Cell Phone Conversations & Distracted Driving
#1
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,513
Cell Phone Conversations & Distracted Driving
Well my morning got off to a bad start today.
I dead headed out of the TA truckstop this morning bound for San Clemente to pick up a load by 8am- didn't get the load info and out of the truckstop until 6:45am. 54mile deadhead---so it was tight( little did I know at the time- it was already late- as it was suppose to be picked up Friday) I start down I-15 when the phone rings: it's Mom. I've been trying to reach her for 3 days to let her know, I won't be home for Christmas...electing to Run instead out here to Cal- and planning on rescheduling Christmas later. So, she asks when I'll be over to 'fetch' her to bring her over for the Holiday. Well, Mom-- I'm in Cal...yada...yada..yada... She doesn't believe me....".it's that wife of yours---you just don't want me over for the holiday.....you're a bad son....." Anyway, for 15minutes after the conversation...I'm still thinking about the "bad son" deal. By this time I'm driving into the rising sun. I get on the CB, and ask---"If the sun- rises in the east, sets in the west, and I'm headed SOUTH ON I-5----WHY AM I DRIVING INTO THE SUN. THE ANSWER I GET BACK IS----FIRST OFF, YOU'RE NOT ON I-5! Now I'm driving into a rising sun, looking at my atlas trying to "locate" myself---because I drove right past CA-91---I'm way down in Lake Elsinore. There's no way over that mountain, and now---I'm still looking to find how far south I actually am, At this point we run into another problem---the map of southern California cuts off about the Riverside/San Diego county line( the blow up pg 17), pg 18 has the blow up of San Diego( which I seem to be headed towards) then there's that space BETWEEN those two maps- on pg. 15------but before I realize that( still driving into that rising sun) I miss the one exit- Ca-76 to Oceanside- So, I end up running all the way down to Escondido and back tracking back up Ca-78 to Oceanside then NORTH back to San Clemente. 126mile "scenic route" __________________________________________________ ___________
#3
Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Grants Pass, OR.
Posts: 134
Driving a big rig takes way too much concentration to just keep driving, wondering where you are while pondering the last phone call. Pull off on a ramp, get your bearings, get help if possible on the cb, just don't keep driving wasting fuel and time, cause that's when bad things will most likely happen.
#4
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,513
Originally Posted by Lunker
Driving a big rig takes way too much concentration to just keep driving, wondering where you are while pondering the last phone call. Pull off on a ramp, get your bearings, get help if possible on the cb, just don't keep driving wasting fuel and time, cause that's when bad things will most likely happen.
he only problems are with these specific circumstances; they complicate the safety of pulling off on a ramp or shoulder. Normally, it's considered unsafe to drive into a rising sun or setting sun--because visibility is impaired--not only your's but the motorist following you- in this circumstance is just like driving in FOG---you're advised not to pull off the roadway or stop- unless you can get far off the roadway. Cars aim for the tail of traffic ahead of them when visibility is impaired. 2nd problem is I-15 has several exit ramps with 0 return ramps- once you exit now you're really lost. 3rd problem is California until just recently never used exit numbers, and it's hard to find mile markers--so pulling off the road in the middle of no where- to figure out "where" you are--doesn't work very well. This is the first time--I've really wished I'd had a GPS device with some kind of warning buzzer--then I would have been alerted when I went off course. It was a bad situation- topographically & geographically----there are no truck routes over the Santa Ana Mountain range back to the coast. Once I realized I was in Lake Elsinore- it was 50/50 either way---now later, running it on pc*miler- if I had turned around- 116miles that way. And 126-continuing on making the big circle.
#5
Board Regular
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 342
Cell Phone use can be a big distraction and a danger. I can't count the
times I have seen drivers making turns, going thru intersections, passing cars and so forth with a phone glued to their ear. I will not answer my phone when I am in any situation other than a long open road , even there I will try to limit the conservation. |
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