Manual transmissions for all

While at the gym this morning (yup, made it), the Mix 96 morning banter turned to reports of cell phone use while driving. Once again, they reported how it and other preoccupations distract drivers and have been found to lead to more accidents for lack of attention to driving. I'm sure we've all seen people do thing they should not be doing while driving. I've seen people applying makeup, shaving, reading(!), and of course, blathering away into a cell phone that they're holding.

I have a simple solution to this distraction: design cars in such a way so that people have to pay attention to what they're doing. The manual transmission is a great existing solution. It requires one to use both hands and both feet and pay attention to what you're doing so that you're in the right gear at the right time. You don't have time or a free hand to be shaving or trying to send an SMS to your SO for dinner plans. You need to be focused on what you're doing. It would also prevent those who lack the coordination, sense of timing, and spatial judgement from driving. Driving a 2000 lb. vehicle should not be as easy as driving a bumper car. A car with a mass of 1200 kg (a little less than a Honda Civic), going 50 km/h would have the same energy as one dropped from 9.8 m or 32.3 feet. A mistake in driving could be like dropping a car 30 feet on someone. Doesn't it seem like you'd better be in full control of that car? I think so.

On a lighter note, also from the same broadcast this morning: "The worst time to have a heart attack is when you're playing charades." - Demetri Martin