asmac

It's not "non-defeatable" but my Windows phone determines that you are driving when you connect to a Bluetooth device that you specify. In my case it's the car's built-in Bluetooth so it works well. If people want to text when driving I expect they will find a way to do so but there are ways to make it easier not to.

phoebeisis

I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of somewhat high-ish technological solution offered
Perhaps disabling all cell phones in cars-might be tricky
12 months or so ago I was hit by a car - luckily it was a spring loaded mirror-
I was well off the road-3 feet off onto the shoulder
Sure enough driver said "I'm sorry I didn't see you"
8:30 am broad daylight-weekend low traffic 45 mph 4 lane hy
I FRAP still FRAP but now I FRAP even farther right and I ride faster on my way to the levee

Funny I didn't really feel much impact-just heard a LOUD noise-WAPPPP-and felt a push to the side-into a nice heavily grassed ditch-right between two poles-
the most memorable thing-as I went down-was watching the plastic mirror cover skitter down the shoulder-right next to his car which was still 2 feet onto the shoulder
yeah the plastic cover sorta puzzled me at the time "what the hell is that"
it was so quick I really didn't know what had happened for a couple of seconds
Once i touched down-i was really surprised to find myself uninjured-
Of course driver-young guy-30 or so-must have been texting-no other explanation-8:30 am bright clear day


to bad there isn't any practical way to scramble cell phones- in a running cars

Leisesturm

More deaths despite MUCH safer cars = people driving WAY more miles, in cars that haven't really changed all that much in decades. They only seemed safer because people had been steadily driving fewer miles because of high gas prices. Now gas is cheap again and people are back in their cars. Seems to me that the fix for all this is some EU type taxation of gasoline here in America. $10/gal. regular unleaded would do more ti curb driver, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities than anything Apple, Microsoft or Google could come up with on their own...

phoebeisis

You are right-Gasoline-oil is too cheap.
In fact the too cheap oil is tanking our domestic oil business(in Louisiana it has killed our state economy)
Our Saudi "ally" has intentionally kept their production up to
1)Screw Iran-their traditional Persian enemy-low prices mean Iran has less $$
2)Screw Russia because Russia is an ally of Syria-and Al Assad is an Alewite(shia sect)
3)Screw our domestic oil production so we will close in wells-which won't reopen until oil is very high
once the oil spike happens again we will be dependent on the Saudis-we-USA-
were/are almost independent of "not North American" oil
so yeah we would be better off with $110-$120 oil- $3.50-$3.75 gas-perhaps put increased tax revenue toward infrastructure
and to wind power
We-USA- have the most harvestable wind "potential" more than China more than Russia more than Brazil-we have LOTS of coastline NEAR big population centers-
and we have LOTS of inland wind potential in areas with not many people to ***** about the towers(TX OK etc)

Anyway-you are right-oil gasoline-is too cheap

ItsJustMe

Android dictation kind of spanks Siri. Siri is really bad at voice recognition in comparison.

I hear that they recently upgraded Siri and it's almost as good as Android.

For any of the solutions, you still want to read what it put because sometimes voice recognition goes seriously off the rails.

jefnvk

Never turned it on on my WP. I just don't bother with playing with the phone when I am driving, seems simple enough. It is nice to know you have a notification, so you can choose to pull over and look at it instead of reading it hours later when it is no longer relevant.

genec

Quite often the text dictated is not translated well, and the only way to know that is to "take your eyes off the road and look at your screen." Thus, even dictated text doesn't keep drivers from being distracted.

Honestly, the only way to resolve this is either much smarter drivers, or cars that are smarter than most of the current drivers. I don't see either one happening soon enough.

canklecat

Technology can never be thwarted. That's the nature of technology. If a thing can be done, it will be done.

Mobile devices helped create an unanticipated hazard by enabling careless people to use the devices carelessly.

The same tech can be modified to minimize the ability to use mobile devices inappropriately. It's just a matter of time before the industry figures out how to do it.

baron von trail 

The answer is autonomous vehicles, or at the very least, cars with sensors and computerized braking and steering in emergency situations. I am actually amazed we don't have that in every car and truck already.

genec

The technology isn't quite there yet, and the American driving public has to be weaned from their steering wheels slowly..., which is surprising, considering how often they choose to give up the wheel and grab a phone, or soda, or burger... etc...

canklecat

At the risk of politicizing the issue, perhaps this is one way in which it's a good thing that Americans have ceded so much privacy since 9/11. Little by little we've accepted more and more surveillance, restrictions and automation. We've even celebrated ceding privacy and some autonomy through social media.

