Go Ahead And Brake Check Me!

Brett wrote an excellent piece on distracted driving...here is the link:

Distracted Driving

I am going to respectfully disagree on the hands-free reply though...if a professional driver allows themselves to be distracted while occasionally talking on a hands-free device; no legislation, insurance mandates or penalties can affect that short-coming or positively influence the behavior. If that's the case...then eliminate all forms of distraction including but not limited to: radio, CD players, CB, mirror controls, Qualcomm , GPS and the HVAC controls. You cannot control lack of common sense, inattentiveness and day-dreaming with government mandates or insurance company leverage. Texting while driving is illegal in all but a few states, a primary offense..., however it doesn't stop the majority of the non-professional driving public from indulging.

My hands-free device is a necessary tool enabling me to safely communicate with driver management (which I do about once per day) and alerting store personnel of my ETA. All of the numbers I need are in my contacts database allowing me to voice-dial every one of them. I never need to reach for or even peek at my phone while doing this. As a rule though I do not talk at all while in heavy traffic or maneuvering through tight, locales en-route to a delivery.

"Laser Focus"...wish there was an effective way to test it and teach it.

I am not subscribe to the WSJ but below is a link to the article , as much as our believes are we have to realize that there are powers that dictate the way we operate. Yes the insurance industry can mandate how the trucking companies operate. Which is why truckers who thought that a different administration could reverse the E logs did not understand that insurance companies paid a lot of money to both reps and dems for that regulation to pass. So now they are coming after cell phones which is why they came up with an app that they are slowly trying to make mandatory to shut off all cell phone communications once a big rig is in motion.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-truckers-embrace-big-brother-after-costing-insurers-millions-1496577601 America’s Truckers Embrace Big Brother After Costing Insurers Millions

Customers agreeing to adopt sometimes-invasive technology to get their coverage renewed By Leslie Scism June 4, 2017 8:00 a.m. ET

Insurers have a message for America’s truckers: Let us monitor your every move or we might take away your coverage.

Behind the push are surging losses for many insurance companies as an improved economy has led to more-crowded roads and more accidents. Meanwhile, smartphones have proliferated, increasing distracted driving. Last year, the commercial auto-

Brett wrote an excellent piece on distracted driving...here is the link:

Distracted Driving

I am going to respectfully disagree on the hands-free reply though...if a professional driver allows themselves to be distracted while occasionally talking on a hands-free device; no legislation, insurance mandates or penalties can affect that short-coming or positively influence the behavior. If that's the case...then eliminate all forms of distraction including but not limited to: radio, CD players, CB, mirror controls, Qualcomm , GPS and the HVAC controls. You cannot control lack of common sense, inattentiveness and day-dreaming with government mandates or insurance company leverage. Texting while driving is illegal in all but a few states, a primary offense..., however it doesn't stop the majority of the non-professional driving public from indulging.

My hands-free device is a necessary tool enabling me to safely communicate with driver management (which I do about once per day) and alerting store personnel of my ETA. All of the numbers I need are in my contacts database allowing me to voice-dial every one of them. I never need to reach for or even peek at my phone while doing this. As a rule though I do not talk at all while in heavy traffic or maneuvering through tight, locales en-route to a delivery.

"Laser Focus"...wish there was an effective way to test it and teach it.

Cornelius you missed my point. Besides, the jamming technology you speak of has been around since 2012 and developed by Collegiate Academics in India. It is highly controversial, can be used to perpetrate a crime and due to public band RF, difficult to cheaply control and isolate to one single vehicle.

None of what you posted here changes anything for me. Like many in government and corporate America, the insurance companies focus on addressing superficial symptoms and not the actual root of the problem. IT'S TOO EASY for young Chad and Muffy to get a license and too easy for Mummy and Daddy to keep theirs!!!!

