Jerry, I admire your purist attitude. It's true that phone is a bad
distraction but remember that some people are more dangerous behind the wheel
even without any distractions. The term "unsafe at any speed" comes to mind.
The research I have read is inconclusive in this area. It is certain that
using a hand held cell phone does increase the probability for mistakes and
collisions. But this fact alone is a red herring because tuning the radio or
having a conversation with a passenger also increases the risk. What needs to
be shown, and to my knowledge has yet to be shown, is whether using the phone
increases the risk more than these other distractions.
It seems to me that the most effective and fair thing to do is to enact much
stiffer penalties for causing any accident. If it's really true that cell
phone users are at greater risk, then they'll pay the piper just like
everybody else.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Jerry Mouton
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2002 12:17
To: Anthony Tabacco; Bay_Area_Autocross_List
Subject: Re: How racers drive
Sorry, Tony,
Great record, but if you talk on the phone while driving,
you're cruisin for a bruisin. It's a distraction, it's
a basically different sort of distraction to listening
to music or talking with a passenger. It's dangerous, and
shame on you for doing it.
No comments about women drivers, but if you want a real
"loser count", try counting how many of the drivers
you see doing bonehead moves or acting like they are
in another world are talking on a phone of some type.
It should be illegal, and I'm gonna work to make it so.
Jerry Mouton mailto:jerry@moutons.org Laissez les bons temps rouler!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anthony Tabacco" <atabacco@california.com>
> > Tony tabacco (writes):
> >
> > >(behind the wheel 39 years, no tickets, no accidents, so don't even think
> > >about phone in car comments)
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