Car seats may be required but there’s one other thing you should
be doing to protect your children in the car, because the
best-constructed car seat in the world doesn’t insure they’ll
live through an accident.
Prevention is the best cure, and driver error has been
documented to contribute to over 90% of collisions.
Your distractibility is crucial, and once again one of our best
technological advances has proven to be a very mixed blessing.
You might even say a very mixed curse.
And what is that?
It’s the conversation you’re having with your sister about the
party next week. Or the quick call to verify directions or to
say you’re running late. Or worst of all, an intense or complex
relationship issue you’re discussing with your spouse. ON THE
CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s hand-held or mounted, and it
doesn’t matter whether you’re dialing, chatting, intensely
relating, or hanging up. It’s dangerous.
According to the Fatal Analysis Reporting System, in one
analysis of fatal accidents involving cell phone use, the cell
phone-using drivers were all in what’s called “the striking
vehicle.” This means they either hit a stationary object, or
left their lane of traffic and struck a vehicle or obstacle. In
these crashes, 75% of the drivers were engaged in conversation,
13% were dialing, and 13% were hanging up.
And worse yet – of those engaged in conversation, 1/3 were using
mounted phones in the hands-free mode.
Risk of collision when using a cell is 4 times higher regardless
of your age, driving experience, of experience with a cell
phone, and – get this: the hands-free units offer no safety
advantage.
People using cell phones simply take longer to react, and miss
things that would allow them to avoid collisions. Even when not
at-fault, cell users were unable to avoid collisions with others.
Your cell phone records can and will be subpoened in case of a
lawsuit involving an accident, by the way.
So why not, when you strap the kids into their car seats, lay
the cell phone down on the floor beside them and turn off the
ringer?
Cell phones are great for productivity and personal safety. Just
make sure you aren’t using yours to call the EMS after a car
accident caused by the fact you were using yours while driving.
Go here http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/phon-ndx.htm for tips for
safe cell phone use in the car (if there is such a thing). And
when you buckle up, buckle up the cell as well.
P. S. And don’t let the grandparents off the hook either.
According to the National Public Services Research Institute for
AAA, where cell phone use in the car is concerned, the
distraction effect in drivers over the age of 50 is 2-3 times as
great and encompasses all tasks – placing calls, simple
conversations, and complex conversations. They increase response
time by 33-38%.
With statistics like this, can legislation be far behind? But do
you need legislation to do what’s right?
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