Distracted driving
No one will argue that distracted driving is a good thing. When we are taught to drive, we always hear the same warnings that will counter distracted driving: keep your eyes on the road, keep both hands on the wheel.
However, technological advances and busier lifestyles make distracted driving a greater issue than it has been in the past.
According to www.distraction.gov, distracted driving occurs when a driver participates in any activity that can distract him or her from the responsibility of driving and increase the risk of being part of an accident.
There are three types of distracted driving—visual, manual and cognitive. Visual is taking your eyes off the road, manual is taking your hands off the wheel and cognitive is taking your mind off the task at hand.
Text messaging while driving may be considered the most distracting of all because it includes all three types, but other distracting activities include: eating or drinking, talking to passengers, reading a map or changing the radio station.
According to www.distraction.gov in 2009, a reported 20 percent of all injury crashes included allegations of distracted driving.
Even more disturbing is the fact that in the same year, there were 5,474 fatalities and an additional 448,000 injuries from motor vehicle crashes that somehow involved distracted driving. These fatalities make up an alarming 16 percent of automobile crash fatalities for the year. Of those deaths, 995 were reported to involve a cell phone as the distraction.
It is sickening how many deaths may be due to something as simple as someone wanting to respond to a text message right that instant, rather than waiting for perhaps a stoplight to answer.
The fact that we are becoming entirely too reliant on technology is one of the primary problems in this situation.
Think about the typical commute. On average, it won’t take longer than 30 minutes to get to school or work from home. Only 30 minutes out of 1,440 minutes in an entire day. Why can a number of us not wait this amount of time without sending a text message?
Many people give themselves an excuse, such as “I can text without looking, so it’s not really a big deal.”
But, as previously mentioned, text messaging while driving still includes manual and cognitive distractions. If you are sending a text message, at least one hand is not gripping the steering wheel, and your mind is clearly somewhere else.
The same can be said for talking on the phone. Even if you are using a blue tooth system, cognitive distractions occur because your focus has changed from the road to the conversation.
Current Indiana legislation states that drivers under the age of 18 are banned from all cell phone use, whether it is handheld or hands-free. A second law bans drivers under 18 years of age from text messaging.
However, this ban is lacking. Adults are becoming more adapted to the new technologies. Many teenagers have parents who now send text messages—some while driving.
According to www.distraction.gov, 30-to-39 year olds had the highest number of fatal crashes that involved a cell phone as the distraction. These deaths made up 24 percent of the total fatalities due to cell phone distractions.
According to an article by the Associated Press, the Indiana House passed a bill on Jan. 25 that would prohibit all drivers from text messaging or sending an e-mail while driving. If caught violating this restriction, the offender could face a fine of up to $500.
Is that fine really big enough?
Speeding in a construction zone can cost up to a $1,000 fine because of the dangers it poses for workers. Text messaging and driving can have greater consequences.
According to www.distraction.gov, use of a cell phone while driving, handheld or hands-free, delays a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood-alcohol concentration at the legal limit, .08.
However, driving under the influence of alcohol can result in much more serious consequences than simply a $500 fine.
Remember the 5,474 deaths in 2009 due to accidents involving distracted driving. If you decide to text message while driving again, maybe you can live with a $500 fine. But can you live with causing one of the 5,474 deaths?
