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Smartphones Are Killing Americans, but Nobody’s Counting

44 points by fmihaila 9y ago

diogenescynic 9y ago
Actually, South Park just made an episode about this. Everyone was freaking out about North Korea while others were getting run over from distracted drivers without anyone noticing.
- kfriede 9y ago
  But suicide is important too!
acd 9y ago
The ”smartphone” is not always smart as it distracts you from family, friends and talking to strangers. So one could say the smartphone in some senses are a dumb phone.
- squarefoot 9y ago
  "So one could say the smartphone in some senses are a dumb phone." To me smartphones are just like those alien creatures that feed off the user vital energy, but they instead absorb brain power: the more smart they become, the more dumb the user becomes.
zimpenfish 9y ago
Whilst the headline is technically accurate for the 448 incidents noted, the article doesn't really back up its claims that this is a much more widespread problem.
- carlmr 9y ago
  It does, it mentions Tennessee is accounting for 19% of cell-phone deaths with only 2% of the country's population. Tennessee being the only state really collecting the data on the form, means it's the most reliable data we have to extrapolate to the whole country. It seems there is a factor of 10 of underreporting, which would lead to the actual number of cell phone deaths being closer to 4000, making this one of the major causes of death on the road.
  - zimpenfish 9y ago
    > it's the most reliable data we have to extrapolate to the whole country. Which only works if the rest of the country is like Tennessee - you'd have to show your working there. > It seems there is a factor of 10 of underreporting Where do you see that number? All I can find about underreporting is the unsubstantiated claim by Adkins.
    - carlmr 9y ago
      Does Tennessee have excessively more smartphones than the rest of the country? I'd say it's the best basis for extrapolating we have right now. We'd need tighter regulation, so that we can collect the data.
thomk 9y ago
I started a new job where I drive at a minimum 1 hour to work, one way. I'm now on the road anywhere from a minimum of 2 hours to 3 hours every work day. I've bee working from home for 5 years prior to this new job and I can tell you, for sure, things have changed. People are looking at their phones, talking on their phones and in general not paying attention to the weapon they are driving 80 MPH down the freeway. There's an accident on the way there and on the way home just about every day. I think if you look at your phone about as much as you look at your speedometer or other in-car gauges, you are probably OK. That does not mean looking at texts, facebook, email and it definitely does not mean typing on your phone. Self driving cars can't come fast enough for me.
- jakeogh 9y ago
  You should not be driving if looking at your phone is on par with checking gauges unless you practically never check your gauges. And they are not "self driving", they are pre-programmed dumb machines.
zeveb 9y ago
It really has become a massive problem. I have a very short commute, and I regularly see traffic delays due to people reading their phones rather than paying attention to driving. I've even seen folks miss their entire light (with angry drivers behind them!) because they were reading. At least the stuff I see is mostly folks stopped, rather than moving. I don't think laws & punishments will work — they're after-the-fact, and I don't think people rationally consider the possible costs when they perform an action. I think the answer has to be, as the article suggests, changing the culture.
- carlmr 9y ago
  I often look at the mirror to see the driver behind me. I recently see people looking down and up and down a lot.
taobility 9y ago
"Firearm are killing Americans, but Nobody's counting"
HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago
Ugh! I drive to a Park & Ride location and take an express bus into the city. From my perch high above the traffic, I can easily see into the cars and I'd say that at any given time, at least 40% of all the drivers are staring at their phones. Not just in stop & go traffic either, but blasting down the highway at 80 mph. It's amazing that there aren't even more accidents.

44 points by fmihaila 9y ago

Actually, South Park just made an episode about this. Everyone was freaking out about North Korea while others were getting run over from distracted drivers without anyone noticing.

kfriede 9y ago
But suicide is important too!

acd 9y ago

The ”smartphone” is not always smart as it distracts you from family, friends and talking to strangers. So one could say the smartphone in some senses are a dumb phone.

squarefoot 9y ago
"So one could say the smartphone in some senses are a dumb phone." To me smartphones are just like those alien creatures that feed off the user vital energy, but they instead absorb brain power: the more smart they become, the more dumb the user becomes.

zimpenfish 9y ago

Whilst the headline is technically accurate for the 448 incidents noted, the article doesn't really back up its claims that this is a much more widespread problem.

carlmr 9y ago
It does, it mentions Tennessee is accounting for 19% of cell-phone deaths with only 2% of the country's population. Tennessee being the only state really collecting the data on the form, means it's the most reliable data we have to extrapolate to the whole country. It seems there is a factor of 10 of underreporting, which would lead to the actual number of cell phone deaths being closer to 4000, making this one of the major causes of death on the road.
- zimpenfish 9y ago
  > it's the most reliable data we have to extrapolate to the whole country. Which only works if the rest of the country is like Tennessee - you'd have to show your working there. > It seems there is a factor of 10 of underreporting Where do you see that number? All I can find about underreporting is the unsubstantiated claim by Adkins.
  - carlmr 9y ago
    Does Tennessee have excessively more smartphones than the rest of the country? I'd say it's the best basis for extrapolating we have right now. We'd need tighter regulation, so that we can collect the data.

thomk 9y ago

I started a new job where I drive at a minimum 1 hour to work, one way. I'm now on the road anywhere from a minimum of 2 hours to 3 hours every work day. I've bee working from home for 5 years prior to this new job and I can tell you, for sure, things have changed. People are looking at their phones, talking on their phones and in general not paying attention to the weapon they are driving 80 MPH down the freeway. There's an accident on the way there and on the way home just about every day. I think if you look at your phone about as much as you look at your speedometer or other in-car gauges, you are probably OK. That does not mean looking at texts, facebook, email and it definitely does not mean typing on your phone. Self driving cars can't come fast enough for me.

jakeogh 9y ago
You should not be driving if looking at your phone is on par with checking gauges unless you practically never check your gauges. And they are not "self driving", they are pre-programmed dumb machines.

zeveb 9y ago

It really has become a massive problem. I have a very short commute, and I regularly see traffic delays due to people reading their phones rather than paying attention to driving. I've even seen folks miss their entire light (with angry drivers behind them!) because they were reading. At least the stuff I see is mostly folks stopped, rather than moving. I don't think laws & punishments will work — they're after-the-fact, and I don't think people rationally consider the possible costs when they perform an action. I think the answer has to be, as the article suggests, changing the culture.

carlmr 9y ago
I often look at the mirror to see the driver behind me. I recently see people looking down and up and down a lot.

taobility 9y ago

"Firearm are killing Americans, but Nobody's counting"

HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago

Ugh! I drive to a Park & Ride location and take an express bus into the city. From my perch high above the traffic, I can easily see into the cars and I'd say that at any given time, at least 40% of all the drivers are staring at their phones. Not just in stop & go traffic either, but blasting down the highway at 80 mph. It's amazing that there aren't even more accidents.