No, talking in a car has no measurable impact on safety. And talking on the phone is obviously even safer than talking to other people physically in the car, since you don't need to take your eyes off the road or tour hands off the wheel like you would be tempted to when talking to another person in the car.
Plus, the vast majority of people have a significant need for social contact. Working an eight hour shift alone in a car without any contact with any social contact (except a quick sign off when dropping a package), 5 days a week, is inhuman.
> No, talking in a car has no measurable impact on safety. And talking on the phone is obviously even safer than talking to other people physically in the car, since you don't need to take your eyes off the road or tour hands off the wheel like you would be tempted to when talking to another person in the car.
Curious why you state that so confidently when every study I'm aware of has found the opposite.
So driving with a phone in your hand is as safe as keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road? Got it.
No mention of talking to passengers in the car, I wonder why that was not tested, that would be a distraction as well.
> And talking on the phone is obviously even safer than talking to other people physically in the car
This is not true, because people physically in the car have the context of what's happening on the road, and can be aware enough to pause for a few seconds while you navigate a difficult situation that requires your full attention.
> No, talking in a car has no measurable impact on safety.
It measurably impacts my own ability to concentrate, I have noticed. We should dispense with such absolutist claims; there is no doubt that any action not directly related to driving a car has potential to impact safe operation of that vehicle.
The function of the law is to discover and enforce tolerances, balancing freedom with safety. We don't have to ignore even minimal safety implications in order to secure freedom, an honest conversation is better for both sides.
It is definitely inhumane to expect drivers to not move their lips or talk while working in solitude for 8-10 hours a day. Instead, we need to design our various systems such that they are capable of withstanding such a tolerance without severely impacting safety.
I have ADHD and simply engaging in a conversation while driving is enough for me to miss turns, exits, etc. Sure, in the event of an impending crash I might go into the zone and avoid danger, but my general awareness is noticeably impacted.
It seems to be less so for people without ADHD in my experience, but we can't just say it has zero effect. It's better to discuss the threat to safety in terms of potential, since that accounts for individual variance.
Corporations don't need humans. They need mechanisms that efficiently do the work assigned to them. As that's currently not possible, corporations try to mechanize humans: give them a rigorous set of rules to follow and a machine to watch and punish them should they break the rules.
Plus, the vast majority of people have a significant need for social contact. Working an eight hour shift alone in a car without any contact with any social contact (except a quick sign off when dropping a package), 5 days a week, is inhuman.