As a nation we totally "suck" at driving. Cannot emphasize that enough. Spend one day with me out here Cornelius and you'll see first hand what I am talking about. From our vantage point we see all the mayhem. You might have a better perspective on this job, and not approach everything we do from a single minded point of view. Just a thought...I'd be happy to make good on that.

Take away my ability to make an emergency 911 call and effectively perform my job while I am moving and I will tender my resignation.

Rant over.

A free copy of the article Cornelios posted is here if anyone is interested. http://www.programbusiness.com/News/Americas-Truckers-Embrace-Monitoring-Technology-After-Costing-Insurers-Millions?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=DNF_List_060517&utm_campaign=Daily_NewsFlash2017

They reference Cellcontrol which is customizable. You can choose which apps to block, and "whitelist" certain numbers.

As side note, I was almost rear-ended by a kid on his phone while on my way to work last week. I slipped onto the shoulder to give him room to stop, and he stopped inches behind the car that was in front of me. He also flipped me off as I got back into the traffic lane. The kind you guys deal with all the time, I'm sure.

I was almost rear-ended by a kid on his phone.

Glad you weren't.

Same kid, behind my trailer, and his head might be separated from his torso cause I cannot see what is happening directly behind me. Education...or lack thereof.

The article referenced road and driver facing camera technology...and only mentioned cell phone blocking.

Don't get me wrong here, block hand-held phone use, hands-free use should not be blocked. If the phone OS recognizes a Bluetooth, so can the jammer technology.

Thanks G-Town. My old van would have been unkind to his car, but he probably would have been okay...but still rude, I'm sure.

I've become a better, safer driver (more aware) from reading this site. It was not my habit to leave room, and check my rear view a few months ago. That kids car was literally saved from what I've learned here.

I agree, hands free can be safe, and a necessity. I checked out the cellcontrol site, and the app seems to be very flexible.

Here is a quote from the site:

DrivePROTECT™ Cellcontrol's award-winning DrivePROTECT™ platform comes ready to stop all mobile device distractions, including texts, phone calls, emails and web browsing. Emergency calls (i.e. 911) are always allowed through the platform, and fleet administrators can decide which mobile functions to allow in safe mode (i.e. allowing navigation apps while blocking texts and hand-held calls).

It looks like they are trying to make a app that will be useful, and not hinder the driver from doing their job.

Yes it mentioned like I said before Cell phone blocking technology while a vehicle is in motion.

John L wrote:

Thanks G-Town. My old van would have been unkind to his car, but he probably would have been okay...but still rude, I'm sure.

I've become a better, safer driver (more aware) from reading this site. It was not my habit to leave room, and check my rear view a few months ago. That kids car was literally saved from what I've learned here.

I agree, hands free can be safe, and a necessity. I checked out the cellcontrol site, and the app seems to be very flexible.

Here is a quote from the site:

DrivePROTECT™ Cellcontrol's award-winning DrivePROTECT™ platform comes ready to stop all mobile device distractions, including texts, phone calls, emails and web browsing. Emergency calls (i.e. 911) are always allowed through the platform, and fleet administrators can decide which mobile functions to allow in safe mode (i.e. allowing navigation apps while blocking texts and hand-held calls).

It looks like they are trying to make a app that will be useful, and not hinder the driver from doing their job.

Cool how you have changed your driving habits because of this site. All about education, or lack of (do I sound like a broken record?). Let me know when you start honking your horn twice before backing up...

I checked out DrivePROTECT when I read Cornelius' initial reply...seems like an effective tool. Not the jammer I thought it was. Thanks for sharing that.

Again though, I still believe hands free operation is feasible and can have some control associated with it. I'd need to whitelist over one hundred numbers for WMs and vendors, but better than losing the ability to use Bluetooth all together.

Yeah, I imagine that whitelist would be huge unless on a dedicated rout!

Yeah, I imagine that whitelist would be huge unless on a dedicated rout!

I am on a dedicated account, Walmart. Over 100 stores in the territory I am assigned to.