

Distracted Driving and the Risks of Ride-Hailing Services Like Uber - ojbyrne
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/distracted-driving-and-the-risks-of-ride-hailing-services-like-uber/

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dangoldin
Just my experience but I spoke with a couple of Uber drivers in NYC and almost
all were former taxi drivers that claimed Uber was safer. In a cab they'd
always be on the lookout for passengers to pickup versus only having to click
an area on a phone.

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URSpider94
Most cab drivers outside of NYC have been using information terminals for
years. If you've ridden in a cab, you've probably seen one. They have pretty
much a full-size keyboard as well as a 3-4 line display that shows cryptic
commands in some sort of shorthand.

Compared to this, mashing a button on the Uber app seems like a piece of cake.

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greenyoda
_" Two lawsuits, one filed against Uber and another against Lyft, contend the
services are negligent by violating California’s law against driver use of
hand-held electronic devices."_

Using a handheld mobile device while driving is also a violation of NY State
law unless the device "is affixed to a vehicle surface".[1]

[1] [http://www.safeny.ny.gov/phon-ndx.htm](http://www.safeny.ny.gov/phon-
ndx.htm)

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JoshTriplett
Every single Uber I've ever ridden in has the phone running the Uber driver
app mounted either on the dash or in a cupholder mount.

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stevewilhelm
Most of the Uber cars I have ridden in have a phone mounted on the dash or
windshield, but they also have at least one other phone loose and active in
the car.

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fernly
Butbutbut... a driver who CAN accept a ride request is by definition a driver
who is at liberty, not carrying a fare. So said driver should not be actively
driving. Driving without a fare is a waste of gas and vehicle wear. Unless
your last fare left you positioned so far in the boonies that ride requests
are scarce, and you need to reposition -- in which case you don't EXPECT a
usable request -- or unless you want to go find a cuppa, or a bathroom, before
your next drive -- in which case you don't WANT to respond to a request just
now.

Bottom line, the driver who CAN accept a ride is highly likely to be parked,
not driving. Having to make that 15-second decision while driving has got to
be the exception, not the rule.

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throwawaymsft
In a dense city like SF/Manhattan you may need to constantly circle vs. being
able to pull over and wait.

However, this leads to an interesting idea: prioritize new fares to drivers
whose GPS says they are moving < 10mph.

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jrockway
Note to startups: you really don't want to pick a battle with newspaper
reporters.

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patcon
This would be a moot point if someone released something like the connected
bike grips but for hands-free navigation by any mode of transportation.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8781407](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8781407)

What if they were just vibrating wrist bands or gloves?

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anigbrowl
Voice commands would be a lot simpler, and familiar to many ex-taxi drivers.

