Re: It's a myth that cellphone use caused the accident rate to rise

On 5/30/24 01:06, Andrew wrote:

sticks wrote on Wed, 29 May 2024 20:31:33 -0500 :
 

The big problem with his ridiculous speculation is calling statistics
FACT.

 Adults back up their strongly held belief systems with facts, don't they?

No, facts are the basis of knowledge; meanwhile wishes, suspicions, and to some extent statistics are the basis of beliefs. The uninsured, the criminals fearing capture, plus most of the low-damage accident actors simply do NOT report an accident so that pool is misleading. Once you know something it becomes a fact and gets removed from the beliefs drawer and conversely until you know something it can be only in the beliefs drawer. Nothing can be in both concurrently.
Overall statistical accident rates could only rise due to cell-phone use IF all other causes remained fixed; a la-la entry in real life where all causes have a dynamic effect so it is quite possible for electronic bells and whistles like blind-spot alerts to reduce their part in accidents while cell phones increase theirs resulting in no overall statistical increase! Furthermore cell-phone use is categorised under distractions and that cause is in fact on the rise even if other causes are decreasing.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
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All species of mobile phones, media devices, Bluetooth or not, and onboard presentation systems beyond what is essential for vehicle control should automatically disable themselves within 10 meters of any vehicle in motion at any speed. Hands-Free does NOT mean Brain-Free. In the case of approaching vehicles (pedestrian use included) that distance should be multiplied (prorated) for every 5 km/h of CLOSURE speed (i.e. no such device should be operable within 200 meters of any vehicle approaching at 100 km/h). Manufacturers of devices in which such an automatic lockout feature is missing or can be disabled should first pay large fines and then be barred from the jurisdiction market. With respect to other road-hog conduct, in addition to intoxication or attention-diverting use of lethal-technology while driving, brake-checking and tailgating should also be HANGING crimes. Any irresponsible vehicle handling should in fact be punished exactly as it would be in the case of irresponsible weapons handling (which ALSO needs to be beefed up).