June 30, 2006
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They aren’t accidents.
I believe that the vast majority of vehicular collisions can’t be
rightly called accidents. They are the result of taking a risk that
didn’t work out.Driving
while drunk and hit a kid on a bike? You made the decision to hit the
kid when you made the decision to get in the driver’s seat. It isn’t an
accident, it’s your fault and your choice.So, show of hands? How many people think that drunk driving is bad?
Is it really bad?
If you keep doing it, should you lose the privilege to drive?
Should you pay fines?
Should you go to jail?
If you kill someone while drunk driving should you pay for it for the rest of your life?
OK. I’m sure you all picked reasonable answers for that.
Now. Here’s yet another article on yet another study that shows that the impact of talking on a cell phone while driving is just as bad if not worse than driving drunk.
Talk on a cell phone while you drive? Then think of yourself the same way you think of a drunk driver.
Think you can handle it? I know lots of drinkers that feel the same way.
(And,
just in case you didn’t know, driving while heavily fatigued or heavily
emotionally wrought have ALSO been shown to have similar levels of
impact on driving ability).Of course, that’s for the average driver. I’m sure you’re all better than that and can handle it.
I know I am.
I’m a careful enough driver that I can keep focused on the road while talking on a cell phone.
I’m a careful enough driver that I can keep concentrated even if I’m tired or angry.
I’m a careful enough driver that I can keep from getting in an accident after 4 – 6 beers.
I know I am. You probably are too. Right?
Well, hell even if I am a bit distracted, everyone does it and there’s not a law against it, so it must be OK, right?
Well,
try to remember, if its your kid or niece or nephew or grandchild that
I run down while talking on the cell, it was just an accident. They ran
out in front of me, I didn’t have time to react.Blah. Blah. Blah.
Comments (7)
Good post!! Personally I hate cell phones. My parents keep trying to get me to buy one “for emergencies”, and they tried giving one to me for Christmas, but it wouldn’t pick up any single where I live, so back it went. I figure I don’t need one anyway, everyone else has them so if I have an emergency I’ll just ask the person closest to me if I can use their cell phone, lol! It’s not just talking on them while driving though, I’ve watched my over 300 pound friend attempt to get the cell phone out of his pocket while driving a small car, extremely dangerous and he almost always struggles so long he misses the call anyway.
Melissa
Good post dear, now remind me not to talk on my cell phone while we’re in the car.
Now I look like an idiot: I meant “signal” not “single”, sorry that just bugs me so much when I do that, lol! Never used to happen, I’m chalking it up to hypoglycemic episodes messing with my brain, lol!
Mel
*heh* nw. I make those mistakes all the time…
I don’t think I’ve ever driven while I wasn’t sleep deprived. I wonder if I really would be a good driver if I were ever to wake up?
–yep, like the old joke,
“I want to die like my Grampa, peacefully in my sleep;—not like his passengers screaming and yelling.”
Like Rphaedrus said, Nothing could be worse than any of friends of our coming out of the Half-Time at the end end of a Tuesday night, getting into their cars, then getting yelled at over the Cell phone for not getting home earlier ‘caude they need to be up and at the work at 8:30.
*heh* I think you hit the quad-fecta JHP.