Texting And Cell Phone Usage While Driving

February 1, 2010  

Using cell phones and texting while driving has become a big issue of late. 19 states have already ban texting while driving, along with Washington D.C. Nearly two dozen others are seriously considering it. 6 states have ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. And like anything else a government does or wants to do, this one too has its supporters and opponents. Those who support the new laws often point to their own experience, and the ones who don’t keep insisting its not a danger. That’s why the latter is certain to be praising the latest survey regarding the use of cell phones while driving. The survey says cell phone bans have not decreased traffic accidents. But what about common sense?

“Common sense” — now there’s a phrase for the ages. I sometimes wonder if there’s anyone who has never used it. I guess I’m supposed to place a link here that will take you to the definition; but I won’t. Talk about something that is certainly left up to ones own interpretation, this has to rank near the top. So instead, I will use the word “logical”, although it too has room for interpretation.

No doubt most of those who oppose banning these widow/widower-makers have experienced a close call by someone who got distracted while driving, or they know of someone who did. But these folks believe they don’t (or won’t) get distracted. Unfortunately, that sort of thinking has been the downfall of many; e.g., drunk drivers.

As noted, many of us who support the banning have had personal experiences of some kind, and I’m no different. I spend a lot of time on the highways every year, and having done so, I’ve seen my fair share of distracted drivers who were using cell phones and texting.

I recall one incident when on a 9-hour trip, and traveling on an Interstate highway; keeping an eye in the rear view mirror as I usually do. My wife and I were on a long bridge traveling in the right hand lane, along with a lot of other traffic, when I noticed a truck in my rear view mirror approaching in the left lane. Vehicles in the right lane were constantly swerving to the right to avoid being hit because the truck driver was constantly invading their space. Of course, those in the right lane had little room to maneuver due to the bridge guard rails. I mentioned to my wife that we had a drunk driver approaching. So I kept a very close eye on him, which put me in danger of hitting the vehicle in front of me had traffic slowed un-expectantly. The driver of the truck finally came along side of me and almost hit my car. I blew my horn which startled him and caused him to look up. Look up from what, you ask? From texting! He had both arms laid across the top of the steering wheel holding his phone and punching the text buttons with both hands.

Of course that story is only one of many I could tell, and is no different than ones millions of other drivers could tell. But another story goes back years before the incident I just described. It was during the days when I too thought I wasn’t being distracted from using cell phones. I was working then (since retired), which required a lot of driving. On this particular trip I was on a road I was very familiar with as I had traveled it many, many times. I received a call on my old bag phone (if you’re old enough, you’ll remember those). The call was from an old friend I had not seen or heard from for more than 35 years. We talked for the better part of half an hour. When the call was over I started evaluating where I was and realized I didn’t know. When I finally figured it out, it was obvious that I had traveled for many miles unaware that I was even driving. But that won’t happen to you, will it?

Ok, so continuing on: a recent survey says that banning the use of cell phones while driving has not decreased the number of accidents. But come on — lets be logical!! (There’s that word)

I personally know of someone who is now very old and still a very dangerous driver. I use the word “still” because this person has always been that way, even when in their 40’s. On two-lane country highways this person would go around cars entering sharp curves and just before topping very high hills (that some would describe as mountainous) or driving for several minutes looking at and talking about something off in the distance. And that person never had an accident until very late in life, and, I don’t know of anyone else having an accident due to this person. However, it wasn’t because of not doing something dangerous; it was nothing but lady luck — being in the wrong place at the right time.

If accidents have not increased due to the usage of cell phones and texting while driving, pure logic tells one that it’s mostly likely due to nothing but luck. But then again you have to remember how statistics are gathered. For example, when opponents of cigarette smoking gather their death related “facts”, they use some very peculiar stats. One such example is a man who smoked from the age of 18 to age 23. When he died from cancer at the age of 80-something, that death was recorded as a smoking related death.

Now I am not saying that traffic accident statistics are gathered in the same way, and I certainly am not insinuating tobacco doesn’t cause cancer. But when the high potential of having an accident caused by using something as distracting as texting — and in many cases, a cell phone — is denied, then the deniers should probably reexamine their thinking.

“Safe” does not apply to multi-tasking when driving is one of those task. If you think so, maybe you should ask yourself this question: Would I want to be on an airplane, without autopilot, if the pilot was texting?