't have the "body language" to observe,
and you have to use more of your brain power to
interpret the other's reactions and meanings.
Pay attention to other drivers in traffic. When you see
an erratic driver talking on the cell phone, pay attention
to their drive after they hang up. I'll bet it improves, even
when they are talking to their passenger...
In the old days, when I would drive someplace new, and
things got tense, I would always turn off the radio and ask
my kids to clam/quite down so I could pay attention to
driving. They never understood and complained loudly.
Now that they are driving, their friends talking and going
on in the back seat can "drive them up the wall" and their
driving gets sloppy. My daughter has even pulled over
to the side until her friends quieted down...
Tim Mullen
Chantilly, VA
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