Driving Distracted Or Driving Drunk: Equally Lethal?
We notice more of a police presence on the roads and highways as we are driving by. On the way home from a midnight run to the local drugstore, we run into a sobriety checkpoint. It is probably a holiday weekend and the police are out to protect us from ourselves and each other. But what about the danger we put ourselves and others in when we insist on driving while distracted?
As we are because more connected through our technology, there are more things to be distracted with as we zoom off on the highway. Several years ago we had enough to be distracted with there was the radio, the kids and, for some, putting on make-up or shaving. Now we have cell phones, smart phones, DVD players, satellite radio and talking GPS systems that have our partial attention
The only laws that have been passed that fall under the category of a distraction is the law prohibiting the use of hand-held phones and most states do not allowing texting while driving. Breaking these laws does not come close to having the same repercussions that are enforced for drunk driving. For the first offense of driving while texting is a fine for $25 to $50 opposed to the fines, loss of driving privileges, mandatory classes about drunk driving and possible jail time that imposed for the first offense of driving drunk.
When driving drunk, we are in an altered state. The mind and body do not react very quickly, our focus is not where it needs to be and we do things that we might not do otherwise. Driving while multi-tasking, we do not react as quickly to change, our focus is not on the road in front of us and, at we drift into the next lane while we look up latest stock quotes.
Life can change in an instant and it does not necessarily have to be anyone's fault. However, it is our fault if we did not prepare ourselves to attempt to react. Our careers are becoming more demanding and we are required to be accessible a majority of the time. Is a missed phone call or a quick text to communicate your hottest idea worth putting yourself and others at risk?
The judicial system is slow to catch up with today's technology. Texting and hand-held cell phones are a no-no while driving but there not any laws that prohibit people from eating, putting on make-up or perusing the internet on our smart phone. The number of drunken driving incidents has gone down because the laws are unbending and not really open too much interpretation.
Even though it is illegal to drive while texting in many states, not many tickets are being handed out to those in violation. Texting is too hard to prove, unless it is blatant. Blatant as in both arms resting on top of the steering wheel and texting with both hands. There too many other activities that can be mistaken as texting.
Putting aside arguments and statistics, how easy will it be to explain to a grieving family why it was more important that you send that text than to worry about the safety of their loved one? - 2368
As we are because more connected through our technology, there are more things to be distracted with as we zoom off on the highway. Several years ago we had enough to be distracted with there was the radio, the kids and, for some, putting on make-up or shaving. Now we have cell phones, smart phones, DVD players, satellite radio and talking GPS systems that have our partial attention
The only laws that have been passed that fall under the category of a distraction is the law prohibiting the use of hand-held phones and most states do not allowing texting while driving. Breaking these laws does not come close to having the same repercussions that are enforced for drunk driving. For the first offense of driving while texting is a fine for $25 to $50 opposed to the fines, loss of driving privileges, mandatory classes about drunk driving and possible jail time that imposed for the first offense of driving drunk.
When driving drunk, we are in an altered state. The mind and body do not react very quickly, our focus is not where it needs to be and we do things that we might not do otherwise. Driving while multi-tasking, we do not react as quickly to change, our focus is not on the road in front of us and, at we drift into the next lane while we look up latest stock quotes.
Life can change in an instant and it does not necessarily have to be anyone's fault. However, it is our fault if we did not prepare ourselves to attempt to react. Our careers are becoming more demanding and we are required to be accessible a majority of the time. Is a missed phone call or a quick text to communicate your hottest idea worth putting yourself and others at risk?
The judicial system is slow to catch up with today's technology. Texting and hand-held cell phones are a no-no while driving but there not any laws that prohibit people from eating, putting on make-up or perusing the internet on our smart phone. The number of drunken driving incidents has gone down because the laws are unbending and not really open too much interpretation.
Even though it is illegal to drive while texting in many states, not many tickets are being handed out to those in violation. Texting is too hard to prove, unless it is blatant. Blatant as in both arms resting on top of the steering wheel and texting with both hands. There too many other activities that can be mistaken as texting.
Putting aside arguments and statistics, how easy will it be to explain to a grieving family why it was more important that you send that text than to worry about the safety of their loved one? - 2368
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posted by Frank Potter at 12:04 AM
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