On the phone whilst driving

[daleyd]

Once you're familiar with the layout you should barely even need to look. I have just changed my works van to a new type but in the old one I could put my hand right on the heater controls, light switch, radio volume or any other control in the van without looking even for a glance. My new van has both touch screen and stalk controls for media and cruise/speed limiter controls so I am going to have to be very careful whilst I get familiar with it.

I’ve had my car 18 months, and done about 20,000 miles in it - it’s not a menu I need to access often, so I need to look. The fact it’s a big touchscreen and the parts you have to press are on opposite sides doesn’t help, also you have to think about which menu you are accessing as buttons for music are different, sat nav different again…I understand what your saying but there’s so much info and so many menus you HAVE to look.

I’m really not saying it’s a huge problem but I find that I need to look away from the road 2 or 3 times as opposed to once for a physical button. I can see the benefits to touchscreen operation (as I said, ease of change, less wiring, less parts…), but if someone was to ask me which is easier/less distracting when driving, pushing a button or accessing several menus on a screen then the button wins (assuming it’s in an ergonomic place). It’s probably not going to change back, but there you go.

 

[Pete.]

I was agreeing with you Dale. Old school knobs ans switches you find without looking but this touchscreen thing you just can't do that.

On my new van I have two stalks with button and roller controls, which I guess is supposed to allow you to do stuff whithout taking your hand off the hweel, but depending which function you use, the changes appear on either the dash or the touchscreen.

 

[daleyd]

I was agreeing with you Dale. Old school knobs ans switches you find without looking but this touchscreen thing you just can't do that.

On my new van I have two stalks with button and roller controls, which I guess is supposed to allow you to do stuff whithout taking your hand off the hweel, but depending which function you use, the changes appear on either the dash or the touchscreen.

Sorry yes I thought you were saying you would get used to the touchscreen layout! That’ll teach me for not reading the post properly You do to an extent but as you say buttons are just “there”!

 

[reb78]

I would say it's unfortunately for the majority on here an issue of evolution just by age not choice.

I wouldn't expect someone from 1913 to be proficient with the tech of the 70s, but we also can't and shouldn't stop evolution

But just assuming new = evolution = good, is a bit blind.

Look at the electric handbrake. More weight, more to go wrong, often takes up similar to more space than a handle. No way is that evolution - it was an answer to a problem that didnt exist

 

[mtt.tr]

But just assuming new = evolution = good, is a bit blind.

Look at the electric handbrake. More weight, more to go wrong, often takes up similar to more space than a handle. No way is that evolution - it was an answer to a problem that didnt exist

Yeah you are perfectly right. I prefer candles and gas lamps.

 

[Johnnybravo]

But just assuming new = evolution = good, is a bit blind.

Look at the electric handbrake. More weight, more to go wrong, often takes up similar to more space than a handle. No way is that evolution - it was an answer to a problem that didnt exist

And absolutely rubbish for handbrake turns

 

[reb78]

Yeah you are perfectly right. I prefer candles and gas lamps.

So do i strangely. Glad we agree.

 

[cheb]

I would say it's unfortunately for the majority on here an issue of evolution just by age not choice.

I wouldn't expect someone from 1913 to be proficient with the tech of the 70s, but we also can't and shouldn't stop evolution

I was going to say something similar, and I'm kicking 60 years old. I'm doing my utmost not to turn into a dinosaur that thinks anything new is wrong and things were better in the old days. Yes, somethings were and it's a shame we've lost them, but a whole lot more weren't and I'm glad they've gone.

 

[mtt.tr]

I was going to say something similar, and I'm kicking 60 years old. I'm doing my utmost not to turn into a dinosaur that thinks anything new is wrong and things were better in the old days. Yes, somethings were and it's a shame we've lost them, but a whole lot more weren't and I'm glad they've gone.

My father's in his 70s he's kept up with tech, he has one of the best modded 3d printers that I've seen drives, a modern car, still good on a computer.

