Texting toward danger: distracted driving kills

As much as we'd like to deny it, many of us have driven while distracted. Whether we're talking on a cell phone or eating food, we've all made decisions behind the wheel that can compromise our safety as drivers. Three months ago, I would have done the same things. But after the events of this past July, I vowed to never do anything to take my attention away from the road.

On July 17, 2009, a close friend of mine lost her life in a tragic accident while walking to work due to a distracted driver. The immense grief felt by her friends and family was unbearable as we silently mourned and thought to ourselves how easily the death of a loved one could have been prevented if only drivers took more responsibility while on the road.

As Americans, we are constantly trying to multitask and cut corners to try and fit as much as we can into our busy schedules. We all overestimate at some point the amount of things we can handle and usually assure ourselves we'll be careful. We rarely think about the consequences that taking our eyes off of the road may have. The thing we don't consciously realize, though, is that driving is a privilege, not a given right.

While it may be convenient to drive with one hand while eating a quick meal on the way to a meeting, or texting a friend to tell them "I'm on my way," we should devote 100 percent of our minds and bodies to driving, not only for the safety of ourselves, but for the safety of others as well.

Statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that there were more than 5,800 deaths and over 515,000 injured related to distracted drivers last year. Distracted driving has been called "a serious epidemic" by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who also contends that "distracted driving is a menace to society and it seems to be getting worse every year."

It's a fact that distracted driving is a growing problem in the U.S. today. In 2008, 16 percent of fatal accidents involved a distracted driver, a 5 percent increase from 2004's statistics. Young drivers under the age of 30 represent almost a third of the distracted drivers involved in fatal accidents.

The New York Times also published a series of articles this July discussing the issue that is plaguing roads everywhere. One article, "Driven to Distraction: Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cell Phone Risks," included some surprising statistics as well as a personal account of a distracted driver responsible for a woman's death. On Sept. 3, 2008, 20-year-old Christopher Hill was coming back from a trip to the store when he made a call to a neighbor. Hill was so heavily involved in the conversation he was having that he failed to see the light change and hit another car, killing 61 year-old Linda Doyle. When asked by a police officer what color the light had been, Mr. Hill responded, "I never saw it."

So far, only five states have passed laws banning cell phone use statewide, while others have put restrictions on certain groups, like new drivers. As statistics suggest, however, distracted driving remains a growing problem and it doesn't seem like we're any closer to finding a solution.

In this year alone, over 170 bills were introduced by state legislators in an attempt to address distracted driving; fewer than 10 of these bills have actually passed. Tad Jones, majority floor leader in the Oklahoma House spoke about this issue and said, "I'm on the phone from when I leave the Capitol to when I get home, and that's a two-hour drive…a lot of people who travel are used to using the phone." So let me get this straight-bills trying to keep the country's roads and highways safe aren't getting passed because banning cell phone use would be too inconvenient? Hands-free devices are designed to ensure that we have both hands on the wheel, but that doesn't mean that our minds are completely involved in driving.

With so much at stake, it doesn't make sense to choose convenience over safety. If you can avoid it, don't answer the phone while driving unless it is an absolute emergency. If you need to text somebody, wait until you are stopped at a red light. The same thing goes for changing the radio station or eating.

Keeping your eyes on the road and your mind 100 percent distraction-free is not only for the safety of ourselves but for the safety of others as well.

While there is no state law in Pennsylvania banning these things, if we each take responsibility over our own actions and decide not to answer the phone at all while driving, we can make the road a much safer place to be.