The Greatest danger to you and me: Texting while driving!

Why do we even think this is a reasonable thing to do?

Firstly, there is the distinction between our living rooms and our cars: In our living rooms we are free to do as we please as usually we are able to concentrate on whatever we wish. In our cars we are obliged to concentrate on one thing only while in motion, and that is the road ahead.

With that in mind, first came mobile phones that were used solely for the sending and receiving of oral messages. We thought that was just so cool to be in contact while on the move. However, from the start the phone was a dangerous distraction. That led to the development of the handsfree unit that allowed the driver to talk and still keep his eyes on the road. However, focus is still drawn away from the thousand things that must be avoided ahead, and so the crashes continued.

Now, twitter, facebook, and a number of other social sites encourage text messages to the extent that people have become addicts to their phones. It's a strange event to occur in our lives that when a phone rings our immdeiate response is to stop what we are doing to answer, even if we are in the act of physically making love. That is simply taking matters way over the top!

In the United States of America, a report on 2009 distracted driving crashes found that 5,474 people died as a result of drivers who were distracted by others in the car; by eating, drinking, smoking, adjusting the radio, making other adjustments, reaching for an object, such as the electronic lighter and lighting cigarettes; and of course, the use of mobile phones accounting for 20% of the total.

Texting behind the wheel while in motion is on the increase, but if the simple use of even a hands-free phone to hold a conversation is dangerous, the use of a device that requires the driver to look at it while sometimes driving at speed increases the risk that other people will be killed by the potenially lethal machine under the driver's control; but so is that likely for the driver and the passengers in the car.

What this comes down to is that the driver has to enact self discipline. If we need to send a message urgently we must find a safe place to pull off the road, shut down the engine and send the message. For incoming message and calls, let it ring. No one really expects for you to be always and instantly available. If that is what they think they are simply wrong and should be made to understand that is not possible.

I know this is possible to do because I have mastered the discipline. It is not an easy thing, I admit, but at least I am content to know that whatever happens, the likelihood that I will be the one responsible for some one else's death is minimal.

While reflecting on this it would be good to remember that there are at least two major incidents where trains have crashed, resulting in many deaths and lasting injuries to hundreds and hundreds of people, all because the drivers were distracted by their mobile phones.

That is really something to take away from this presentation.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael