I hate driving. I hate the traffic, the confusing design of highways in my city and the long periods of claustrophobic sitting with nothing to do but listen to the radio. To top if off, I am a nervous, slow driver, fearful of other cars and distracted drivers. (Yes, I’m the one you’ve probably honked at, annoyed.)
But I live in a sprawling Southwestern city with limited public transportation and intense heat that makes long-distance walking or biking tough for much of the year. So driving, alas, is a fact of life for me.
My fears, though, have only been further confirmed by a harrowing series in the New York Times called “Driven to Distraction” about the dangers of using cellphones and of texting while driving. One article cited a new study, by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which found that when truck drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.
Another article cited research that drivers using phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers — and that driving while talking on a cell is akin to being legally drunk. Hands-free devices, meanwhile, don’t eliminate these risks, according to studies. In fact, they may worsen them by giving drivers a false sense of security.
Because I’m such a wimpy driver, I try not to talk or answer my phone on the road unless it’s urgent or traffic is at a standstill. But for many Jugglers, especially those with long commutes and important business to take care of, talking or texting while driving is common, and perhaps necessary. I am amazed by how many interviews I’ve conducted for articles with subjects talking to me while driving; I can sometimes hear the sound of horns and the hushed strains of NPR in the background.
Do you regularly drive and talk on a cell or text? Given the risks of doing so, have you tried to reduce usage while driving?
No comments:
Post a Comment