mobile devices, hands free, and wearables...

That other person talking back, though, is in close proximity, possibly relaying important information to give you a better understanding of the situation ahead...such as traffic stopped, heavy fog, a bunch of cars spun out around a blind curve, a storm you're getting ready to drive into, conditions at the top of the pass you're preparing to climb, not to mention possible problems with your truck, like a tire going down, light not working, strap or chain that's come loose, or any number of other things that can and do happen on the road.

I guess some folks are just more coordinated and better equipped mentally and physically to handle such extreme "distractions" while driving. Hell, I find it more distracting to drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission than I do a manual.

 

Even in the most bone-headed jurisdictions where it has been tried, the effort has been shut down. Why? Because it is safer to have that line of communication. Not to mention, some situations that communication is required by law. You can't outlaw a device that the use of it is required under another law, because at that point you give operators no choice but to violate one of the two laws. Guess which one is more likely to be tossed out? If you said "CB radio ban", you'd be correct.

Bottom line, it'll never happen.

 

Studies have shown that using a headset or other "hands free" device is just as distracting as holding the phone to your head, because it is the conversation itself that distracts. "Hands free" is simply easier to enforce, because you can see exactly what they are doing...which is why it is illegal. Otherwise, anyone singing along with the radio or talking to themselves would run the risk of being pulled over and accused of being on the phone.

 

Exactly. Remove all of the warning labels...stupid SHOULD be painful! If it were, people might actually TRY to be less stupid. All of those "accident forgiveness" commercials piss me off, too. "I've been paying insurance for years, and just 1 wreck and my rates went through the roof..." well here's a thought: DON'T ##### WRECK YOUR CAR!!! Crumple zones, air bags...it doesn't HURT anymore to crash. Hell, now the cars will slam on the brakes for you! Absolutely ridiculous...cars are taking more and more responsibility away from the driver, ALLOWING them to be distracted! They'll turn on/off the headlights, parallel park, watch your blind spot, back a trailer, adjust your cruise speed, traction control, abs, automatic transmissions, power steering...

Go back to the days of manual transmissions and manual steering...back when it physically took both hands AND both feet to drive...back to when you actually HAD to pay attention, because if you didn't, you got hurt. If you cause a wreck, your insurance rates OUGHT to go through the roof as further incentive NOT to crash.

As long as they enable stupid, stupid will prosper.