I’ve had it.
All of the “shock value” ads about texting while driving aren’t working. The stuff in the papers, the radio, everything else. Not working.
The next time you are driving, for a change, watch the cars around you. See how many are driving line-to-line. See how many people are texting while at full speed, or even half speed. One hand on the wheel, one hand on the phone. No, wait, that makes it too hard to text. Two legs will keep the steering wheel straight, and then we can text faster with two hands.
I’m a volunteer Fire/Rescue guy in two departments, over 20 years of service in each. I’ve never seen an epidemic of anything like the rash of fender benders (or worse) due to texting. Never mind the calling (“I wasn’t texting, officer, I was looking for my friend’s number.”)
The politically correct term is “distracted driving”. I don’t know how people can feel good about driving with their hand to their ear, shutting off one side of vision almost altogether. I saw a guy on the phone, “the right way”, the other day. Had his earpiece in, hands free. Way to go! Problem was, he was a “Hand Talker”. So, as he is driving down Route 7 (Major road here in Northern Virginia) at about 45 mph, he is flailing his hands emphatically, at whomever he was speaking to “Hands Free”.
There are a lot of things that can distract us. Changing radio stations, changing DVDs for the kiddos (Mine start howling for a new movie before we get out of the garage. They at least now know to wait until I am safe to be able to do anything. Safe, in this case, means stopped (in my driveway, at a stop light, etc).
The problem is, most folks still think they are “good enough” to avoid things, think nothing bad will happen to “them”. Remember when people used to use that as an excuse not to wear seatbelts? “It’s inconvenient. I’ll just put my hands up to stop myself if we wreck.”I routinely see people reading documents on their steering wheel while they drive, shaving, putting on makeup, etc.
I’m calling upon our lawmakers, and our law enforcement officers to make Distracted Driving a primary offense. That means, you can be pulled over just for that (unlike most seatbelt laws, which are “secondary”, where they can only site you for not wearing a seat belt if you’ve also been pulled over for something else). A law enforcement officer should be able to pull you over if they see you texting while your vehicle is moving, regardless of whether or not you swerve. If you are shaving, while driving, that’s a ticket, too. All of it.
Law Enforcement, how about this: Instead of sitting in speed traps, how about driving around looking for someone texting. Speed is certainly dangerous, but I do know a lot of people who can “handle” 65 in a 55, no problem, and can do it safely. 75 in a 45? Bang ’em all day long, I have no problem with that. The jerk swerving in and out of traffic, flashing his lights to get people to move. He’s all yours. However, the public is rapidly approaching (if we’re not there already) a huge need to have Distracted Driving be a High Point, High Fine, Highly Enforced infraction. Think it won’t be enforced in court? Turn on your dash cameras, and then you’ve got unsafe driving on tape. They can go to the judge with their phone records indicating they weren’t texting. If it’s a Cop’s word and video vs Mrs. BMW Convertible saying she was just checking her grocery list, too bad.
Driving should be a full time job. Be distracted at stop lights. If you need to send a text, pull over. Stop killing each other, and stop wasting 911 First Responders on calls that are a combination of complete BS and completely preventable.
