Texting while driving: A dangerous distraction

It’s becoming a modern day issue and not just saved for the teenagers or drivers in personal vehicles--texting while driving is making headlines again as the head of the Boston transit authority has announced a ban on cell phones for all train, trolley, and bus operators. Last week, a 24-year-old trolley operator injured 49 people after crashing into another trolley while sending a text message to his girlfriend. Last September, 25 people were killed and 125 injured after a commuter train in California crashed after the engineer was sending and receiving text messages. There are a number of state laws restricting cell phone and texting use while driving.

Seventeen states plus the District of Columbia also ban cell phones for school bus drivers. Currently, there are no laws against cell phones for other operators of public transportation vehicles.

No matter who is behind the wheel, here are some tips for helping to reduce cell phone distractions:

If you need to make a call, pull off the road completely.

If you must place a call while driving, speed dial or voice-activated dialing can keep your eyes on the road. Also, make sure you are wearing a headset or using a hands-free system.

If you receive a call or text on the road, resist the temptation to answer—let your voice mail pick it up or let the message wait in the in-box,

If it is an urgent call, briefly tell the other party you’ll call right back once parked in a safe location. Most cell phones remember the last few calls received, making it easy to return the call.

Don’t text and drive. Texting is a distraction for the mind, eyes, and at least one hand—all of which are needed for driving.

Bottom line: Like the bumper sticker says, hang up and drive. Operating a phone in any fashion while driving can be a dangerous distraction.

—Liza Barth

Comments

[Cale]

If I had a nickel for every driver I see holding a handset in my "handsets banned" state ...

[Talia Phillips]

Seriously?? Who would think texting while driving ISN"T dangerous?? You have to be crazy!

[Ron, Bartlesville, OK]

I still can't imagine why anyone would risk their life and the life of others just for a text message. They don't understand the severity of the matter until it's to late. Please for God's sake, stay off of the phone when you are driving. I have been behind some that get so wrapped up in their phone that I have to honk at them to get them to move at a stop light. When I honk at them, then they flip me off for their stupid ignorance. I wish that the police would write tickets for inattentive driving and with a stiff fine. That's the only way that some of them will learn before it's to late for them and others.

[Tenika]

I live in Dallas, TX, home to some of the worst drivers in the world. The last thing any of them need is to be distracted while driving badly. When I'm at a stoplight, I've made a game of counting the number of people that pass or turn that are talking on the phone. I know from my own experience that talking on a cell phone held to your ear is far more impairing than using a handsfree system or headset. Shoot, even using the speakerphone option has to be better. 99.99% of the time I'm stuck behind a sloooowww driver that person's on a cell. Hang up, shut up and drive!

[Kevin]

I did a school project a few years ago, and looked a lot of driver distraction data. Most of the test were done prior the growth of texting, so it maybe slightly out of date.

Hands free systems do very little to nothing in diminishing driver distraction. The level of load on the driver's mind while engaged in dialog via a cell phone is very high, and takes priority away from the real task of driving. It is the distraction that causes the problems. Signs are inability to hold a lane or constant speed, irregular turning, and over reaction to changes in conditions (like hard braking or sudden swerving).

My view is just don't talk or text while driving, and if you absolutely have to, make it short or get off the road.

[david]

"Shoot, even using the speakerphone option has to be better. 99.99% of the time I'm stuck behind a sloooowww driver that person's on a cell. Hang up, shut up and drive!" by Tenika

I agree. In the highways, the speed limits are just too low. If speed limits are set higher, more people will pay attention to driving. Do you know that the autobahn is actually safer than the US highway system?

Quote from Forbes Magazine...

"Autobahn is safer than U.S. highways. In 2001 the death rate was 6 per billion passenger-vehicle miles, versus 8 for U.S. interstates."

http://www.geocities.com/american_autobahn/americanautobahnreviews.html

[Matt Howard]

Distracted while driving is a huge problem. Something definitely needs to be done to prevent it.

Legislative solutions are too passive. It's just to easy for people to ignore the laws and still text and drive.

In believe that people need some basic help in order to make better choices when they're driving.

Imagine if your cell phone could automatically detect when you're driving -- and imagine if it could play an audio alert reminding you to stay focused on the road.

These kinds of contextual solutions are actively being developed by companies such as ZoomSafer and are key to reducing the number of people who drive distracted.

[Dee]

I would love to see a study that shows the rampant increase in teen texting while driving as a result of phone companies selling unlimited text packages. Kids have been told by parents not to use talk minutes so they are in the texting habit. Talking on a cell phone is bad but when you need directions or to check in at home, a call is a lot safer than texting!!! And we are supposed to believe that the companies did not know this would happen as a result of their pricing policies?

[Laura]

On June 19, 2009, I was rear-ended by someone who was texting while driving a motorhome. I was stopped for a signal- he never even hit the brakes. I was pushed forward into 2 other vehicles. My arm is badly broken, my vehicle was totaled, and I'll be off work for about 12 weeks. I'm glad I was wearing my seatbelt and nobody was in the back seat- there probably would have been fatalities.

He denied texting and wasn't cited for it even though an eye witness reported it. Law enforcement should check electronic devices for usage at the scene of all accidents just like they check for DUI and the penalty should be just as harsh.

Hang up and drive!!!

[Maria]

On July 2nd I my Prius and I were involved in an accident with a 19 year old teenager that I believe was very distracted by something. Could she have been texting? Probably.

The light changed to green and I (the first one in line) was able to cross almost 5 of 5 lanes while she just crossed 2 out of 5. She had to have seen me when she started crossing since I always drive slowly to meet the gas efficiency the Prius allows me to.

My car was totalled and I ended up with a chest contussion and thousands of dollars in expenses. We both survived the accident...

Please help us stop this craze.

[K.Young!]

This is sick peoplee textingg and drivingg is juss badddd!