JMortensen Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 1. Human beings cannot "multi-task." The term is used incorrectly when referring to how human brains handle multiple tasks at once. The cognitive part of the brain can really only focus and do one thing at a time. Human beings are reasonably good at task switching (quickly moving from one task to another and back) but doing two things as once is not possible with cognitive part of the human brain. This immediately brought up the memory of Derek Bell telecasting live from the Audi in the Speed GT series a couple years ago. I don't know if he still does it but remember watching and I can recall him saying, "Hold on guys" and working through a bit of traffic or some sticky situation, and then continuing on. The point is, he can hold a conversation DURING MOST OF A SPEED GT RACE!!! So the "need" for total concentration is I think a bit overblown. What is really required is SOME concentration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 I stayed out of the this thread because I'm extremely biased in regards to the subject matter. People yapping on cell phones while driving has got to be my biggest pet peave, especially when it's a soccer mom driving an SUV with 8 kids in the back. The larger issue isn't the cell phone itself but the cavalier attitude people have toward the process of driving a car. There are many things that are a distraction while driving that all of us participate in, when was the last time any of you ate a burger or had a drink while runnin down the road? What about fumbling with the radio? What it comes down to is most of us are way over confident in our abilities and not very considerate of the other people on the road with us, consequently we place each other in much more danger than we need to everyday. Should we legislate it all away? Hell no. I enjoy the remaining freedoms I have to much to let a bunch of politicians regulate them away. The bottom line is the only person you can control is yourself, so take control, drive defensively and with consideration for others and leave everyone else alone. When something does happen, man up and take responsibility for your own actions. Wheelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 Bee in the helmet, is something I have experienced. LOL. Not funny at the time. Fortunately, I was only racing/freestyling BMX bikes at the time. It's not about cell phones it's about <> "No Respect!" for the driving privledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Westby Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 You know you're right about enforcement. If people were being busted for everything they should they would realize well hmm maybe I should lay off the cellphone so I don't get another ticket. Hmm maybe I should fix my hair before I go out. etc. It's pretty much turning into anarchy. Everyone seems to run redlights and if you stop at a yellow chances are you'll probably be rearended ( lot of close calls on that one ). If more laws were enforced and we had a much more intensive driving test ( ala germany perhapse ) we would have a lot less bs on the streets. Very few people posess driving skills that were commonplace not too long ago. I read recently that only 15% of americans can drive manual now. A lot of people I know have a heart attack parallel parking. Don't even want to know how many ppl could get themselves out of a drift. Though as far a cell phones go, I'm all about personal freedoms, but when my freedom to drive and not get slamed into by someone who's chatting away gets encroached on that crosses a line. Yes putting warning lables on everything not to electricute myself with a toaster in my bathtub is silly, but baning something that is shown to be as bad as driving under the influence is another. It's illegal to drive drunk, shouldn't someone at least get a slap on the wrist for driving impaired? /rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 I am all for personal freedoms too. Unfortunately, it's a catch 22. Enforcing safety results in a loss of common sense. The solution is education. REAL driver education....or fully computer controlled cars...which do you think will happen first? I am betting the latter. I have a coffee maker with a label on it that says: "If you get water overflow, fill below the full line." LOf'L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 The point is, he [Derek Bell] can hold a conversation DURING MOST OF A SPEED GT RACE!!! So the "need" for total concentration is I think a bit overblown. What is really required is SOME concentration. I think there's a difference. Talking about what you're thinking and doing probably doesn't take much extra effort. I know I talk to my students when I'm instructing in an autocross or on the track. I basically narrate what I'm thinking and doing while driving at 9/10ths. I also do it when I'm by myself during the first run or the first couple laps on track because, at least for me, it helps reinforce what I was planning on doing and how to drive the track or course. Conversly, driving a car and trying to complete a mortgage application over the phone are two completely unrelated items and the cognitive part of the brain needs to switch back and forth eough to impact both tasks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators RTz Posted March 22, 2007 Administrators Share Posted March 22, 2007 I don't know ANYONE who has EVER gotten a ticket for tailgating. EVER. Anyone heard of someone getting a tailgating ticket lately? My wife was issued a warning for it... does that count Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete280z Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 I got a ticket for tailgating 12 years ago (18 years old at the time). In Texas the offense was called "failure to control speed." It was a multiple car accident on an interstate. The car in front of me stopped quickly, and I stopped within inches of their rear bumper. The Mustang behind me locked his brakes and drove my car into the car in front of me. The issuing officer never even witnessed my car in motion, but said we were all obviously tailgating each other if we wound up like that. My second Z (1986 z31 NA) died that night. I drove like an idiot when I was young and went through 4 cars in 2.5 years (3 z31s and 1 FC RX7). Not a single accident was technically "my fault" as the other drivers all committed some traffic offense that led to the accident. I wasn't such a lunatic I could have avoided them all. I'm convinced that the correlation between attention and accident avoidance is strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Some misconceptions here: 1. Human beings cannot "multi-task." ..... Personaly, I can't totaly agree with that.. If thats true, how is it that I can play a riff on my guitar AND sing lyrics at the same time? Oh, and at the same time, be in time with the rest of the band, and focus on someone out in the crowd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Personaly, I can't totaly agree with that.. If thats true, how is it that I can play a riff on my guitar AND sing lyrics at the same time? Oh, and at the same time, be in time with the rest of the band, and focus on someone out in the crowd? Because you're using two parts of your brain at once. Guitar playing eventually becomes a motor skill and that's it. You learn based on what motor skills you've developed. Your brain doesn't need to think about it. It's the same reason you can play guitar and watch TV at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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