1de2ab77   
   XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, comp.mobile.android   
   From: rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com   
      
   Paul M. Cook  wrote   
   > Rod Speed wrote   
      
   >> But the stats are dominated by the dramatic fall in the fatality   
   >> rate over that time which swamps any effect of cellphone use.   
      
   > Hi Rod,   
      
   > Just to clarify...   
   >   
   > We're talking accidents (specifically, accident *rates*).   
   > Not injuries.   
   > Not fatalities.   
      
   OK. But you still have the same problem with the fact that   
   the accident rate has dropped very dramatically because   
   of the better design of the roads with divided roads and   
   motorways/freeways particularly and that has swamped   
   the undeniable effect of drink driving, using the cellphone   
   when driving and other distractions like car radios etc.   
      
   > The reasons are many why fatalities and injuries are red herrings,   
      
   They aren't red herrings, just less frequent than accidents.   
      
   > not the least of which is that the accident begets the   
   > fatality and injury; and, furthermore, not the least of   
   > which is that fatalities and injuries have far more factors   
   > involved than do the accidents that naturally precede them.   
      
   That is just plain wrong with the sort of low speed   
   accident you get in parking lots etc for starters.   
      
   And the stats are complicated because you don’t have   
   to report the less serious accidents to the cops or the   
   insurance company in quite a few jurisdictions now.   
      
   > We are only discussing accident rates in the United   
   > States, because they are germane to the discussion   
      
   So are all the other jurisdictions too.   
      
   > and because we have excellent data from   
   > the US Census Bureau over the past 50 years.   
      
   That’s just as true of much of the first world.   
      
   > This is data nobody can refute (although they try).   
      
   They can when the stats are dominated by the big drop   
   in accident rate due to the better design of the roads etc.   
      
   > I'd be perfectly happy if folks would bring up good   
   > data for accident rates in your native land of Australia,   
   > but I don't know if we have good data   
      
   We have rather better accident data than you do in   
   some ways because the police forces that the accident   
   used to have to be reported to are state based, not local.   
      
   But now they don’t even require you to report the more   
   minor accidents anymore and wont show up and have   
   a look at the result of the accident unless it results in   
   injurys or fatalitys now.   
      
   > so that's why I'm talking only about the accident rate in the USA.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)