Multi tasking when driving

[StuartFZR400 0]

Having a late start to my day I saw GMTV's topic on people who drive and multi-task. The shock horror video clip they showed, was a woman applying her make up with two hands and thus had no control over the car, whilst driving in a built up area.

 

Shocking stuff, but whats worse is I bet we've all seen it before and not just once.

 

My 20 mile trip into Birmingham has me cringing at the sight of some of the antics. Dont know if any of you have seen the same, but I've noticed the style of driving has gotten worse - more aggressive. Once I'd have a 9/10 certainty that a woman wouldn't pull out on me, whereas now, its the opposite. While blokes have typically been the ones to drive like he's Mansel, I'd say women are as bad now.

 

This week I can recall seeing: woman no hands while eating cake for breakfast (no wonder she was chubby - lol), several blokes one handed on mobiles, woman putting her hair up with 2 hands whilst approaching a crossing by a school. The worst one was a woman on an empty M6, strayed from the middle lane into my outside lane - yep, she was on a phone.

 

Rant finished. But Im sure some of you will have similar thoughts/worries.

 

ps - was glad to see plod stopping a white van, whose rear doors had just popped open yesterday

[Dec 1]

The worst I saw was on a twisty section of regional (B) road over in ireland. Guy in an artic truck with a 40ft container on the back came tearing along the road: 1 hand on the phone, talking to someone and the other hand grasping a sandwich :roll: :mad:

 

Seriously asking for trouble!!!!

[chrishill 0]

The worst I saw was on a twisty section of regional (B) road over in ireland. Guy in an artic truck with a 40ft container on the back came tearing along the road: 1 hand on the phone, talking to someone and the other hand grasping a sandwich

 

meh, thats why god gave us knees ;)

 

I think we're probably all guilty of driving one handed, or in some other slightly dangerous way at some point or other but that doesnt make it right.

 

incedentally, does anyone know if its agaisnt the law to smoke and drive?

[dr_mat 0]

And yet, the only one of these sins deemed evil enough for an on-the-spot fine and 3 points on your license is holding your mobile phone, whether it's turned on or not...

Yes, I saw GMTV where a bunch of holier-than-though presenters were going on about people who were stopped in traffic being evil citizens for using their mobile phones. I mean, wtf is the risk when the car is stationary?!

 

The media piss me off with double standards. Look how much they go on about Kate Moss killing herself with white powder, when much of the london media scene is fuelled by the stuff...

[StuartFZR400 0]

I think we're probably all guilty of driving one handed, or in some other slightly dangerous way at some point or other but that doesnt make it right.

 

incedentally, does anyone know if its agaisnt the law to smoke and drive?

To change gear maybe.

 

Dr.Mat - I wouldn't say GMTV were the most itelligent. The demonstration with the presenter in a simulator was a joke (too long to explain). But its nice to see this kind of behavior under a bad light. Think how hard you concentrate when driving hard down the twisties; the same concentration is needed in a built up area, the number of hazards is immense.

[dr_mat 0]

I didn't watch the bit with the simulator, but I can tell you that good drivers who are stone cold sober and concentrating hard crash that thing, even when trying to go in a straight line with both hands on the wheel... "Outrun" was a more accurate simulation.

[Timo. 0]

Some people just take the p$ss when they are driving around. They deserve everything they get. Unfortunately its the innocent by stander that receives the worst of it.

 

T.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Once I'd have a 9/10 certainty that a woman wouldn't pull out on me, whereas now, its the opposite. While blokes have typically been the ones to drive like he's Mansel, I'd say women are as bad now.

 

I listened to a debate on Radio 2 about this (in the car whilst being cut up by a woman funnily enough), so you're not the only one that's found this. They were saying the same things.

 

Driving standards have definitely slipped. People are selfish. They no longer wait for a decent size gap to pull out, they just pull out anyway and EXPECT the oncoming driver to slam his brakes on make allowance for it. Same on the motorways.....people pull into the tightest of gaps in the outside lane forcing people to brake hard, and usually with no indication or visual gratitude. Stop and allow a driver to come past an obstruction, you rarely get any acknowledgment any more.

Show a little assertive driving in queues, or over take on a single carriageway and you're treated with the same disdain as Paedophile.

British drivers are a funny lot, they treat the road as their own personal property and space and we're earning a reputation for being miserable, selfish bastards in our cars!

 

As for doing make up and adjusting hair styles. Stupid morons. I hope they crash into a concrete bollard and write their cars off.....but it'll be us that has to pay for the replacement street furniture :roll:

 

It's easy to sound like your tarring with the same brush when ranting on forums, but I'm not suggesting everyone is like this or it's reaching epedemic proportions, but there is just a bad feeling on the roads at the moment. Petrol heading toward £5 a gallon and over crowded roads doesn't help lift drivers' moods though..... but it doesn't cost anything to be civil and courteous.

[StuartFZR400 0]

Wish I had heard that on the Radio. Kev, average joe hates me on the road. For some reason Britts think that the driving test is a one day show and once passed you can do what you like. Im sorry to say that Im a rare breed who insists on driving as close to 30 within the 30 zones, which are 99% built up.

