Before you talk, text, or use any other electronic device or system while driving, think about this: The State of Texas and its municipal and other law enforcement agencies are no longer tolerating traffic accidents caused by someone using a cell phone, car navigation system, or other electronic device. In a change of stance somewhat reminiscent of the sudden lack of tolerance for drunk driving, police officers are no longer merely chalking up traffic accidents to distracted driving, shaking everyone's hand, and driving away to write up their accident reports. And it is probably high time police agencies take this action. But, if YOU are the one who becomes the distracted driver that causes an accident, consider the following.
A few weeks ago a traffic accident occurred on Texas Highway 191, the major state highway linking Midland to Odessa, TX. This is a heavily travelled highway with a posted speed limit of 75 miles per hour. Because of the high speed limit and the traffic volume, there is little room for error while driving. On this particular night, a young man was using his cell phone's "nav app" as he was driving from Midland to pick up his friend in Odessa. The young man was not necessarily speeding. In fact he was driving with the flow of traffic, which was moving at just over 75 miles per hour. Apparently the young man's nav app told him he was about to miss his exit. As you know, there is always another exit a mile or two up the road. In this case, the young man saw his exit just ahead and to his right. The only problem was he was in the LEFT lane. Rather than go to that next exit, the young whipped his steering wheel to the right. His vehicle immediately rammed a sports utility vehicle that was in his "blind spot" according to the police report. The SUV was forced off the pavement onto a narrow gravel shoulder then onto grass. The SUV rolled over several times before coming to rest on its side. The driver, a young man of only twenty years of age, was dead in the driver's seat.
Just this week the young driver that caused the accident was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. The Texas Highway Patrol is no longer playing softball. This young man will be brought to trial and will face a penalty of at least two years in the state prison system. He was on the way to Odessa to pick up his friend for a fun night out. It was very sad that a person was killed in this accident. It is also very said that such a young man, not otherwise a lawbreaker, could go to prison. His life is on hold at the moment. The best he can hope for is probation, the worst - ten years in prison.
No doubt this young man believed up to the second of the accident that he was perfectly capable of using his cell phone while he was driving. No doubt he HAD done this many times without causing an accident. Perhaps he had even dodged other drivers who were themselves texting while driving. I cannot judge him harshly, because I myself have nearly wrecked my vehicle while texting. Luckily I did not cause an accident, but I could have found myself in that young man's position. Even if this young man should receive only probation, it quite likely that he will be haunted by the other man's death for years to come.
If you regularly text while driving, or use some other device while driving, maybe this is a good time to consider 1) a hand's free device or your car's built-in telephone system and 2) not texting, typing, etc., at all while driving. Perhaps while driving you have seen another car occupied by two or three people. With all these people in the car, perhaps you have seen the DRIVER texting or typing while the passengers sat and did nothing (except possibly cringe as they escaped close call after close call). Why is it necessary that the driver do the calling, texting, programming, or whatever? Why can't one of the passengers be entrusted with this job? According to those who come up with these kinds of statistics, one is eight times more likely to have an accident if he or she texts or is otherwise distracted while driving.
As law enforcement agency priorities shift, I am sure that in Texas we will see more and more people prosecuted for causing accidents while using some electronic device, including even the ever-more complicated command and navigation systems that are integrated into the vehicle itself. The sad thing is that there is no conversation, no text message, no navigational programming, no car command system use, that is more important than driving your car in a safe manner, certainly not worth the life of another.
Things could get soon get bad for "texters" in one of the eastern states. I apologize for not being able to provide the name of this state at the moment but my note has gotten away from me. But the gist of it is that a person who "knowingly texts another when the actor knows the other is driving" will be charged in any resulting accident. In other words, if you text someone and that person texts back to you that he or she is "on the road" you could find yourself being charged either as an accessory or even with the actual crime itself if you continue texting that person. I do not know if this law will pass, but it could be enforced rather easily - all the officer needs to do is get the phone records just prior to the accident. It is not that far of a stretch for these types of laws to pass across the nation.
