On the phone whilst driving

[bricol]

Quick question to those saying the touch screens are dangerous, any of you saying that actually driven a car with one?

I'm about 11k miles and so far have avoided crashing, killing a pedestrian or being so distracted I've driven over a squirrel

I regularly drive four different vehicles of my own.
Caterham 7 - nothing in the way of driver aides other than pedals and a steering wheel.
91 Lancia - three knobs for air up/down/middle, hot-cold, none, slow, faster, faster still air
07 Alfa - press buttons for direction (doubled up as I had to set the passenger side too), multiple presses for fan speed, twsity dials for temp, one each side
16 Dodge - buttons for front demist, air con and recirc, twisty knob for fan speed, touch screen to go find "climate" then find where I want the air . . .

I too haven't crashed any of them. But other than the back to basics one, the Lancia is easily the safest - I do not need to look to put my hand on the relevant control for where I want the air, how much, and how hot. The other two, I have to look - meaning I am not looking at the road. Only a small amount of time . . . but then, the kid that ran out in front of my dad only needed a small amount of time . . he saw, and managed to mostly miss him. If he'd been looking down to find where he needed to touch to persuade air to slow down . . splat!

As for many rental cars I climb into around the world . . . so many complications and iterations of such a simple task - I just want to get air on the windscreen. When it's massively below zero and the screen refuses to listen to your finger . . . or someone else has smeared something all over it . . never mind the ones delaminating in such as Arizona summer heat and now also refuse to listen . . . Sometimes having first to persuade it into English to then work out where the climate screen is . . .

I wonder if the many cars I've had the misfortune to be behind this week, were veering all over the shop due to such things - I had been thinking it was simply the OAP club kicking out just as I wanted to go home from work.

 

[addjunkie]

Its called progress, it keeps engineery types in jobs, and add complexity also obsolescence…..but progrees isnt always better or an improvement, its just “Progress”

 

[Dragnet]

Triumph Herald - long trips require an itinerary committed to memory, or a pull over to consult the atlas. MGB has a clip on the dashboard for itineraries. Written large a glance is enough to know which exit to take, which is the same as glancing at the speedo. I guess my entire life has been in the era where satnav was a possibility, but I certainly don't use it myself, preferring not to abnegate my brainpower to a dumb machine. The number of people blindly following satnav down totally unsuitable roads here in Cornwall demonstrates the stupidity of relying on such things.

My father's Jaguar had a giant screen which required looking and touching to adjust everything from air to radio. Of course, it sometimes didn't register so needed more looking while pressing to check the press had registered.

Not as bad as having the brain in a conversation while trying to text, but it seemed jolly dangerous to me. The warning that flashes up saying not to touch it while driving is all well and good, but at least supply a radio that can be retuned without danger! Something with a knob on can be done without taking eyes off the road, as bricol says. That lorry driver recently was on a dating site while driving, ploughed into a line of people and caused deaths and an awful lot of other damage.

Just don't use a mobile in the car, full stop. It's not difficult, unless you're forced to have one of these bonkers vehicles in previous posts which seem to require a smartphone to function. Doubts about 'progress'? Count me in.

 

[Turbo]

My Dad's recently acquired 2015 golf unfortunately is fitted with the VW 'infotainment system'. 90% of the radio/media/satnav is controlled by a large touchscreen plus a lot of steering wheel buttons that are confusingly labelled, some of which have other functions like the cruise control. There is a volume control knob that doesn't work properly (common fault) so you have to use the steering buttons, hoping you use the correct ones. Rather stupidly there are another pair of buttons just above the volume ones, also marked + & - but they adjust your speed in cruise control mode!

I get confused trying to use it & generally I hook up my phone via bluetooth & play my own music. My Dad at 88 is totally lost by it & gets me to change the radio station for him. There is a thick user manual just for the infotainment system & being German it goes into a lot of very confusing detail but not the simple things you need to know!

 

[MattF]

And I'm the one with straw man arguments....

A lot of folk think they're invicible/perfect, until the unexpected happens. Simply because it hasn't, doesn't mean it can't or won't.

 

[Hood]

I was out in a new Isuzu the other day, awful poor quality touch screen, but several things didnt work while the car was moving, which I thought was a good idea. Some of other stuff under the safety banner was awful.

My bike has a touch screen but you can only use it when stationary which I think is a good thing. On the move the left handle bar cluster buttons can be used to do all functions on screen and to navigate android auto or carplay etc. In fact I very rarely use the touch screen, the only time is if I need to enter a destination into the satnav but even then voice commands are usually easier to use.

 

[Migmac]

We aren’t allowed to use a phone in our works vehicle, even if we have hands free fitted. We have to be parked up before we can use it. Suits me fine, I don’t use a phone at all whilst driving

 

[Wozzaaah]

Quick question to those saying the touch screens are dangerous, any of you saying that actually driven a car with one?

