Texting + Driving= Big No No

(Still Under Construction)
Imagine yourself sitting at a stoplight. You're tired, you're hungry, you just want to get home. There's bumper-to-bumper traffic. Can you say rush hour? You fiddle with the radio trying to find a decent song and as you look up the light changes. You're ready to go. The cars on your right begin to move. The cars on your left begin to move. You don’t. That's when you notice the driver in front of you, both arms resting on top of the steering wheel and her thumbs rapidly pressing the keypad of a little black box. Impatiently, you honk your horn; she jolts to awareness, hits the gas pedal to catch up with the other cars yards ahead; and you go on you’re merry way. We’ve all been there; it’s frustrating.

Now, how many of you drive and/or own a vehicle? Some of you. How many of you own a cell phone or other communication device? Most of you. How many of you have ever used your phone, whether texting or talking, while driving? Be honest, I won't tell on you. Well…I got news for you guys- you've driven like a drunk. According to the University of Utah, texting or talking on a cell phone while driving is like driving with a blood alcohol level of .08, or the standard level for drunken driving.

What does a drunk driver look like? Common signs include weaving, an increased number of lane deviations, sudden speeding or slowing, and other bizarre movements. The same can be said for what a distracted driver looks like. Slower reaction time and poor judgment are also signs. Some even say that the reaction time of a 20 year old with a cell phone is like that of a 70 year old without one (University of Utah). When put into simulators, both virtual and real-world, adult and teen drivers alike did significantly worse on their tests and, in some instances, killed virtual pedestrians. Texting drivers also took their eyes off of the road for the longest intervals. One particular study showed that the average eyes-off-the-road time was 4.6 seconds during a 6 second interval. Put that into a simulator in which the car is traveling at 55 miles per hour and the driver never looks at the road for the length of a football field. How scary is that?

But I’m great at multi-tasking, you might say. While this may be true off road, it takes an amazing amount of brainpower on-road. A driver must be constantly looking for potential hazards, listening for sirens or other warning signals, and have awareness of how the vehicle is performing in general. Add a cell phone and the brain becomes scrambled as it tries to perform all of the tasks needed to keep you safe and the keep a conversation.

Many states have laws or restrictions concerning the use of electronic devices, especially cell phones. As of December of this year, 17 states have passed legislation that prohibits school and city bus drivers, as well as other public transportation personnel, from using any electronic devices on the job. 21 states have laws restricting or prohibiting teenagers under 18 and 19 states have passed laws prohibiting text messaging for all drivers. Some, like Utah, have cracked down significantly. People who break the law face fines, citations, and even jail time. Those who cause a crash resulting in a fatality face up to fifteen or more years in prison, all because of a cell phone. Kentucky, sadly, does not have any laws, however, legislation is being speculated.


Look at the person sitting next to you. Look at the people in this room. One or more of the people in this room could be killed or injured within the next year. According to a Harvard University study, over 200 fatalities and half a million injuries occur each year due to cell phones and other devices that were distractions to drivers. Teen drivers, especially, are prone to becoming involved in or causing a crash due to inexperience and use of communication devices- two to four times as likely as adults, in fact. Just remember this the next time your phone vibrates or your funky ring-tone permeates the air- driving while texting or talking IS driving under the influence.

Sources:
http://www.livescience.com/health/090504-texting-driving.html

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20090505/teens-all-thumbs-when-texting-and-driving

http://www.nationwide.com/newsroom/dwd-facts-figures.jsp

Utah’s New Texting while Driving Prevention Video (Documentary)

Richtel, Matt. "Utah Gets Tough with Texting Drivers". The New York Times August 29th, 2009

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201081917.htm