StandardShift.com

It seems like you read everyday about the dangers of texting and talking on the phone while driving. Finally someone has come up with a great way to minimize this from occuring in young drivers.

Link to article here:

http://www.news10.net/greathangup/artic ... -for-teens

And in the comments section I found the following link to a T-shirt company that has taken on the very worthy cause of saving the stick shift:

Link: http://gearheadshirts.com/

That's a nice idea, but there are so many cars now with bluetooth wireless connectivity that it's easy to drive a stick shift and talk at the same time. And with the newer phones, you can even use your voice to create and send text messages, without having to touch the phone.

I honestly think it's a losing battle. I constantly see people talking on their phones while driving, and most of them are adults. And the hands-free idea is nice, but it still doesn't prevent a driver from shifting (no pun intended) his/her attention away from driving and more towards the conversation.

Cant help but get annoyed at articles like these. Vast majority of your driving time is spent in top gear while cruising. One can text while cursing in a manual as well as in auto. The time spent shifting during acceleration is minor compared to time cruising. Driving a manual doesn't stop anything.

I often hear from those unfamiliar with a manual that when you drive one you "shift all the time" which is entirely false.

AHTOXA wrote:One can text while cursing in a manual as well as in auto.

I don't really curse that much in a manual. Most of it came when I was learning, but that was long in the past.

stupid auto correct on my phone.

If you can't stop texting while driving without something else distracting you from that, you probably shouldn't even have a phone with you in the car.

Whether you drive an auto or a manual a text/phone call can wait 15 mins. until you're out of the car.

If I didn't have the self-control not to text while driving - I do - I would throw the phone in the boot. Bluetooth came with the car, this is not an option I would have gone out of my way for, and will pick up the signal from 20 feet away. Having the phone in the boot is entirely possible. It also prevents the darned distraction from the blinky light. I also toss it in the center console once in awhile.

Driving while talking on Bluetooth forces me to pay much more attention, at least in the city when there are stops, when driving. I didn't say it made me drive better; the people that say that, or say that they can multi-task better than everybody else, are deluding themselves into believing they're special. The only reason it makes me pay more attention is because when I kill the car and have to restart the Bluetooth connection is lost and the conversation is abruptly ended.

I only talk to friends over Bluetooth; anything more important and I pull over because I don't want to have the phone hang up on me for a bad start.

Read into this post whatever you want.

tankinbeans wrote:If I didn't have the self-control not to text while driving - I do - I would throw the phone in the boot. Bluetooth came with the car, this is not an option I would have gone out of my way for, and will pick up the signal from 20 feet away. Having the phone in the boot is entirely possible. It also prevents the darned distraction from the blinky light. I also toss it in the center console once in awhile.

Driving while talking on Bluetooth forces me to pay much more attention, at least in the city when there are stops, when driving. I didn't say it made me drive better; the people that say that, or say that they can multi-task better than everybody else, are deluding themselves into believing they're special. The only reason it makes me pay more attention is because when I kill the car and have to restart the Bluetooth connection is lost and the conversation is abruptly ended.

I only talk to friends over Bluetooth; anything more important and I pull over because I don't want to have the phone hang up on me for a bad start.

Read into this post whatever you want.

Not to mention Kia got Bluetooth right. Now, I have some non-American friends. Their names are stored by First name and Last name. The voice recognition hasn't faltered yet on any names. Plus, it downloads the phonebook automatically. This is the most accurate BT system I've seen on non-lux cars.

AHTOXA wrote:Cant help but get annoyed at articles like these. Vast majority of your driving time is spent in top gear while cruising. One can text while cursing in a manual as well as in auto. The time spent shifting during acceleration is minor compared to time cruising. Driving a manual doesn't stop anything.

I often hear from those unfamiliar with a manual that when you drive one you "shift all the time" which is entirely false.

Must be nice driving in Texas. Where I used to drive, people always cut me off and get off at an exit in the last possible minute. Then I get to slam on the brakes, let loose a few colorful commentaries, and downshift again. And I always tried to save a few bucks. So I would be in top gear even on city streets. But that means grabbing a lower gear from time to time.

You don't shift all the time, but you have to be ready to shift most of the time, enough time that you wouldn't bother texting, or your car won't go anywhere fast.

I admit that I used hands-free devices when I drove, stick or auto. When the car required my full, undivided attention, I tuned out the conversation. Whatever coming from the headphone just became white noise. My eyes were always on the road until I'm at a dead stop.

scionkid wrote: Must be nice driving in Texas.
Must be nice driving in Texas.
driving in Texas.

You must have never been to Houston.

ColJessip wrote:

scionkid wrote: Must be nice driving in Texas.
Must be nice driving in Texas.
driving in Texas.

You must have never been watched Matt Houston.

Fickset

Yeah, Houston can be rough - been there a few times. Worst I've experiences here in Dallas is 121/114 right around the DFW airport. This is primarily due to construction. It's fine, really. Compared to Chicago, Dallas ain't got shit.