On a different note, I love your comments. It lets me know who is reading my blog and what you think of what I've written. With that being said, my last entry was on the dangers of talking on a cell phone/texting while driving. I shared a video clip I had watched that was very informative about just how dangerous the behaviors are and how lives have been affected by drivers on cell phones. When I learned about this and watched this video, I was immediately changed. I thought, "never again will I talk on the phone when I'm behind the wheel...it's not worth my life, my children's lives, or anyone else's life." I can honestly say that since I saw the video last week, I haven't one time used my phone while driving. It's been a slightly hard habit to break, but after the first instinctual thoughts of grabbing my phone, I kind of got over it, and now I am not really even thinking about it anymore.
Here's my question to you...did you watch the video? Did you watch it and think, "that won't happen to me...I'm a really good driver and I talk "safely" on my phone?" Or did you watch it and react like I did and immediately pledge to never practice these risky behaviors again?Honestly, I expected several of you to comment on how you watched the video and were amazed at the dangers and that you too would never use your phone again while driving. But alas, only my mom commented...and I already knew that the video affected her and changed her mind too. So, did you not watch it? Did you watch it and were just not affected by it? Please tell me your thoughts....
Here is the 15 minute video clip again. Click Here
And here is a the link to the entire 40 minute minute show. If you think you are a really good driver and can totally handle talking on the phone/texting, please watch this one... or AT LEAST watch the last 15 minutes when they put 3 drivers that are "really good" at texting while driving to the test. Click Here
I am not trying to be mean or judgmental or anything. I just want to know your views on this after watching the video because it really affected me and my decisions. How did it affect you?
I had seen the actual Oprah show when it aired. I have never been a texter anyway, so texting while driving wasn't an issue (we don't pay for texting). The talking on the phone part I only have slight issue with. My main issue with the argument presented is that you are distracted mentally while driving and while I am not arguing that the case, is the argument then carried over to having conversation in the car with other people/kids. I think if you wear a bluetooth and talk on the phone that way it is very similar to driving with a passenger that you are conversing with so where is the line there? I know all about research techniques and I would like to see a more scientific study done in reference to "talking" on the cell phone. I think it is a NO BRAINER that texting while driving is stupid along with reading while driving or the like! That's my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteI meant to also say, that I rarely talk on the cell phone either (car or home). Just not big into the phone.
ReplyDeleteHey Carrie Anne! I thought of the same thing, but it looks like even though we "think" talking on a handfree device is the same as talking to your friend sitting next to you, studies show it isn't the same at all. Here are two articles I found that have scientific backgrounds. If you google it, there are a ton of things that come up to show that "it's not where your hands are, it's where you head is."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/16/cellphones.driving.safety/index.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1916291,00.html
Can we avoid talking to our friend or child when we're driving? Probably not really - at least nobody is going to ever ask you to....Can we avoid picking up the phone? Absolutely!