OMG I just rear ended someone! lol :(

On a nice, unusually sunny Seattle day, towards the end of summer, I was walking down the street listening to music, eating and juggling a couple things with one hand, and texting someone with the other. I came upon an intersection and looked to my left. I saw a young woman, probably in her early twenties, dressed in business atire, and driving a very nice, nearly brand new, Mercedes Benz. As I got a little closer, I noticed we had something in common... She was listening to music, eating and juggling a couple things in one hand, and texting someone with the other! The light changed, and she sped off. I smiled from behind my dark sunglasses at the humor of the situation, then jumped when I heard the sound.

From the next intersection I heard the crash of metal, glass and plastic being crushed together instantly, then some yelling. I trotted up to make sure everyone was OK. Looking into her damaged car, I remember thinking to myself, "Well, at least she has a cell phone... she can call 911 herself!" To my surprise, and slight disgust, she wasn't calling anyone... She was sitting there, smile on her face, holding her arms over the sides of her airbag, still texting away as the passengers in the other car, a much older looking, inexpensive family car, were busy making sure their children in the back seat were OK. As soon as I realized everyone was allright, the woman in the rear car came bopping up, apologizing for rear ending them, saying, "I'm SO sorry! Are you all OK? I was on the phone and didn't see the light change!" Upon hearing her admission of guilt, my conscience was cleared and I walked on, shaking my head.

This may seem like a bizzarre, ironic story, but unfortunately it is one that is fast becoming all too common in America. Some argue that the data is unclear as to the contribution of cell phones to car crashes, but what is very clear is that texting and cell phone usage is definitely a distraction to driving, and that driver inattention is the number one cause of auto accidents in America. Due to the myriad of differing particular instances surrounding any accident, data regarding car accidents involving cell phone use and/or texting while driving has been limited in the past, but it's slowly becoming available to the public.

During 2008, an estimated 800,000+ citizens were texting, calling or using cellphones while driving during the daytime. During the same year, over 6000 Americans lost their lives due to distracted driving. In 2007, using a cell phone or text messaging contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers. Over 21% of fatal car crashes involving teens were the result of cell phone usage and texting. This is expected to grow by about 4% every year....

Almost 50% of all drivers between 18 and 24 admit to texting while driving. An even larger number will field calls without pulling over or using a hands free headset. How big of a problem is this really? Here's another statistic... 4 out of every 5 accidents... that's 80%, are attributed to distracted drivers, while drunk drivers account for only 1 out of 3, or 33%. Texting while driving is 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated! In 2007, an independent car insurance company conducted a survey which showed that out of a random group of 1200 motorists, 73% said they talk on cell phones while driving. Another 19% admitted to texting while driving on the same survey. 85% use them occasionally while driving, and 30% use them on the highway. A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 10% of drivers are on cellular phones at any given hour of the day.

Different aspects of distracting activities weigh in at different levels of danger, presenting different possible solutions to combat the problem. Of all cell phone related tasks, (talking, dialing, or reaching for the phone) texting while driving is the most dangerous. For every 6 seconds of elapsed driving time, a driver sending or receiving a text message spends approximately 4.6 of those seconds with their eyes off the road. This does not account for the time one spends writing the actual text message itself, or mentally processing the information.

There are currently many products on the market by every cell phone manufacturer and broadband/ cell phone service provider to combat this problem and make usage more and more convenient and safe, but aside from just pulling over and dealing with this problem intelligently and responsibly, there aren't any idiot-proof "failsafes" out there that will ever reduce the threat to a clean zero. The solution, as usual, lies with the driver and his/ her particular driving practices. The more "common sense" habits for defensive driving one can adopt, the better for everyone....

Extremists aside, there is much that can be learned from the American biker. I have been a motorcycle rider my entire life, and can attest to how completely different the state of mind is between driving a car and riding a motorcycle. On a bike, you have zero distractions... You can't eat. You can't drop a CD, then elbow drive while shuffling through the trash on the floor to find it. You can't smoke. You can't fiddle with the heat and AC controls... And you sure as hell can't sit and text message or talk on the cellphone! And you know what? You don't suffer for it one bit! That's what voicemail is for! It is a simple matter of fact that you are predisposed, and can't make it to the phone... Why should driving a car be ANY different? Life goes on... If you need to make a call, and it's so important that you cannot wait til you get to your destination... PULL OVER! What did you do before this technology was available?

These are not traffic accidents... These are traffic mistakes. There is a difference. The problem is that people never willingly relinquish any of the conveniences that they are accustomed to, regardless of the sense in it, or the potential cost, until they have to. The law has already stepped in (at least in most states) and imposed stiffer penalties for anyone caught using a cell phone without the proper hands-free gear, but I'm afraid that's just not going to cut it. Cell phone manufacturers need to step up the technology to combat this problem on an even more innovative level, including easier and cheaper radio integration, voice dialing that works better, and even voice composition texting, to name just a few areas that they could improve in. From there, the responsibility, as always, lies in the "hands" of the driver. A good start, in my opinion, would be the mandatory driving of a motorcycle for 2 full years before one could even qualify for a car drivers license... This would certainly change a lot of peoples' perspective, and generate a nation of defensive drivers!

©2010 Steven G. Curry, All Rights Reserved