So, perhaps, Americans are nearly ready for personal transportation vehicles that require ceding some personal control. They might even happily accept a car that drives itself so the "drivers" can devote their full attention to selfies and social media updates between home and work. Meanwhile the car can safely maneuver in the presence of cyclists.

After reviewing my own videos of a recent ride in which I recorded no less than six near-collisions within five minutes, I'm way past ready for self-driving cars. They couldn't possibly be any worse than humans.

genec

The problem is that so many Americans both love driving, and think they are great drivers... yet fail to really give all the attention to driving that it really requires. Go figure.

canklecat

Yup, that's why the appeal to authoritarianism works better than the appeal to logic. Instill fear, identify an enemy or scapegoat, offer to solve it with laws and enforcement, presto... illusion complete. Try the same thing with data, psychological studies and logic, and get ready for the emotional backlash.

baron von trail 

Yep. They love the wheel so much, they drive with their knee.

loky1179

Not annoying, INFURIATING!!

And, I don't believe for one second that it is a design "flaw". Those car manufacturer know damn well that changing from dedicated buttons to "touch screens" makes it more dangerous to operate the vehicle. But the sales department loves it - "OOOH! - SHINY! - MODERN! - MUST HAVE!". Sales wins over safety.

ItsJustMe

I have a 2016 vehicle. You CAN operate everything from the touch screen, but it would be very irritating. There's nothing you can't also do from the buttons, and it's almost always faster to use the buttons.

OK, there are some things you can't do from the buttons. You can't pair a new Bluetooth device. As far as I know, you can't set the time (but it auto-sets from GPS anyway, you just need to change it twice a year for DST). All things that you would really never need to do while driving anyway.

genec

Fatal collisions had been on the decline for a few reasons... one of which no doubt was the decline in driving miles for a brief period after the downturn in the economy... another reason for the decrease in automotive deaths was likely due to improvements in automobile safety, such as better airbags, and collision avoidance systems...

But at the same time, smart phone use and touch screen use in car has also increased... leaving us with the net sum of fatal collisions on the rise, as driving miles go back up. So "something" is offsetting the safety improvements designed into newer vehicles... I wonder what that "something" is...

baron von trail 

Yep. It could be more older drivers, more aggressive drunk drivers or a sharp increase in distracted drivers. I pick C.

baron von trail 

Cops are finding sneaky new ways to catch texting drivers | New York Post

Chris0516

One of the locales' mentioned in the article is Bethesda, Maryland. That is in the southern end of the county I live in. I guess because that is right at the DC-MD line. They could care less. They are 'full of themselves' in this county. They are one reason I 'take the lane'.

noisebeam

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/te...dont-they.html
yep, it will eventually find a way that work effectively

asmac

Quebec police are riding the bus and using the high vantage point to nab texting drivers: Police hop on a bus to spot sneaky texters - Montreal - CBC News

genec

The real question is of course will the lawsuit win... will such technology be mandated, like seatbelts and airbags... or is it somehow possible for drivers to wean off of texting while driving.

I thought this statement was telling... in of itself... I mean the whole thing is based on drivers simply not having enough personal self control to just keep off texting and remain focused on the road.

Here, let's see what happens when I dangle this "candy" in front of you and tell you "no, you cannot have it, but you have to make that decision."

Of course the lawsuit had gone after the deepest pockets around... but then they claimed the patent... BINGO.

Chris0516

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/1...r-fatal-crash/

In Maryland, there was a case back in 2013. Where a 19yr.-old driver was ultimately sued for causing the wrongful death of a motorcyclist. The driver had pulled out into traffic while they were texting. The motorcyclist crashed into the side of the car. Ultimately succumbing injuries.

While the outcome of the suit was not disclosed. The county attorney was asking for 10yrs.

FBinNY 

Sued or prosecuted for a crime?

Suits usually refer to cases heard in civil court where in victims seek compensation. DA's are part of the state apparatus for prosecuting criminal cases.

Regardless of what the DA sought as a criminal sentence, I'm pretty sure the victim's family sought compensation in civil court.