Distracted Driving: All Lip Service With No Legit Solution 184
redletterdave writes: "April was National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Unfortunately, the recognition of this month for distracted driving was a hollow gesture — just like the half-hearted attempts at developing apps that prevent cell phone use while driving. After a week of trying to find an app that prevents me from all cell phone use from behind the wheel entirely, I've given up. The Distracted Driving Foundation lists about 25 apps on its website — there are a few more on Apple's App Store — but I couldn't find a single one that was easy to use. Most were either defunct, required onerous sign-up processes, asked for subscription plans, or simply didn't work as advertised."
This is almost tautological (Score:5, Informative)
Either:
1) You want to use the phone while driving, in which case you're not going to use such an app; or
2) You don't want to use the phone while driving, in which case you can simply not use the phone.
Re:Or.. just rethink transportation (Score:4, Informative)
Point in short, GP has never been to Europe, let alone driven there.
Breaking the law in Germany is inconceivable to Germans and will get a swift response from the AutobahnPolizei. The British dont tolerate people doing stupid things either, the Met will pull you over just to check if you've got the right permits and have paid congestion tax. Even the French will send the gendarme after you for doing the things that the GP suggested. Western Europe, Germany in particular are wonderful places to drive precisely because everyone follows the rules. People are for the most part predictable and polite, because of this predictability and lack of motorist masochism traffic flows much better... as for finding somewhere to park in Euro cities and town... Good Fucking Luck, you've clearly never been there.
Crossing the road when the "no cross" sign is on in Germany will get you death stares from Germans.
I've driven in the UK, Sweden and Germany as well as the US and Australia. The Europeans are far better drivers than we Australians because they follow the rules and thus are predictable drivers... however US drivers make the worst Australian drivers look good. However one of the big problems in the US (that's also growing in Australia) is the fact everyone drives automatics. These are much slower than manuals and breed more complacent drivers.
Re:There's no app for that (Score:4, Informative)
Not a tech problem, not a tech solution.
Just check your phone when you've arrived or pull over into a parking lot if you're that desperate. Seriously, how hard is that?
Apparently for some people it's a lot harder than you would think; Driver Dies After Posting Facebook Selfie [sky.com].