Pay attention and drive!

Ask almost anyone if they are a better-than-average driver, and they will say yes. Now ask them if other drivers being distracted by mobile phones are dangerous—again, they will say yes. They may then follow with some kind of excuse about their own phone use and how their own driving skills are, magically, unaffected.

Funny how universal that is.

Oregon lawmakers feel that cell phone use does impair driving ability. On July 28, Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed HB 2377, which prohibits any person operating a motor vehicle from using a mobile communication device, except under certain circumstances pertaining to professional drivers (such as delivery drivers).

This law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010, and includes all use of handheld mobile phones and texting, but does not include hands-free devices. There is already an Oregon law prohibiting teens from using phones at all while driving.

Supporters of the bill say it will make Oregon roads safer. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation Web site, the most common driver errors resulting in crashes in 2008 ranged from following too close to not paying enough attention to the road. The potential for drivers to commit these errors is amplified if a driver’s hands are distracted. The most common and intense distraction is undoubtedly the mobile device.

The popularity of text messaging is alarming, since a significant number of drivers are probably texting at any given moment. Common sense dictates that texting is even more distracting than chatting while driving and thus is ridiculously dangerous.

Like any law affecting almost everyone, there is controversy. Some claim infringement of citizens’ rights, calling it a “nanny law,” meaning it is overly protective. The same argument was used when seat belt laws were first enacted.

Opponents argue that talking with passengers is just as distracting as a phone conversation. However, a passenger in the same physical environment as the driver has the ability—and motivation—to warn the driver of a possible accident. This argument holds no clout when it comes to texting.

According to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Web site, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington states all have similar laws. Twenty states ban all drivers from texting and nine states have age restrictions for texting and driving. Eighteen states ban school bus drivers from using hand-held phones. California is the only state listed that bans transit bus drivers, except Texas, which bans them only if a passenger on board is under 18.

This technology is new and laws are slow to catch up. Bravo to Oregon and other states for recognizing the need.
TriMet has recently come under fire for this issue. According to The Oregonian, there have been over 530 complaints about transit drivers and cell phone use in the past two years, and until now the disciplinary action they faced was minimal.

At first, TriMet insisted its disciplinary policies wouldn’t change when HB 2377 goes into effect. This led to such backlash that Fred Hansen, general manager of TriMet, said any operator caught using their phone while operating a TriMet vehicle will face immediate termination after Jan. 1, 2010.
As they should. Plus, this law will apply to future operators too!

If we set aside for a moment our addiction to mobile technology, it’s impossible to find a valid argument. Whether or not we admit it, we are all guilty of driving errors while using our phones and have seen it with other drivers.

According to The Oregonian, The Oregon Department of Transportation reported 1,660 crashes between 2003 and 2008 involving drivers on cell phones, with 21 of those resulting in fatalities.

The phone call, and especially the text, can wait.
 

What do you think?
Is the issue of cell phones being used on the road really cause for concern? Are they another distraction making it more dangerous to drive, or is driving and using a phone no big deal?

Also, what about the topless law in Oregon? Is it a matter of gender equality, or have we perhaps lost a sense of modesty? Could driving topless while on the cell phone be the true culprit?

Send a letter to the editor and tell us what you think. E-mail [email protected].