Yes – “distracted driving” is a nation-wide problem! It injures and kills motorists and pedestrians every day!!!
I talk about distracted driving in my driving safety lectures, but I’ve also been the victim of distracted drivers (3) times in my driving career. First, I was hit by someone who flew into a parking where I was, while he was looking down at paperwork and talking on a cell phone – I was able to hit the gas and clear my drivers’ side to avoid certain death. Second, I was on a freeway – when a driver was busy looking to his right talking to his passenger and failed to notice stopped traffic ahead, he rear-ended traffic while jumping in front of me. The third, and hopefully the last, a motorist ran a STOP sign by “two” car lengths coming off a freeway to a surface street, she was in a hurry and busy talking to her young daughter, she looked to her right and “failed” to look to her left as I approached from her left side with the “right of way” – jumping into my path…”that” crash almost paralyzed me. I’ve got the scar from my $65-thousand neck surgery as lasting proof… so “yes” I know this problem all too well. (By the way my alertness and seat-belt saved me in all three incidents.) But sadly, I also respond to these incidents almost daily as a spokesperson for a police and fire department!
Please take a look at the following two websites, the second is Oprah’s “NO PHONE ZONE” campaign – please take the pledge, and have your family, friends, school, workplace, and civic groups “take the pledge!” It is a matter of Life and Death!
Take the pledge:
http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4
Thank you and stay safe!
Monica Zech
Safe Driving Educator