I'm about 11k miles and so far have avoided crashing, killing a pedestrian or being so distracted I've driven over a squirrel

20k Miles for me, also without running over tufty or even coming close to having any sort of accident. I really don’t see an issue as long as they’re used correctly

 

[Shedendman]

The Guardian published "statistics" that as many motorbikes jump red lights as cyclists. They must have been doing a survey in Richmond Park I reckon coz I was sitting at one red light last week and counted 16 cyclists piling through it at full trot. I doubt I see 16 motorbikes jump a red light in any 6 month period.

calls for all bicycles to have some form of reg plate on then

 

[cheb]

I hope none of you lot speed or contravene any other of the many rules and laws that govern those on the road.

 

[minimutly]

Had a Dacia Sandero as a courtesy car recently, and noticed it has no screen for the infotainment. Instead you have to use your phone and their software to control the cars hardware.

Lift this flap and insert your phone.
View attachment 424570

View attachment 424569

The New Dacia Sandero: the screen comes out of your pocket

Your smartphone goes everywhere with you. What if it replaced the multimedia screen in your car? This is what the Media Control system available on the New Dacia Sandero offers.

www.renaultgroup.com

How does that work from a "not using your phone whilst driving" legal standpoint, if you have to use it to control basic functions like the radio?

progress? for you...

 

[fractured]

Not if its in a cradle!

I didn't realise this. I did have a cradle but it was clipped to a heater vent and flopped down or fell off on a regular basis. As I don't really use the phone in the car I haven't gone out of my way to find one that works, I just leave the phone in the cup holder. However I will go out of my way to find one now if it makes it legal.

I have a hands free clip on unit but it's mainly used for the satnav.

I agree that touch screen is not the way forward for in vehicle control. I have simple controls in my car as its a 2010 relatively basic spec. Heater controls are simple twist controls with virtually no distraction to use - I can't understand the idea of going through a menu screen for control of basic things like heaters and the radio.

 

[minimutly]

Quick question to those saying the touch screens are dangerous, any of you saying that actually driven a car with one?

I'm about 11k miles and so far have avoided crashing, killing a pedestrian or being so distracted I've driven over a squirrel

well there is good and bad I would say. My 09 Jag is verging on dreadful to use whilst driving, you have to lean over, look, aim and be accurate. Not good enough in my opinion. Some cars of that age were knobs and switches, placed so low down you had to stop to squint at them. Funny thing is, the heater vents placed right where the hands free screen, or knobs should be - why? Really, what do you need whilst driving? Heater, radio, satnav would be it I suggest?

 

[Migmac]

The VW one is great, haptic feedback and laid out like buttons on a dashboard

Can't program the satnav while driving

I think VW have thought about it, their system works well

 

[dobbslc]

The Guardian published "statistics" that as many motorbikes jump red lights as cyclists. They must have been doing a survey in Richmond Park I reckon coz I was sitting at one red light last week and counted 16 cyclists piling through it at full trot. I doubt I see 16 motorbikes jump a red light in any 6 month period.

There's probably 5 cyclists on the road to every motorcycle so where they dreamt that one up I don't know!
I drive in central London everyday and I don't see motorcyclists jumping red lights full stop , it just doesn't happen.
On the other hand I see cyclists jump red lights at EVERY red light I stop at, I mean every one!
When are the government going to deal with this rather than penalise every motorist instead?

 

[fractured]

There's probably 5 cyclists on the road to every motorcycle so where they dreamt that one up I don't know!
I drive in central London everyday and I don't see motorcyclists jumping red lights full stop , it just doesn't happen.
On the other hand I see cyclists jump red lights at EVERY red light I stop at, I mean every one!
When are the government going to deal with this rather than penalise every motorist instead?

I suppose that is down to there being no registration being required so how do you regulate them.

I am not up to date with cycling on the road, so what is current regarding requirements? I presume having lights during hours of darkness is required and also the riding a maximum of two side by side, but what about wearing helmets and any age restrictions? Though this may be be a bit too much topic drift so perhaps better left unanswered!!

 

[dobbslc]

Most of them also seem to be on their phones so we're back on topic

 

[Robotstar5]

My phone stays in my pocket, if it rings I just ignore it then have a look who phoned when I next stop. My current satnav connects to my phone and allows me to answer it by touching the screen which I don't mind as it's mounted in my line of sight.
I remember when the mobile driving law first came out, as an amateur radio licence holder I could hold and use a phone while driving, that loophole was later closed.

 

[gerrymoore]

I have head up display .... shows current speed limit .. even temporary.. shows my speed ....all Sat navigation directions ....also radio and music ..I never have to look down and would never buy a car without one again ....

 

[Gritineye]

Most of them also seem to be on their phones so we're back on topic

A cyclist went past my place in the dark, going fast down hill, no lights, sitting upright, both hands on his phone looking down texting, as he approached a roundabout.

No idea how he managed to avoid an 'accident', maybe he thought he was being sensible as he didn't have headphones on.