Even just having a few displays going is a dangerous enough distraction. Picture is definitely related. I drove a 2010 prius recently, and between the high beltline, banks of similar-looking buttons, and bright heads-up-display; it was difficult to keep my eyes on the road. There was just too much sh*t going on inside the car.







Programming a GPS, sending a text message, or getting road head is mind-boggling to think about. If somebody ran up the back of you and they were concentrating on _______________ instead of the road, would you be cool with it?

 

+1

 

No. And I wouldn't expect someone to be cool with it if I crashed into them.



It is most safe for me to drive with both hands on the wheel concentrating fully on what's going on. That's a given. But where does it cross the line from safe to unsafe? When I remove a hand to change a radio station? What if I remove a hand to shift? If I'm reading a text? I never read a long text while not looking at the road, I read it in small bursts, no longer than it takes me to look at a road sign usually. Usually it's in the windshield mount so I can still see the road in my peripheral vision for the second that I'm not focusing on it.



What if they made you take a driving test while doing whatever you wanted, and if you passed while doing that you could do it while driving? I am positive I would pass while talking on the phone and texting. Driving isn't difficult. If you think it is you probably shouldn't be driving at all. I'm still safer than almost all old people, and probably 50% of the general population honestly. Most drivers suck at operating their vehicle and suck at multitasking. A good percentage of the people out there suck at operating their vehicle, multitasking, and they're currently texting.



I've never even had a close call caused by distracted driving. I've had close calls happen due to other useless jackholes on the road while I was texting, I still managed to avoid their stupidity. I keep large follow distances and am situationally aware. I watch for things in and alongside the road far ahead of me. I watch for people driving erratically around me and give them lots of space. I don't take risks while driving, I don't have a death wish. I'm personally bright enough to never commit more of my resources to other things than I can handle while driving. I can handle more than most people, but every person is different. Just because some people are driving beyond their capabilities every time they get behind the wheel doesn't mean that I'm going to limit myself to what they can do.

 

I could possibly drive a Ford Festiva for the next 20 years and get away with it. Credit my driving, or zeus, whatever.







It's still a dangerous car and shittons of people die in them all the time, even good drivers. It's much the same with phones. If you're a badass driver who can multitask, why downgrade to being a badass driver who is only driving kind-of-okay because they are multitasking?

 

I had a red festiva. Great car, lousy heater.