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Old December 19th 11, 03:47 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated
Patty Winter Patty Winter is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jan 2008
Posts: 85
Default ARRL and the NTSB recommendation on drivers and electronic devices


In article , Steve Bonine wrote:

It amazes me to think that there are people who are reasonable in other
respects, but who can say with a straight face that there is no evidence
that using ham radio while driving results in distraction.


If you read the 2009 article mentioned in the ARRL press release,
you'll see that the National Safety Council said that "there indeed
is some elevated risk" from operating amateur radios while driving,
but that the NSC has "no evidence that using two-way radios while
driving poses significant crash risks."

Somehow hams
have a mysterious ability to tune around looking for a QSO, check the
antenna match, and carry on a conversation without this activity
distracting them from driving?


Well, you're talking about a small minority of mobile hams who are
on HF, or surfing around VHF. Most mobile operations are surely by
hams who chat away on their favorite preprogrammed repeater(s).

Now, that still raises the issue of talking and driving (not to
mention holding a microphone), but I'm still not sure it's quite
as bad a situation as cellphones. If necessary, a ham can drop
the mic and the other people listening will realize immediately
that something came up that required his/her attention. I think
people who've never operated two-way radios don't have that under-
standing. Also, let's admit that most chatting on repeaters doesn't
take much brainpower. :-) It isn't like trying to discuss the marketing
campaign for a new computer on a cellphone. Oh, and quite often, there
are more than two people in the conversation, so any given ham isn't
even talking half the time.

I don't want to leave the impression that I think mobile operations
are completely safe, but I think they do have some clear differences
from cellphone conversations.


Patty N6BIS