On Sun, 16 Aug 2015 12:06:34 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote:

ceg writes:

On Sat, 15 Aug 2015 23:23:48 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-acci...nt/cell-phone/
cell-phone-statistics.html
"1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by
texting and driving."

Jeff, we know each other for years over the net, and I know you to be a
very data-based person.

If Jeff is data based, and you still disagree, what are you?
Sounds like by calling Jeff data based, you are defending your
approach which seems to be conjecture based.

Here's the paradox.

1. You and I believe that distracted driving can easily cause accidents.
2. Cellphone ownership has gone explosively up in the USA.
3. But, accidents have not.

That's the paradox.

That's not a paradox. A paradox would be "observed".
Since we _measured_ the impact of using a cell phone while
driving, we passed laws banning the practice and have embarked
on an education campaign to limit the use of cell phones while
driving.

I know that anecdotes are not data, but I remember seeing lots
of drivers yakking away while driving. In the last few years,
not so much.

Yeah, now they do it hands free. So now that people can't see it they
no longer have that bug up their butt over it. Distracted driving has
always been a cause, all that's changed is what it is that's
distracting the drivers. And if cell phone use and texting is so
horrible, why do we allow the police to drive around all day talking
on their radios and typing on their mobile data terminals? Funny how
when outlawing teh "distraction" would interfere with the police state
suddenly it's not important to outlaw it.

Then there's the "familiarity" issue. ANYTHING that's new is going to
be somewhat distracting. When I first started using a two way radio
in a moving car it was very distracting - which channel did the call
come in on? got to push which button before replying? Need to turn
up (or down) the volume... Where's that list of call numbers versus
names so I can look up Joe's call sign and on and on. Very
distracting at first. Then you learn it and it's second nature. If
"things are going on" you simply don't answer the radio or cell phone
and if you are on it (radio or phone) you get off it when the outside
inputs pick up. Yeah, it's not perfect but we didn't outlaw radios
and passengers, we didn't outlaw two way radios, we didn't outlaw CDs,
we didn't make eating in a car illegal, but cell phones OH THEY ARE
THE DEVIL!!!!! Note, I'm not addressing Texting... that's not a
'distraction', it is literally a separate task from driving and I
would expect properly done research would show it's in a whole
different class of hazards from talking on a phone. But that's just
an expectation.