Originally Posted by jra:
“I didn't say that's how I or most other people behave or deal with things. In an ideal world, not a realistic world being the key difference.”
"
not a realistic world " I think you just undermined your own argument.
Originally Posted by jra:
“In the good old days, you'd pull over and look at a map if you got lost or a passenger gave you guidelines.”
Again I think you've just shot yourself in the foot re the comment about passengers acting as a navigator.
I'd also say that from personal experience seeing others navigate by map book, and particularly by A-Z, that few pulled over to check, as you think.
Originally Posted by jra:
“They do now use various mobile communications on the way, but somehow they managed in the past before all this fancy gadgetry came about. Ironically, it probably didn't take much longer to get to where you wanted to go without satnavs, mobiles etc. in those days because there was so much less traffic on the roads.”
If you're referring to "
they " as medical personnel(?) then I'd agree about them coping before technology. It was the same for me as a rep. I built maps in my mind for the cities I visited regularly so could navigate quite easily around most major UK cities. Traffic volumes certainly have increased. New technology allows navigation to be updated to avoid congestion. Having said that, ambulance arrival times for the 8m target are at an all time low. So traffic volumes combined with the increasing demand on the service and its effect on the availability of resources plus a rise in the numbers of calls for non-emergency reasons, but we digress. The thread is about smoking in cars and it has extended to other distractions.
Originally Posted by jra:
“Radio and music may well stimulate the brain, but can also block out external important sounds such as the emergency services. Plus, it can be also be a noise nuisance to other people such as pedestrians, other vehicle drivers and householders.”
That's why emergency services vehicles also have flashing lights. BTW, you do realise that deaf people can drive, right?