So. Hands-free mobiles in cars then.

[Guy Profumo]

The battle lines appear to be being drawn.

[ursus arctos]

Just get rid of the cars.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

The research they talked about on Radio 2 concluded that the impact on trying to hold a conversation on the phone while driving - in terms of concentration and reaction to what was on the road - was broadly equivalent to being mildly pissed.

By extension, then, they have to similarly ban drivers talking to their passengers. Which would at least take James Corden's Car Pool Fucking Karaoke off our screens forever.

[Sean of the Shed]

The research they talked about on Radio 2 concluded that the impact on trying to hold a conversation on the phone while driving - in terms of concentration and reaction to what was on the road - was broadly equivalent to being mildly pissed.

By extension, then, they have to similarly ban drivers talking to their passengers. Which would at least take James Corden's Car Pool Fucking Karaoke off our screens forever.

From what I saw on the BBC news today, what they were actually saying was that a conversation with someone on a phone is more problematic because when you talk about issues such as family or pets then this becomes a distraction as you start to think about them instead of focusing on the road, and because the signal on a phone is variable and makes you focus more on the conversation than events in front of you. They also said silence when you do focus on vehicle manoeuvres is accepted by passengers whilst the person on the phone might start asking if you are ok if you go quiet.
What they didn't say was that conversations in the car with people to the side or rear of you can have you turning your head or looking at them through the mirror instead of focusing on the road, which I have often found to be the case as both driver and passenger.

[Guy Profumo]

The research they talked about on Radio 2 concluded that the impact on trying to hold a conversation on the phone while driving - in terms of concentration and reaction to what was on the road - was broadly equivalent to being mildly pissed.

By extension, then, they have to similarly ban drivers talking to their passengers. Which would at least take James Corden's Car Pool Fucking Karaoke off our screens forever.

No.

Talking to passengers in normal conversation doesn't compare.

That carpool fucking karaoke or that wanker Robert Thingy-PlaysthatAndroidPoshbloke refusing to WATCH THE FUCKING ROAD while he's driving.

A whole new level of twatterage.

[San Bernardhinault]

By extension, then, they have to similarly ban drivers talking to their passengers.

All the research I've seen suggests that most passengers aren't idiots, and can see when the road situation changes and demands more concentration from the driver, and they stop talking. People on the other end of a phone can't take those cues.

And, also, that concentration levels anyway go down when someone's on the phone. We've all seen an idiot pedestrian on the phone walk straight into someone - which is ample enough evidence to me that it's not just the hands-free aspect that makes phones while driving dangerous.

[Guy Profumo]

All the research I've seen suggests that most passengers aren't idiots, and can see when the road situation changes and demands more concentration from the driver, and they stop talking. People on the other end of a phone can't take those cues.

And, also, that concentration levels anyway go down when someone's on the phone. We've all seen an idiot pedestrian on the phone walk straight into someone - which is ample enough evidence to me that it's not just the hands-free aspect that makes phones while driving dangerous.

This.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The number of people I see using their phone is ridiculous. Genuinely I've seen people watching Netflix or YouTube whilst they are driving.
Fining is no good, take away their licence.

[ursus arctos]

Do Turkish taxi drivers not have televisions in their cabs?

It took some getting used to in Milano.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Do Turkish taxi drivers not have televisions in their cabs?

It took some getting used to in Milano.

Yep. Been a while since I've experienced that.