Get Off the Phone and Drive
By Julia A. Keirns
This might end up being a rant, but I will try my darndest to keep it neutral.
Why do people text and drive? I see so many people using their cell phones while driving full speed down the highway. Or rather, not full speed because they are too busy texting to pay attention to how fast they are going. They veer to the left or the right, their speed goes up then down, and the driver behind them gets so frustrated at their inconsistent behavior that they zoom around them to get out of the situation. That would be me.
It is my opinion that drivers who text and drive do not care about the other drivers and cars on the road. There is a lack of consideration in our technological society and to them nothing is more important than that last text they just received.
Have you seen the 2017 Jumanji movie starring Madison Iseman as Bethany? Bethany is a self-absorbed high school student who finishes her exam in class and then immediately gets on her cell phone and begins discussing her personal problems with her best friend, out loud, disturbing all the other students who are still trying to concentrate. The teacher comes along and states, “You are aware that there are other people in the room, aren’t you?” And I would say to people who text and drive, “You are aware that there are other people on the road, aren’t you?”
Last week my husband and I had a two hour drive ahead of us. Most of it was on a two lane highway that curves so much back and forth that three fourths of the trip contains a double yellow center line. Nothing is more frustrating than getting behind someone who is not focused on the road and the task of driving to the point that their speed goes up then down and they sway back and forth, while you are stuck behind them because of the double yellow line and are forced to turn off your cruise control and drive as sporadically as they are. You also try to stay back far enough in case they lose control.
Which brings me to another question, why do they not use their cruise control? It just seems like people who choose to text and drive do not know how to use the cruise control in their vehicle. They are so good at figuring out any device technology can throw at them, but they can’t figure out their cruise control. At least their speed would stay consistent when travelling down the highway.
I know personal family members who insist on texting and driving at the same time. At my age, I have come to the point that my life is more important to me than getting in the vehicle with them. I voice out loud that I will not allow them to drive if they are going to be using their cell phones at the same time. I will offer to drive instead and then they can safely be on their phone. I have even been in a vehicle when the driver thought it fine to use their knee to keep the car going straight down the road on an interstate. I voice my disagreement more loudly now than I ever used to, especially at this activity.
I do have to admit that as a teenager I would take my hands off the handlebars of my 10 speed while riding down the road, but I was always on a back country road, that was over 40 years ago, and it was only a bicycle.
It is not even called “Texting and Driving” anymore. I seem to hear it referred to more often now as “Distracted Driving.” Distracted Driving is anything that diverts the attention of the driver away from the road. Some states have even implemented laws making it illegal to talk on a handheld device while driving and are insisting on the use of bluetooth services. My sons in the military were taught in basic training that it was not proper to use a cell phone even while walking, let alone while driving.
I have my phone bluetooth set up to hook up to my car as soon as I start the vehicle. My phone never comes out of my purse. If the phone rings I can tap a button on my steering wheel and talk or choose to ignore the call. If someone texts me they get a message instantly that says, “I am driving right now. I will get back to you soon.” I also have the ability to tap the screen by my radio and it will read the text message to me if I want. These are great advancements that are very helpful.
It is important to note that Distracted Driving can occur even when you have three young children in the car. Especially if they are fighting or wound up. When our kids were little, my husband pulled the car off to the side of the road more times than I can count. Swinging his arm across the back seat at 55 miles per hour was not an option to him. The kids knew how to stay out of his reach anyway.
There are three types of distractions that take our focus off of the road. One is manual distractions which cause us to take our hands off the steering wheel. The second one is visual distractions which cause us to take our eyes off the road. And the third one is cognitive distractions which cause us to take our minds off our task of driving. Texting distracts us in all three ways.
I know there has been tons of evidence against texting and driving, but I just don’t see people taking the risk seriously enough. I wonder how many people still text and drive? I wonder what it will take for people to realize how dangerous it is to do so?