Children in cars more distracting than Mobile Phones...

[csv8]

Lets get away from the depressing Falcon news..


SALT LAKE CITY — The greatest distraction to your driving isn't your cell phone or radio. It's the kids in your backseat, a new study suggests.

A study out of Australia found that drivers are 12 times more distracted by children than cell phones while driving.

The authors noted that parents take their eyes off the road for an average time of three minutes and 22 seconds of a 16-minute trip. Fathers, they said, tend to be more distracted for longer periods of time than mothers.

For drivers distracted by technology, the industry has created apps that lock your phone while you're driving, hands-free technology and other answers to a lethal problem. For children, though, parents don't have the luxury of installing an app that quiets them, and they can't always ignore crying babes like they would a ringing cell phone.

In an interview with ABC News, Charlie Klauer, a transportation engineer for Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute and a distracted driving expert, had a few suggestions for parents.

She suggested setting car rules beforehand, so kids know what to expect. These rules can include noise control (no screaming) and rules about picking up a dropped toy or throwing away trash only after the car is stopped.

Klauer also recommended feeding kids ahead of time, or keeping snack bags within reach of the kids. She also said keeping the rearview mirror on the road — not the kids — is important to safe driving.

As for phone calls? Using a combination of self-control and apps that block calls and texts while you're driving keeps everyone safer, she said.
http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?ei...+phones+in+car

My comment : will they now ban kids in cars too !!!!

[GTP owner]

Charlie obviously doesn't have kids....no screaming? As if!!!
Feeding kids ahead of time? Some kids will spew everything up if you do.

I remember having a stuffed neck when my kids were very young - from turning around all of the time.

[JPFS1]

Definitely agree. Kids can be a major distraction.

They'll ban kids in cars soon though I'm sure. Anything in the name of safety. But of course, you could choose to pay a fine for each child in the car and all will be fine and dandy!

[IDT]

I thought that was what the boot was for!
If they want to get all technical what is wrong with sound proof helmets and hand restraints!

[strobe]

Don't blame the kids, blame the wiggles. It's freaking hard driving and doing all the actions to their songs.

[poppa smurf]

teenage mums have no problem, smoke in one hand, phone in the other, knee on the steering wheel and still able to swing around and give the youngster a whack under the ear without looking away from the road for a second.

[PG2]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

teenage mums have no problem, smoke in one hand, phone in the other, knee on the steering wheel and still able to swing around and give the youngster a whack under the ear without looking away from the road for a second.

Its actually illegal to smoke in a car in NSW with a child under 16 in the car.

[redxm]

Originally Posted by PG2

Its actually illegal to smoke in a car in NSW with a child under 16 in the car.

What if the smoker is under 16?

[PG2]

Originally Posted by redxm

What if the smoker is under 16?

Nothing as such. You can't receive a ticket if you are under 16.

[Kevxr8Leexr6]

Ha ha , child welfare officers have a field day with some of the above posts. SMACK KIDS. not allowed to do that anymore, lol. ive found with my stepmonsters that since they got their iphones they are constantly on them and quiet as.

[GQ_Smooth]

Thankfully DVDs in the head rests are relatively affordable now. Makes long drives with Jnr a joy (most of the time).

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by GQ_Smooth

Thankfully DVDs in the head rests are relatively affordable now. Makes long drives with Jnr a joy (most of the time).

Until its expected everytime they go in the car otherwise you get a tantrum.

Yes kids in cars are distracting but whats stopping you from talking to them while looking straight ahead? I do it with my son and he can talk to me and understand I'm driving the car. After a while he gets bored of talking to me and stares out the window.

[flappist]

Academics.......

"The Big Bang Theory" is to academia what "Yes Minister" was to public service and "Frontline" was to current affairs journalism.

Charlie Klauer is not a pseudonym for Sheldon Cooper is it...........

[prydey]

Originally Posted by flappist

Academics.......

"The Big Bang Theory" is to academia what "Yes Minister" was to public service and "Frontline" was to current affairs journalism.

Charlie Klauer is not a pseudonym for Sheldon Cooper is it...........

hey, ease up on sheldon.

[DJR-351]

The problem I often see these days is it's hard to fathom who’s in charge, the adults or the kids....

Once my old man had "demonstrated" to my brothers and I who was boss, he and mum never had a problem again....ever!

Edit: Back in those days "your rights" and "nanny state" had not been invented....

[H.G]

Kids aren't a problem after being beaten into submission ;p

Or stop breeding, end of problem.

[strik9]

i just hang mine out the window. once they fear for there lives , there good to go.

[mike_nofx]

I remember my father had honed the skill of administering "helicopters" to me and my younger bro in the back seat when we were kids. All without taking eyes off the road.

[Bossxr8]

I'm sure the Vic government is working on laws right now to boost it's coffers.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I'm sure the Vic government is working on laws right now to boost it's coffers.

Monash uni or what ever the one is that all its conclusions find in favour of the government is probably on the case right now coming up with some conspiracy theory about children in cars.

[big_landau]

well I have 4 kids and I still say having 4 kids in the car is no where as dangerous as texting on the phone while driving,I don't care what sort of pencil pusher done the survey.

[zilo]

The couple of times that our kids were "distracting" in the car I simply announced that if needed i would stop the car and give them some old fashioned road side discipline.

First time came about minutes later, second time on the way home...third time...?

There was no third time.

But...you have to follow through with your warnings...

[Spudz27]

If my two fight and annoy me, I just turn up the stereo until asked to turn it down, then simply explain only if they behave as I would rather deafen them with my music than listen to the arguing. But the kicker is they then argue about which one of them is allowed to sing the bloody song. Can't win lol.

[Lotte]

I don't get why kids need dvd entertainment in their head rests these days. I remember when I was a kid we got thrown a book to read on the drive, and mum would alternate playing our favourite music to shut us up. That and we knew we'd cop it when we got home if we acted up. Then we got our own walkmans to play mix tapes on by the time we were 7.

That makes me feel really old.

[LTDHO]

I was passed by a SV6 today and the driver was facing the kids in the back the whole time.

[Lotte]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

I was passed by a SV6 today and the driver was facing the kids in the back the whole time.

What happened to just yelling at them. I vaguely remember mum yelling at us once or twice, and never taking her eyes off the road.
I don't have kids, so I don't understand the need to turn around and scold them, mother taught me to project my voice well enough through example , or is there some psychological warfare in it like "make me keep yelling and we might die, and it'll be your fault I turned around"?

[jpblue1000]

I make the kids drive...Of course the threat of death if they scratch the car, seems to keep em quiet and concentrating. Oh the baseball bat helps. And I can use the phone all I want

JP

PS they are 5 and 6Is that bad? Am I a bad father

[eyes87]

I don't smack my daughter. I've never needed too. She goes to the "naughty spot" every now and then. Maybe once a fortnight. Having said that I'm not against snacking and would hand one out if I thought I needed to. Laws be damned. Il bring my kids up the way I think they should.
In the car however it is very distracting. Old mate definately doesn't have kids lol. Rules that forbid screaming? Haha. My 13 wk old would love that one. And as above feeding him when he's due quite often ends in spew everywhere let alone feeding before he is due.

[poppa smurf]

ah! the terrible two's......"yes the world really does revolve around me!"

welcome to the madhouse MrsTyphoon

[MrsTyphoon]

Haha I've been in the madhouse for a long time. He hit terrible twos at 18 months and he's nearly 3 now. Such a beautiful boy but very smart and needs stimulation 24 hours a day or he gets insanely hard to bargain with and has an answer for everything.

"Stop going fast mum!"

"I told you not to do big burnouts!"

"Don't go down this street!"

"Look at that big noisy commodore! Go catch it!"

Of course we never do any typhooning with the kids in the car but he thinks we do lol