 

Once on the open roads, I want to acheive the limit of 60 and whatever else. This in its self is a full concentration job. Whilst its easy to drive round xyz bends at 60, its the hazards that should be keeping you on your toes. Rarely do I get a clear run on a national speed limit road; too often I will catch a car doing 50 or less. So yes, I do over take, and as you say, you're hooted at and flashed by the ignorant twits who dont know how to drive; simply because you just woke them up as you blasted past, just when they thought they owned the road.

 

Not knowing the speed limit is just another issue. The road past the Belfree is a 60, yet the yellow speed camera forces average joe from 50 down to 40, with a flurry of brake lights. All sorts come out of my mouth as Im hoping we're going to reach 60 some time today.

 

The curtious thing is odd. Here in Warwickshire I took it as being down to the fact the people are rude. No-one speaks in the street when on foot etc, so allowing a car through and giving a wave is much the same - too much to ask. Worse still is the 4x4 who thinks they have the right of way, even when the parked vehicle is on thier side of the road --- wtf?

 

Being able to drive is not our given right. It is somthing we earn, and not just by buying a car. The test is there for a reason. These 1t peices of metal can kill; most seem to forget that.

[double-6s 0]

the issue of driving skill has got to come into the equation though. loads of people on the roads can't drive with both hands, feet and everything else on the wheel, let alone one-handed etc.

i really don't think there's a problem with driving one handed or, dare i say it, even talking on a mobile if the conditions are ok.

depends on the driver - i have a mate who instantly sheds about 30 mph the instant his phone rings cos he just can't multi-task. muppet.

2

peneth

[StuartFZR400 0]

Simple - the people who cannot drive shouldn't. Agreed.

People who are tallented enough to drive one hand is all well and good, but tell that person to drive one handed and talk, they now have another thing to think about. That person would have to find the given speed limit too easy and thus the addition of a task would take up thier remaining attnetion.

 

However, if that person, in the 30mph only used 70% concentration and answered a phone which took 50% concentration, suddenly is dangerous.

 

We cannot give differently abled people different rules. Hence what we have

[double-6s 0]

and what about the fact that talking is the dangerous thing, rather than being on a phone? etc etc

 

just offering another side really

[dr_mat 0]

I think that the argument on that goes that just talking inside the car to another human being has both the driver and the passenger sitting in the car, assessing the risks of the situation themselves (even casually). The flow of the conversation will be impacted by the road conditions and the obstacles and manoeuvres that the driver is carrying out, whereas the person on the other end of the phone has no way of perceiving that and will talk using a rhythm that could be distracting to the driver at critical moments.

 

Of course, small children could also cause the same thing ... but even they quickly learn when to expect an answer and when not ...

[g60greeny 0]

people @ work were talkin about the lady driver,anyone got a link to the vid?would like to see it

[.Rich. 0]

I always drive with one hand on the wheel and the other on the gearstick. On the whole i would consider myself quite a good driver but i'll admit to drinking or eating whilst driving.

 

My sister is very bad, she often writes and sends text messages whilst driving in traffic.

[steve_16v 0]

My sister is very bad, she often writes and sends text messages whilst driving in traffic.

 

My sister does that as well, she was following me one day and sent me a text because one of my brake lights had gone, pointless really cos I never read them whilst driving.

 

Worse than that though is one of my mates who has been known to roll joints and smoke them whilst driving down the motorway ... mentalist!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Worse than that though is one of my mates who has been known to roll joints and smoke them whilst driving down the motorway ... mentalist!

 

That is permissable :-)

 

Wasn't there a story in the papers or on the news recently, where some bloke filled beer bottles with water (or pop or something) and drove round drinking from them, to guage public reaction? IIRC, no one turned a blind eye!

[veeDuB_Rado 0]

Is having someone else doing something to you multi tasking? :norty:

[StuartFZR400 0]

I always drive with one hand on the wheel and the other on the gearstick. On the whole i would consider myself quite a good driver but i'll admit to drinking or eating whilst driving.

.

:cuckoo:

You'll f*ck the syinc plate if you do that. tut tut Often leads to gears popping out or not engaging properly

 

.

Is having someone else doing something to you multi tasking?

YES - but I dont think I'd let Hitch-hicker-bob in the car in the first place, lol. But dream on about Kelly Brooke.

[.Rich. 0]

I know but i just cant stop it, when i realise im doing it i put my hand back on the wheel but somehow it finds its way back down :@

[StuartFZR400 0]

I didn't realise that this woman has been done for this. What she get for it?

 

And how did they get her; just using video evidence? sheesh/cool

[double-6s 0]

Worse than that though is one of my mates who has been known to roll joints and smoke them whilst driving down the motorway ... mentalist!

 

That is permissable :-)quote]

 

Its compulsary round my way ;)

[Timo. 0]

I didn't realise that this woman has been done for this. What she get for it?

 

And how did they get her; just using video evidence? sheesh/cool

 

due care and attention

 

 

T.

[blackcat 0]

incedentally, does anyone know if its agaisnt the law to smoke and drive?

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4788910.stm

[VAG-hag 0]

Having a late start to my day I saw GMTV's topic on people who drive and multi-task. The shock horror video clip they showed, was a woman applying her make up with two hands and thus had no control over the car, whilst driving in a built up area.

 

That bird is on the Chav Birds Calender!

 

I got it for Christmas - She is January!!

 

:D