Study: California Drivers Can't Seem to Put Their Cellphones Down - It is truly amazing and frightening to read the results of a recent study indicate 9.2 percent of drivers were using phones to talk, text, or otherwise take away their attention during observations earlier this year.
Certainly more discouraging, the study shows this was up from 6.6 percent of drivers in 2014!
The study was done for the state's Office of Traffic Safety and transportation experts at the University of California, Berkeley.
At nearly 13 percent of drivers, Sonoma County had the highest rate.
I first read this story at home this morning and found it astonishing that cellphone usage has risen following the passage of laws meant to regulate such usage.
As I drove to my office, I paid particular attention to the other drivers. During the brief drive to my office (four blocks), I saw four people with their cellphones held to their ears! Particularly when one considers the relatively small cost and ease of implementation of hands-free communication, I believe there is absolutely no excuse for such distracted driving!
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Study: California Drivers Can't Seem to Put Their Cellphones Down
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Impaired Driving, In the News, and Enjoy
Impaired Driving - While journeying to mine office this morning, I narrowly escaped being crashed into by a woman who had a cell phone held firmly against her right ear, driving with her left hand on the steering wheel, obviously giving most of her attention to the conversation she was having, and giving precious little attention to her driving.
People often treat this as a time to multitask and tend other daily activities. With today’s proliferation of mobile devices, dashboard technologies, and other tools that provide easy access to information, entertainment,
and communications, in-vehicle distractions are increasing.
Studies show that drivers spend more than half their time behind the wheel engaged in potentially distracting behavior.
When you are driving, you are operating a piece of heavy machinery at high speed. You are navigating across changing terrain, calculating speeds and distances, and responding to all the other drivers and obstacles around you. Adding one more activity—even talking to your passengers or changing a radio station—can be enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to respond in an emergency. In the News - They walk among us! Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!
Had I been less attentive, had I been similarly impaired, or had Mr. Nitro R/T been incapable of summoning the requisite performance and agility to quickly distance me from this creature, I would most certainly been an accident victim!
Fortunately, I was able to avoid being struck by this loathsome beast and suffered only the unsettling emotional discomfort that followed necessarily.
Once the immediacy of potential collision had passed, I pulled to the side of the street, parked, and attempted to note her license plate number. Traffic did not allow me to do so, so this event will not be reported.
Impaired driving is dangerous. It is the cause of more than half of all car crashes. Impaired driving is operating a motor vehicle while you are affected by any of the following:
For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive while impaired. Have someone else drive you or take public transportation when you cannot drive. If you need to take a call or send a text message, pull to the side of the roadway and park while using your cell phone.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Americans spend about one hour and 15 minutes in their vehicles every day.
