This is not a solution to distracted driving, this is just another form of distraction. Having a text message read to you allows you to keep your eyes on the road, sure, but it's still breaking focus on driving. Downvote in 3... 2... 1...
@VIRGINA Why are you guys criticizing this, its an improvement over what we currently have. A vehicle's cabin will never have zero distractions, with kids, listening to music, or talk shows, big bill boards, changing the station, and the millions of distractions outside a vehicle, there is not way that distractions can be eliminated, just reduced. I think that getting a text read to you is not as distracting as a 5 year old screaming because we did not stop at the McD's, so do you want to eliminate kids from a car too? Keep in mind im not in favor of the texting and driving, I want to make that clear, its tha way that you criticize new technology to help reduce the magnitude of the distraction that pisses me off.
@VIRGINA anything is distracting that is not the focus on the street itself. the radio should get forbidden. humans on the streetsides (esp attractive ones). advertisings. street signs.
the trick is to reduce the chance to not be able to react to prevent something bad. when listening to an sms you can react like when you don't listen to it. your eyes can focus on the street. your hands are on the wheel. those two things aren't true when holding a phone to read the sms (and reply, when a touchscreen only keyboard).
@rstoplabe14 I agree. My cell phone is no more distracting than talking to a passenger or screaming children. I think children and all other passengers should be required to be bound and gagged while the vehicle is in motion. :)
@KS I don't have to dial the people in my car. I don't have to press keys to text with them. I do not have to ever take my eyes off of the road for even one second to communicate with a person in my car. That's the difference.
@cpd5c45 ah, but you do. you don't have to, but you do take your eyes off the road to communicate with the people in your car. i hope, anyway ... otherwise i may be agitating a psychopath.
@cpd5c45 I don't have to dial to talk to people with sync. I press one steering wheel button (I know where its at, no need to look away from the road), and do everything with voice commands. Also, to read texts, it is just another button when one comes in to have it read to me. Now replying back, that would take some button presses, so you got me there (I don't reply when driving), but you could just press one button and have them on the phone as if they were in the car.
A lot of things distract people from driving. Saying that we can still be distracted is not an excuse to allow more things in the car to distract.
No one can be 100% focused on driving. And no one can send a text message and be a safe driver at the same time. If you think you can, you are wrong. And just because you have done it and survived doesn't mean you were safe or right.
MythBusters did a show on TALKING ON A CELLPHONE while driving and when you are engaged in a conversation and thinking you are not paying attention to the road. Their tests showed that talking on the phone was worse than drunk driving at .07 (which is even below the limit).
Contrary to popular belief we cannot consciously multitask. We can only guess the best times to switch thought to another subject.
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This is not a solution to distracted driving, this is just another form of distraction. Having a text message read to you allows you to keep your eyes on the road, sure, but it's still breaking focus on driving. Downvote in 3... 2... 1...
@VIRGINA
Nope. +1 from me. You are right.
@VIRGINA I agree with you, but think this distraction is better than someone literally holding their phone instead of the steering wheel.
@VIRGINA
Why are you guys criticizing this, its an improvement over what we currently have. A vehicle's cabin will never have zero distractions, with kids, listening to music, or talk shows, big bill boards, changing the station, and the millions of distractions outside a vehicle, there is not way that distractions can be eliminated, just reduced. I think that getting a text read to you is not as distracting as a 5 year old screaming because we did not stop at the McD's, so do you want to eliminate kids from a car too? Keep in mind im not in favor of the texting and driving, I want to make that clear, its tha way that you criticize new technology to help reduce the magnitude of the distraction that pisses me off.
@VIRGINA
So you dont ever talk to your fellow passengers in your car? How is that different from you talking to or hearing your car speak?
For those who think it doesnt add much value, check out youtube for Lincoln C concept (EVA) videos.
@VIRGINA anything is distracting that is not the focus on the street itself. the radio should get forbidden. humans on the streetsides (esp attractive ones). advertisings. street signs.
the trick is to reduce the chance to not be able to react to prevent something bad. when listening to an sms you can react like when you don't listen to it. your eyes can focus on the street. your hands are on the wheel. those two things aren't true when holding a phone to read the sms (and reply, when a touchscreen only keyboard).
@rstoplabe14 I agree. My cell phone is no more distracting than talking to a passenger or screaming children. I think children and all other passengers should be required to be bound and gagged while the vehicle is in motion. :)
@KS I don't have to dial the people in my car. I don't have to press keys to text with them. I do not have to ever take my eyes off of the road for even one second to communicate with a person in my car. That's the difference.
@cpd5c45
ah, but you do. you don't have to, but you do take your eyes off the road to communicate with the people in your car. i hope, anyway ... otherwise i may be agitating a psychopath.
@dantzig Really? You stare at your passengers when you are talking to them while driving? Can you also walk and chew gum at the same time?
@cpd5c45
I don't have to dial to talk to people with sync. I press one steering wheel button (I know where its at, no need to look away from the road), and do everything with voice commands. Also, to read texts, it is just another button when one comes in to have it read to me. Now replying back, that would take some button presses, so you got me there (I don't reply when driving), but you could just press one button and have them on the phone as if they were in the car.
A lot of things distract people from driving. Saying that we can still be distracted is not an excuse to allow more things in the car to distract.
No one can be 100% focused on driving. And no one can send a text message and be a safe driver at the same time. If you think you can, you are wrong. And just because you have done it and survived doesn't mean you were safe or right.
MythBusters did a show on TALKING ON A CELLPHONE while driving and when you are engaged in a conversation and thinking you are not paying attention to the road. Their tests showed that talking on the phone was worse than drunk driving at .07 (which is even below the limit).
Contrary to popular belief we cannot consciously multitask. We can only guess the best times to switch thought to another subject.