About 20% of drivers using Web behind the wheel, study says

[Liberal_in_LA]

Quit Googling yourself and drive: About 20% of drivers using Web behind the wheel, study says

Forget texting and driving or talking on the phone and driving: Those extremely dangerous habits are old hat. The new worry, says a survey released by State Farm this week, is what the insurance company cleverly calls "webbing while driving."

That means looking up Web pages, following driving directions, reading and composing e-mails, checking Facebook, and twiddling with smart-phone apps -- activities that require sustained concentration and multiple key presses.

Among the 912 smart-phone users State Farm surveyed, more than 19% of them "webbed" while driving, the company said. For those who prefer fractions, that's one smart-phone-equipped driver out of every five.

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However, anyone driving in a busy city such as Los Angeles knows that every month, more people can be seen looking at their phones while on the road. What used to be the familiar sight of people holding handsets up to their ears has been replaced by the sight of people gazing down at their screens while stopped at lights. When a red light turns green, people often sit until they're honked at.



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/03/honk-if-youre-googling-20-of-drivers-using-web-behind-the-wheel-says-study.html

[chaska]

1. My brother watches movies while driving. Insane!

[Initech]

8. How is that possible???

:wow: :yoiks:

[Thunderstruck]

2. Man am I glad I work at home. Living in the DFW area is getting more

dangerous with people out there on those highways not paying attention.

ETA: I tried to link to a Google news search for "texting death" (without quotes) but it didn't format correctly.

[onehandle]

3. My iPhone is my GPS device and is mounted above my dashboard.

So if that falls under 'following driving directions' then I assume they are including any vehicle with GPS.

Yes? No?

[AlabamaLibrul]

13. To be fair, "following driving directions" doesn't require sustained concentration and multiple key

presses, WHILE ACTUALLY DRIVING. You put in the address before you go, and it takes about as much concentration as your friend going "uhhhh... I think it's this one...."

That's a non-issue compared to surfing the Web while driving.

[ixion]

4. Okay, I spend several hours a day on the internet, but not one second of that is while driving

that is really a stupid thing to do, in my opinion.

[PJPhreak]

5. All I can say is

those who are Texting,Yappin,Readin,Surfin and such while operating a moving vehicle (ie: while the engine is running whether the car is moving or not),Ya'll better be VERY GLAD that I am NOT in charge of the D.O.T...It would be time for about 35% of American Drivers to find other ways to haul their ass around...Cuz Driving in those peoples cases would NOT be an Option! EVER!!


I drive for a living,and tho there are MANY fine and qualified drivers out there,there are 35% or so (IMHO) who should NEVER be allowed to pilot a 3000-6000 lb deadly object moving upwards fo 80 mph at any time in their life!!!

[d_r]

6. I find that after the first couple of beers

it is too hard to hit the tiny touch screen buttons with one hand, especially if I'm trying to eat some mcdonalds.

[wickerwoman]

7. But if you angle the screen right,

you can catch enough of your reflection to apply mascara.

:hi:

[Initech]

9. I can barely dial my phone, much less use the internet on it while driving.

[jp11]

15. That's cause you're probably paying too much attention to the speeding hunk of

metal, plastic, and rubber you're piloting alongside all those other people doing the same. I'm sure it gets easier if you put the burden of you actions while driving onto other drivers to 'look out' for your lack of control, attention, etc.

[Initech]

16. What's really funny is I have severe ADD.

And I can do like 100 things at a time. But when I'm driving? Fuck it. That's the only thing I can do at the time.

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. Guilty as charged. Now what you going to do about it?

If mobile phones were banned then I'd stop.

[AlabamaLibrul]

12. I won't do anything, but I'd prefer you not take anyone with you when you die.

It's not very progressive to know you're putting other people's lives at risk on a regular basis, and not care.

[salin]

14. Agreed.

Forget whether its progressive or not, its dangerous and if an accident occurred - it is easily traceable that the cause was being on the web - and the liability will fall upon he offender. If a life was at stake - I would guess that it would be manslaughter (no planning, nor intent) rather than murder. Not that this would give any comfort to a family member who lost a loved one.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. Darwin Awards at the ready.

Unfortunately, people who drive and yak on cell phones, or text, or surf the Web, will kill innocent people by their negligence.