"Supertaskers" Can Safely Use Mobile Phones While Driving 388
nk497 writes "While most of us are dangerous when texting, chatting on a phone or being otherwise distracted while driving, one in 40 are actually just fine with such distractions. In a small study, such 'supertaskers' were just as good at driving when carrying on a conversation over a hands-free phone as they were when fully focused. That said, the researchers warned that most people are much worse at driving while chatting and shouldn't do it, adding: 'Given the number of individuals who routinely talk on the phone while driving, one would have hoped that there would be a greater percentage of supertaskers.'"
That 1 in 40 aside, reader crimeandpunishment writes "The US Transportation Department is calling for a permanent ban on texting while driving, for interstate truck and bus drivers. An interim ban has been in place since January. The government says it is doing everything it can to make roads safer by reducing the threat of distracted drivers."
Yup.. (Score:5, Funny)
I'm just fine with the added distractions. In fact, while driving, I usually #*&&&%>...
NO CARRIER
Re:Yup.. (Score:2, Funny)
Better driving skills (Score:5, Funny)
I wonder how many of those had a foreign driver's license.
Re:Oh, Great (Score:4, Funny)
Probably there are more supertankers than supertaskers on /.
That was how I initially read the headline for an instant.
Re:Yup.. (Score:5, Funny)
Man, back in the day, I could drive with a joint in one hand a beer in the other hand and an arm around my girlfriend (this was in the days before Slashdot nerd-dom). All while bobbing my head madly to The Ramones and being high on 'shrooms. And I could do all this while timing all the stoplights on Belmont Avenue so I'd never have to shift my Gremlin out of third gear.
I'd like to see some sissy F1 driver try all that.
[Disclaimer: Sweeheart, you know Daddy's a big kidder, right? He's just showing off for the guys at /. and never really did any of those things. And that burnt hemostat you found in the closet is from when I was a thoracic surgeon working on burn victims. And that picture of me in the shoebox where I'm sucking smoke through the bottom of a beer can is just some joke that your Uncle Izzy photoshopped in 1975 before he went to prison.]
R u a hooman? (Score:5, Funny)
This is precisely why more forums are using catpchas.
Re:Yup.. (Score:5, Funny)
And that picture of me in the shoebox where I'm sucking smoke...
Far out, man. How did you squeeze yourself into that shoebox?
Re:Justification (Score:5, Funny)
>I'm sure I could do it
Oh the irony...
Re:Self-correcting problem (Score:5, Funny)
Been driving for 35yrs and I also drive a manual, after reading how good you think you are I'm pretty sure I know what your doing with your other hand.
Re:Self-correcting problem (Score:3, Funny)
Sitting on one, rather.
Re:Yup.. (Score:4, Funny)
I've just got to:
Brother Mainar*: "The castle of Aaaaaarrrrgh!"
King Arthur: "What?"
BM: "The castle of... Aaaaaaarrrgh"
Bedevere: "What is that?"
BM: "He must have died while carving!"
Lancelot: "Oh, come on!"
BM: "Well that's what it says"
KA: "Look if he was dying he wouldn't bother to carve 'Argh' he'd just say it"
BM: "Well that's what's carved in the rock!"
Galahad: "Perhaps he was dictating?"
KA: "Oh shut up!"
Re:Cell Phone Vendetta (Score:5, Funny)
This is the first time I've cursed on slashdot.
Once you start, it's really fucking hard to stop.
Re:Yup.. (Score:4, Funny)
"leik cex[TAB][ENTER]"
Sounds like your cat was *really* trying to say: "Like sex. Tabby. Enter." and just didn't have a full grasp of what the [TAB] key does.
Re:Yup.. (Score:5, Funny)
Two days later my thigh was at it again. It went into my e-mail, found an email from a school club mailing list i was part of. Replied to the whole mailing list (the club was setup so anyone posting to the mailing list would have their message relayed to the whole group). I got like 15emails like "what is 'sadofiefew'?".
From this I concluded of course that my thigh is smarter than a monkey. And there is a hypothesis that it is upset about the IE number of users.
Re:Not "anyone" just most people. (Score:3, Funny)
1 in 40 people who engage in these activities are not any more dangerous while doing it.
Does it mean that they normally drive as if they were constantly texting, even though they don't? Those people should be removed from roads :-)
Re:I dislike the legislative approach (Score:1, Funny)
While it is profoundly stupid to talk on the phone while navigating through a school zone crowded with students just released from school and their parents picking them up, I am not sure one can make a case that it is a net safety hazard to use a cell phone (hands-free or otherwise) driving down he freeway in the middle of nowhere. In fact, insofar as it prevents more dangerous hypnotic states from developing, it might be a net safety win to talk on the phone.
No phone necessary. All you need is an AM radio tuned to Rush Limbaugh. Love him or hate him, he will keep you awake. Me, I gotta love him and Clear Channel, because they have probably saved my life several times.
Re:Self-correcting problem (Score:3, Funny)
I'm going to use this quote. Nice post.