(May 20, 2015 at 2:55 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote:(May 20, 2015 at 2:42 pm)whateverist Wrote: I've observed that not everyone has the self discipline even to carry on a hands free conversation over the phone without diminishing their driving performance. Self driving cars are something to look forward to.
... or the meditative state of being aware of one's surroundings.
When I don't have my earbuds with me, I don't take a phone call while driving. And I never take or send a text from behind the wheel, even at a stoplight.
In most circumstances I will take a call while driving but like you I would never attempt to take or send a text while driving. I find I can do two things while ensuring that I do one of them well. If it is my wife calling, she knows there will be pauses because I will be prioritizing the driving. I'll only take a call from a few other people while driving and the first thing I'll tell them is that I'm driving and can only talk a little.
I find that a phone conversation is no more a distraction than conversing with a passenger, so long as I limit the conversation to peripheral attention. My wife cannot even carry on conversation with a passenger without loss of attention to driving. So I think it varies from one person to the next.
