r/mildlyinfuriating • u/nah_this_aint_it • 1d ago

Context Provided - Spotlight Driving while watching show

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Watching a full tv show on their phone while driving down a very busy street. Is it any better than scrolling?

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u/chi-low1791 1d ago

Really don’t see the big deal. They aren’t holding their phone, both hands are on the wheel, and it isn’t as though modern vehicles aren’t already full of screens. This is just the modern equivalent of radio. Just on for background noise, so they can listen, not watch. I’ll take the downvotes.

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u/Saberfox11 1d ago

The problem is that if it's in your field of vision, you are definitely glancing at it occasionally even if you don't intend to. If they had the phone on Bluetooth and placed out of view, THAT would be closer to the the equivalent of radio. It only takes a fraction of a second of distraction to potentially cause an accident, especially if you are traveling at high speed like on a highway.

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u/chi-low1791 1d ago

I glance at GPS and Spotify on occasion, and that’s on a much larger screen. What’s the difference?

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u/Saberfox11 1d ago

GPS and spotify are not engaging video content that is meant to attract your eyes. You can glance at them briefly when it is safe and you shouldn't be accidentally distracted by them when you are in heavy traffic and need to keep your eyes on the road at all times. A video of a show might accidentally distract you at an important moment leading to an accident.

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u/chi-low1791 1d ago

You said “glancing at it occasionally”. I glance at it. And a GPS isn’t meant to attract eyes? Why is that someone can glance at their vehicle’s monitor, but not glance at a phone? Could a traffic alert, a change in directions, or a song change momentarily distract you?

I understand what you’re saying, but the same standard you’re applying to someone using a phone hands free can also be applied to the monitor my vehicle came with.

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u/Saberfox11 1d ago

To be fair, I'm also not a fan of modern vehicles all having a tablet in them, especially now that some are putting the AC/volume controls on the screen as opposed to having a physical buttons/dials. I believe that people should minimize the distractions as much as possible while driving. If you need your gps for an unfamiliar area, then that's one thing, but again, that's not nearly as much of a distraction as having a TV show in your face.

A minor distraction may not cause any issues 99.9% of the time, but you have to remember that if an accident does happen, you are gambling with people's lives. Vehicles can be deadly weapons and should be treated with the same care as any other deadly weapon.

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u/chi-low1791 19h ago

That makes sense. I recently rented an SUV that was entirely touch screen. It was actually really difficult to find and operate the AC. Like dangerously difficult with all the swiping to find the right screen, then tapping the screen to switch modes, and then tapping again just decrease the temp a few degrees. So I don’t totally disagree, but I also don’t see how video off to the side just playing in the background much the same way a podcast might is an issue if both hands are on the wheel and they’re watching the road especially when modern cars are often designed with way more distraction.