holy crap

[ydoaPs]

according to Mythbusters, driving drunk is safer than driving while talking on a cell phone.

[herme3]

I'm sure that is because there are more accidents from people talking on cell phones than driving drunk. More people talk on cell phones than drive drunk. It is like comparing sharks and lighting. People say that you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than attacked by a shark. Well, that's because most people spend more time outside in a thunderstorm than swimming in the ocean.

[ydoaPs]

no...there is a thing called an experiment...

[BobbyJoeCool]

I've also heard that driving tired is worse than driving drunk...

 

I mean, if you're drunk, you have some control over the wheel, when you fall asleep... what control do you have?

 

On a phone though... with the whole hands free thing most people have nowadays, talking on the phone is like talking to someone in the car. With one minor exception... they can't see when you're about to run that red light when you get distracted by them.

[Tetrahedrite]

I've also heard that driving tired is worse than driving drunk...

And worst of all is drunk and tired!!!!

[AzurePhoenix]

Drunk, tired, and screeching into your cell phone. Oh yeah, you're also a monkey.

[Ollie]

Actually, from "Braniac", driving wired/buzzing is worse than driving tired. I think it's got something to do with over-reacting to stimuli and putting yourself and others into further danger.

[BobbyJoeCool]

So now all we need is someone who hasn't slept in days, get them totally smashed on booze and some sort of narcotic like cocaine, and put a cell phone in their hand and put them behind the wheel of a car...

 

NOTE: If anyone EVERY does this, let me know so that I can be anywhere but where this person will be... Preferably on Air Force One or something...

[Skye]

I'd say is that while you might be more likely to have an accident while talking on a phone, you're more likely to be speeding while drunk than while talking on a phone. So you might be more likely to get seriously injured or die in the event of a crash.

 

Another thing is how drunk is drunk? If you have had a couple of drinks you might be ok, have a couple of dozen and you'll be wondering why that crazy road won't stay under your wheels.

[Phi for All]

Cell phone use while driving takes your attention away from the road, limits the mobility of your head AND takes one hand off the wheel. Driving drunk is bad as well but you probably don't have as many strikes against you in the event of a dangerous situation.

 

And don't forget that most people love their phones so much they're going to take that extra second to set it down easy if they need to grab the wheel hard instead of getting it out of their hands as quick as possible.

[JohnB]

I'll see if I can find the figures or the report. The University of Queensland did a series of tests at one of our driving ranges. They literally had people do the obstacle course while legally drunk or talking on a mobile. Hands free phones were tested as well.

 

IIRC the results were that driving while talking was equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol content above .08. A hands free kit did not significantly alter the results.

 

Recently there have been tests on texting while driving. The worst part of the result was that the driver spent 12 out of every 20 seconds looking at their phone rather than the road. Now that's scary.

 

NB. In this case a "driving range" is not a place for people with an innate desire to abuse small white balls with a club, but a large paved area for teaching advanced motoring techniques.