Drive or talk -- take your pick

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Get off your cell phone and out of my lane.

As I drive through Surf City, it amazes me how often I begin that

now-familiar angry rant, through gritted teeth.

The problem is not ours alone, certainly. But after three vehicles

(two trucks and an SUV) tried to join me in my lane of traffic in the

last week alone -- all three drivers on the phone -- I am convinced

it is a serious problem.

I am not innocent of picking up the cell phone while driving, or

even placing a quick call when necessary.

But I find myself wanting to tell people to do a little test. Try

patting your head and rubbing your tummy. Can’t do it? Then don’t

talk and drive!

Seriously, I think everyone should know their limits. You know

what you are capable of; you know if you are a good driver or not.

The tough question is, how do we solve the problem? It comes down

to something you may have experienced in school, or at home if you

have a big family like I do. Careless cell phone users will ruin it

for us all. In the end, those who talk responsibly, or are simply

capable of talking and driving safely, if such a thing exists, will

be out of luck. Privileges will eventually be revoked for one and

all.

California is one of about nine states that requires information

about cell phones when an accident occurs.

The problem is getting people to own up to being on the phone when

they are in an accident, Huntington Beach Sgt. Gary Meza said.

“It’s definitely a distraction,” Meza said.

But it is not a primary factor in an accident. The primary thing

is running a red light or stop sign, or following too closely. But

inattentiveness is a secondary factor, he said.

One Surf City police officer said that when he is doing radar,

three out of 10 people he pulls over for speeding were on the phone.

So far, New York is the only state to have banned the use of

hand-held phones while driving.

These statistics were reported by the Insurance Information

Institute: “Adding to research that suggests that cell phone use

while driving is hazardous, Progressive Insurance found that 46

percent of 837 drivers who used cell phones while driving swerved

into another lane, 23 percent tailgated another vehicle, 18 percent

almost hit another car, and 10 percent ran a red light. Of those

surveyed, 90 percent admitted to using their phone while driving

alone.”

As the facts pile up, as much as a driver’s honesty allows, it

seems increasingly likely that many more states will go the way of

New York. And so they should.

If that upsets you, stop and think before you make that next call

while driving -- “Can this wait until I get where I’m going?”

SOME MORE FACTS:

* Talking on a cell phone while driving quadruples the chances of

getting into a motor vehicle accident, according to the New England

Journal of Medicine. This risk is similar to the hazard associated

with drunk driving.

* Ninety-one percent of Americans believe that driving while

talking on a cell phone distracts drivers and increases the

likelihood of an accident, according to a 2000 survey conducted by

the Insurance Research Council.