Texting while driving..

[static1800]

Not sure why we are having an argument about this? it's just a stupid thing to do that endangers peoples lives full stop.

[maca]

If it's that urgent to reply, pull over.

I've done it many times and how much time to you lose? 2 minutes at most.

[GTom]

Just takes practice to text while driving and depends how good you are at multiple tasking.

I wouldn't recommend it to young drivers though, but returning a text can wait till ur stopped at a set of lights etc.

I agree. I can write a txt msg without tking my i's off the road.. Only can do it with the standard phones though, all these new touch ones I can't do it unfortunately, as you can't feel the keys....

[CatonaPC©]

How many accidents are caused by texting versues how many are caused by putting drivers with insufficient training and the wrong attitude behind the wheel.

These ads do nothing to lower the road toll and detract from the real issue of idiots behind the wheel and insufficient police on the road to do anything other than book people for speeding.

+1 on that. People have become immune to these sorts of ads.

[NickZ]

I agree. I can write a txt msg without tking my i's off the road.. Only can do it with the standard phones though, all these new touch ones I can't do it unfortunately, as you can't feel the keys....

But your mind is focusing on which buttons to push, as opposed to what is happening on the road.

In my mind, driving is by far the most dangerous thing we do on a regular basis. Any distractions (and this includes GPS, changing radio) only serve to make it more dangerous.

[mikepologti]

i really wish people would take serious notice to this add even if it is fictional. these adds like others have stated will only really be affective for a small minority of drivers out there, but even if it saves a few lives its money well spent. through out my life ive been privy to a very close friend of the family who was an ambo driver. some of the horific stuff he told us were just horendous, unfortunatly this also led him to early retirment due an emotional break down. what some people invision as an accident scene is nothing compared to being there shortly after a major crash. there bits of peoples fingers, hands, arms thrown all over the road, theres peoples heads nearly snapped completely off backward due to the excesive force to which they hit, there people with half a face or no face at all still with there seat belt on, and worst of all there people still alive sitting right beside there loved ones in this state.the media sensor it cos they cant show pieces of people on tv, but this ladies and gentlemen is unfortunatly what people need to see, to get the point across. our governments current adds dont cut it, unfortunatly to get through to people these days you need a sledgehammer.
this isnt quite that graphic but i belive its close to the mark, well done brits.

[Maverick]

I'm a young driver, and I wouldn't recommend it to you (I'm assuming you're not a young driver?) because of what has been said already - it's impossible to drive 100% properly whilst doing it; and that's the bottom line.

No-one can drive at 100% for a long period of time, this is a fact. Race drivers can do it for a longer periods but even they can't do it all the time.

Taxi drivers who work long shifts work more complex equipment all the the time when driving and their driving standards are below pathetic (here in Queensland with every second driver from a country with a fake drivers license.

This takes the gold. This is exactly why it's illegal to be using anything in the car except the steering wheel...and maybe the gearknob

What about the headunit? Legal.
What about the two way radio? Legal.
What about climate control? Legal.
What about Sat Nav? Legal.
What about dispatch systems? Legal.
What about smoking? Legal.
What about drinking? Legal.
What about talking on the phone? Legal.
What about talking to passengers? Legal.

These video's are pointless for some (eg, the young drivers who aren't going to use their phones), but when you think about it, you're seeing a potential. This isn't going to happen every time, but it's what COULD happen; the minute any one person realises this, the video has made its point.

They're actually a complete waste of time and money which could be spent elsewhere where it could be useful. It won't change driving attitudes and it won't save lives. The only way to stop deaths on the road (which IMO are acceptable given the poor standard of driver training, the idiots on the road, the lack of police, the emphasis on speeding and the poor state of the roads) is to revamp our driver training, remove all unlicensed drivers from the roads permanently, crush uninsured, unroadworthy and unregistered cars, divert the police emphasis from speeding and sort out the roads.

In the meantime get rid of these ads as they do more harm than good, the road safety message should be a comprehensive program that educates users and doesn't try and drive home it's message with a temporary shock factor or pointless "speed kills" slogan.

[Maverick]

If it's that urgent to reply, pull over.

I've done it many times and how much time to you lose? 2 minutes at most.

Except the stupid people will pull over on the hard shoulder thinking they're safe and end up getting killed. 15% of all fatalities are on the hard shoulder and most of those were stupid people that pulled over to take a power nap, take a leak, to get something from the boot etc etc.

There's an easy way to save lives, mandatory 3 months driving ban for any driver who pulls over on the hard shoulder without it being an emergency. The ban includes drivers who run out of fuel or where lack of maintenance contributed.

[Satanstoenail]

What about smoking? Legal.

Was going to mention this one. Lighting up a cigarette while driving takes just as much focus off the road as texting or talking on your mobile phone. And yet it's legal.

[Mrk_Mickey]

No-one can drive at 100% for a long period of time, this is a fact. Race drivers can do it for a longer periods but even they can't do it all the time.

Taxi drivers who work long shifts work more complex equipment all the the time when driving and their driving standards are below pathetic (here in Queensland with every second driver from a country with a fake drivers license.



What about the headunit? Legal.
What about the two way radio? Legal.
What about climate control? Legal.
What about Sat Nav? Legal.
What about dispatch systems? Legal.
What about smoking? Legal.
What about drinking? Legal.
What about talking on the phone? Legal.
What about talking to passengers? Legal.



They're actually a complete waste of time and money which could be spent elsewhere where it could be useful. It won't change driving attitudes and it won't save lives. The only way to stop deaths on the road (which IMO are acceptable given the poor standard of driver training, the idiots on the road, the lack of police, the emphasis on speeding and the poor state of the roads) is to revamp our driver training, remove all unlicensed drivers from the roads permanently, crush uninsured, unroadworthy and unregistered cars, divert the police emphasis from speeding and sort out the roads.

In the meantime get rid of these ads as they do more harm than good, the road safety message should be a comprehensive program that educates users and doesn't try and drive home it's message with a temporary shock factor or pointless "speed kills" slogan.

We're sitting at home, on computers. Lower your fists and take in what someone has to say on the matter for once, without forcing your perspective onto them. Here goes..

--You know what I mean by ''driving 100%'' and there was no need to post a fact that proves me wrong on statistic.

--You're dead right about taxi drivers. And this just proves the point. Fiddling with stuff in the car causes bad effects while you're trying to operate a vehicle. And about that...

--For the record, everything you wrote down as legal is something that you can be distracted by enough to cause an accident. Hell, if you REALLY want to split hairs, try and find a way to prove that a fly on your window can't distract you enough to kill you. You won't find one because it's not illegal for them to buzz around in the car.

--I'll have you know that this advertisement worked for a few people on this forum, it worked for my whole grade when we saw it at a licensing education school scheme, it worked for people I've spoken to who have brought it up in conversation, etc. You can't say they don't work because you haven't spoken to every single person in the world (again, by all means go split some more hairs if you feel like wasting more time) and thus you don't know. Dare I say, that's a fact?

Seeing as this ^^^ is the type of thing the advertisement was created to do, why should we get rid of it? I completely agree that the government should be doing MUCH, MUCH more towards safe licensing and better training, and even better advertisements, but there's no need to pull this one out because it's not entirely ineffective.

Please don't spam up this thread and try to shoot me down again. If you disagree with my post, keyboard-warrior it to me by PM or come fly to sydney and we'll have a lovely chat with some tea and scones.