You Do it, You Know You Do, Don't You?

Auto_Collision_Aftermath_iStock_000001647108XSmall1An article in today's Chicago Tribune highlights how distracted driving, even that deemed legal under current law, can lead to dangerous, injurious, and possibly deadly consequences.

Many of us, let's be honest, have probably done exactly what the woman in the article admitted to doing.

The woman claims she did not text her friends, who she knew were sending her texts, because she knew it was both dangerous to text while driving, not to mention illegal. Instead, she claims she was scrolling through her phone to locate the contact information for the friends she was trying to call when she pinned a man between his pickup truck and the guardrail, injuring him severely.

Distracted driving is probably the most significant and most frequent cause of traffic accidents currently. In my career, this has changed so dramatically it is astounding. What used to be an occasional person who caused an accident while adjusting the radio or talking, now has a plethora of options available with which to drive distractedly, considering that phones now enable one to watch tv, video, telephone, text, email, and videochat, just to name a few of the functions we middle-aged folks are actually aware of and able to perform.

So the legislature passes the no texting law and what happens?

A lady plows into someone while following the law, allegedly. Just looking down to scroll through one's directory to make a (in Chicago hands-free) phone call can cause an accident with major consequences, as highlighted in the Tribune article.

It has been shown that hands-free does not mean "no distraction" anyway so perhaps it is time to either let anyone do whatever they want behind the wheel and take our collective chances or pass laws that eliminate any gray area and disallow any use of a phone, smart phone, or other device while driving.

Scrolling is distracting as is talking on the phone, albeit hands-free. I follow the law and I still drive distractedly if I'm really honest about it.

What about you?

I'd love to hear your comments on this.

Categories: General