The Ohio State Highway Patrol is cracking down on distracted driving this week. I say it’s about time. The task of driving demands that you watch the road ahead of you. You must be able to stop in time for stopped traffic, pedestrians, anything in the roadway in front of you. You must stay in your lane and not drift from one side to another.
What is The Ohio State Highway Patrol Going To Do
It appears that the Ohio police are going to be on the look out for signs of distracted driving such as following too close, weaving and things that mimmick drunk driving. In fact there is a study done by the National Safety Council in 2012 that shows that people on cell phones have a slower reaction time that people that register a .o8 blood alchohol.
Distracted Driving is an Addiction of Epidemic Proportions
It’s an type of addiction. Although texting appears to be the worst. There is not much difference than texting and dialing a cell phone. Both cause you to take your eyes off the road. I’m guilty of talking on a cell phone while driving and I’m pledging right now to stop. What example have I set for my children. I’m embarrassed to say , but it’s not a very good one.
So I’m very glad the Ohio State Highway patrol is stepping up their efforts to stop distracted driving. It increases my awareness of my behavior. We must be mindful of what we are doing. The losses are devastating. Over 3000 people died in distracted driving car crashes in 2011. You are 23 times more likely to be in an accident if you are distracted on a cell phone.
The Federal Government NHTSA Has Got This One Right
The Department of Transportationhas held 2 national distracted driving summits. They have banned texting and cell phone use for commercial vehicles. They have encouraged states to put in force stronger laws. They are trying hard to raise public awareness. Your resource for distracted driving is www.distraction.gov
The carmakers have got it wrong. They are creating hands free calling systems. Reseach by AAA has found that hands free devices are still too distracting. So these devices are no solution. They will likely make the problem worse. If you were sitting on a jury where a driver with a hands free device caused injury would you be willing to find the car manufacturer partially responsible. Be prepared to do so, because a slaughter is predicted. These hands free devices can cause tunnel vision because concentration is taken off the task of driving. (1)
The Devastation
Please take a moment to learn how one family was forever affected. There are countless others.
If a distracted driver hurts you in Ohio call me, Anthony Castelli Attorney, at 1-800-447-6549 for justice.