Mobile phone use while driving can kill!

There is a motorcycle in this picture

This is a strip of pictures that is making the rounds of the Internet with the intention of making people aware that using mobile phones while driving is such a distraction that all manner of incidents might arise.

This car is specially placed on show to drive home the point of what can happen.

The car was being driven by a young woman. She was stopped at a side street while at the same time having a conversation on her mobile. In the car with her was a passenger. She moved out into the traffic without noticing the motorcycle coming at her at 85 mph. The cycle slammed into the side of the car, and is still inside the car, where the driver also ended up.

All three people were instantly killed!

Personally, I have trained myself to sometimes just let the dammed phone ring. The things that people interrupt to answer the phone immediately is amazing. We will tell the person to whom we are speaking to wait while we answer the phone. We will interrupt our meal, and we will even interrupt the act of sex. How riduclous is that?

Mankind is not wired to always be instantly contactable. Just the fact that the phone is able to ring generates a certain amount of stress. So, these are my recommendations: (a) when the phone rings while driving, either make a mental note to answer when you get to your destination, or find a safe place off the road where you can turn off the engine, (to save yourself a fine) and then answer or return the missed call.

(b) while in conversation with another person and the phone rings, just let it ring. You can return the call when it's convenient; (c) avoid the practise I see so many people engaging in, and that is sitting down at a restaurant table and whipping out your phone, or, just as bad, using your phone to text while at the movies, and, if you even might engage in any kind of lovemaking, turn the phones off, or you may find the whole thing is a turn off.

I know no-one will heed my advice, but there, I've said it.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael