h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmm... Here in Finland everyone has a mobile phone and one half of a nation worries about car crashes.. Speaking to the phone doesn't seem to affect to driving a lot. Problem is that people do other things, like starting a new call etc, while driving a car, and that disturbs driving quite a lot. And not only with new drivers, but with experienced ones, as well.

Natsa

Yes, you are quite right.

The buttons are so small, you have to concentrate on the phone pad to make sure you hit the right speed dial button.

This is when the driver is not paying full attention to his driving.

Although my friend was involved in a nasty accident when someone on a phone didn't notice a red light at a junction....
I don't know the whole circumstances, but I don't think that the offending driver was using a hands free kit.

I know the buttons by heart, but the problem is that when they get old they don't operate well, and you have to check and re-check if the number - or message - is correct. The totally different thing is, how big a disaster I am when I am walking and writing a message at a same time. That may cause some accident, too, and I am not the only one who does that

Natsa

Me too...

They are bringing in mobiles with voice recognition to avoid the trying to find the right button syndrome to make it even more easy to go totally hands free.

raising interesting issues about 'phones which answer themselves and can have their rings turned off being used for spying on people

Me a spy, surely not. You must be mistaken.

*DD quickly removes his black bowtie and hides the keys to his Aston Martin*

If I owned one, I wouldn't hide the keys

Sorry Sid I'm trying to go undercover.

I got one of those voice dial things on my phone, very handy , it even plays your voice back to show you it recognised your number :p *grins*

My goodness how times have changed. Even the young children and Elderly have mobile phones with shock horror the internet!