Can't see him being a dinosaur openness is a choice

 

[cheb]

My father's in his 70s he's kept up with tech, he has one of the best modded 3d printers that I've seen drives, a modern car, still good on a computer.

Can't see him being a dinosaur openness is a choice

I've acquaintances younger than me that maintain they can't use computers and it's wrong that everything is going online. They might be right, but if you don't try how can you know? As you say, it's a choice.

 

[Pete.]

My father's in his 70s he's kept up with tech, he has one of the best modded 3d printers that I've seen drives, a modern car, still good on a computer.

Can't see him being a dinosaur openness is a choice

Good on him. My dad was the opposite, he used the term 'downloading' for installing from CD and would set his monitor to the lowest resolution it would attain because he "couldn't see the screen".

 

[cheb]

My van, a 20 plate Vivaro has a mixture of touch screen and knobs for the various functions. There's also auto lights, wipers and door locking. It is what it is.

If I use a my phone on a clear section of dual track road with good visibility and not another vehicle in sight then what harm has been done?

 

[daleyd]

My van, a 20 plate Vivaro has a mixture of touch screen and knobs for the various functions. There's also auto lights, wipers and door locking. It is what it is.

If I use a my phone on a clear section of dual track road with good visibility and not another vehicle in sight then what harm has been done?

I don’t think it’s an issue to acknowledge that some things aren’t as good/as easy as what came before. I’m a bona fide techno fan but it’s a fact that physical buttons are just “easier” when driving. I love the touchscreen on the car, it gives much more info than ever before in a clear, easy to see format.

But the simple fact is that certain functions are now harder to operate than before. For me it’s no big deal, just an observation….for 99.9% of my driving the bigger screen and easy to see sat nav is superb. There is however a small handful functions that require more distraction away from the road than they previously did.

 

[badabec]

Citroen GS, all the controls at your fingertips

 

[Farside]

People seem to be quite civil...I was surprised as I expected things would kick off.

Reading his back story I can see why he does it.

I still think he's a knob, though.

 

[Farside]

I've never actually tried using a phone when driving a car, but if I can have a conversation with a person sat next to me, how does that differ to a conversation with someone on the other end of the phone line?

It's easier to blank out passengers nattering, than the voice on the phone for some reason, I've found.
I've driven minibuses full of drunken revellers and did it quite safely, it's just a simple thing to ignore the background rabble.
The knob on the other end of the call takes more attention than it should.

 

[Farside]

Plus it will tell you jokes if you ask it...... seriously, it does

"Have you heard the one about VW's emissions control?"

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I still think he's a knob, though.

Yea but watching his utube has been quite educational about the current rules so in a way he's successfully getting his message out I think.

From what I've seen he's not a vindictive chap....just feels strongly that phone use is dangerous.

 

[Morrisman]

I was going to say something similar, and I'm kicking 60 years old. I'm doing my utmost not to turn into a dinosaur that thinks anything new is wrong and things were better in the old days. Yes, somethings were and it's a shame we've lost them, but a whole lot more weren't and I'm glad they've gone.

I'm 63, and use online banking on my phone, and have done for years, I have an iPhone, an iPad, and I run a VPN and Adblock on my laptop so I can watch Youtube, ad free, download pirate video with impunity.

Working offshore for 24 years in a past life I had to do everything on the PC, reports, maintenance etc. so was immersed in it all, somewhat reluctantly at the time, but it proved useful eventually.

I think you need to be 'into' it and keep up with it as the years pass. Some people simply never got into the tech so they get further behind every year.

 

[northwest]

Look at the electric handbrake. More weight, more to go wrong, often takes up similar to more space than a handle. No way is that evolution - it was an answer to a problem that didnt exist

It annoys me intensely, I spent (wasted) a great deal of time and effort ensuring I had a form of mechanical handbrake on the rally car after fitting the hydraulic one. Just so I could be compliant with the law. Some manufacturer comes along with a new "feature" and all change to make it compliant.