Distracted driving due to texting, typing, programming, or even just talking on your phone, is no longer being tolerated, and will no longer serve as an excuse for a needless accident. There is nothing you can do with your phone or other device while driving that is worth accidentally killing someone. Remember this too: Someone you love could be the next victim of a distracted driver. So please, try to break habit and break the cycle. It is not just that you might wreck your car or someone else's; it is not just that you might kill someone in the wreck you cause. Both scenarios are bad enough. But now, there is a very strong likelihood that you will go to prison if you injure or kill someone due to being a distracted driver.
So get that hands-free device now. And before you text, type, or program...think. Maybe it can wait until you get to a red light. Maybe it could even wait until you pull off the road into a parking lot or a wide shoulder. But be careful when you pull to the shoulder to use your phone. A distracted driver might well crash into you while you are texting.
A few weeks ago a traffic accident occurred on Texas Highway 191, the major state highway linking Midland to Odessa, TX. This is a heavily travelled highway with a posted speed limit of 75 miles per hour. Because of the high speed limit and the traffic volume, there is little room for error while driving. On this particular night, a young man was using his cell phone's "nav app" as he was driving from Midland to pick up his friend in Odessa. The young man was not necessarily speeding. In fact he was driving with the flow of traffic, which was moving at just over 75 miles per hour. Apparently the young man's nav app told him he was about to miss his exit. As you know, there is always another exit a mile or two up the road. In this case, the young man saw his exit just ahead and to his right. The only problem was he was in the LEFT lane. Rather than go to that next exit, the young whipped his steering wheel to the right. His vehicle immediately rammed a sports utility vehicle that was in his "blind spot" according to the police report. The SUV was forced off the pavement onto a narrow gravel shoulder then onto grass. The SUV rolled over several times before coming to rest on its side. The driver, a young man of only twenty years of age, was dead in the driver's seat.
Just this week the young driver that caused the accident was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. The Texas Highway Patrol is no longer playing softball. This young man will be brought to trial and will face a penalty of at least two years in the state prison system. He was on the way to Odessa to pick up his friend for a fun night out. It was very sad that a person was killed in this accident. It is also very said that such a young man, not otherwise a lawbreaker, could go to prison. His life is on hold at the moment. The best he can hope for is probation, the worst - ten years in prison.
No doubt this young man believed up to the second of the accident that he was perfectly capable of using his cell phone while he was driving. No doubt he HAD done this many times without causing an accident. Perhaps he had even dodged other drivers who were themselves texting while driving. I cannot judge him harshly, because I myself have nearly wrecked my vehicle while texting. Luckily I did not cause an accident, but I could have found myself in that young man's position. Even if this young man should receive only probation, it quite likely that he will be haunted by the other man's death for years to come.
If you regularly text while driving, or use some other device while driving, maybe this is a good time to consider 1) a hand's free device or your car's built-in telephone system and 2) not texting, typing, etc., at all while driving. Perhaps while driving you have seen another car occupied by two or three people. With all these people in the car, perhaps you have seen the DRIVER texting or typing while the passengers sat and did nothing (except possibly cringe as they escaped close call after close call). Why is it necessary that the driver do the calling, texting, programming, or whatever? Why can't one of the passengers be entrusted with this job? According to those who come up with these kinds of statistics, one is eight times more likely to have an accident if he or she texts or is otherwise distracted while driving.
As law enforcement agency priorities shift, I am sure that in Texas we will see more and more people prosecuted for causing accidents while using some electronic device, including even the ever-more complicated command and navigation systems that are integrated into the vehicle itself. The sad thing is that there is no conversation, no text message, no navigational programming, no car command system use, that is more important than driving your car in a safe manner, certainly not worth the life of another.
Things could get soon get bad for "texters" in one of the eastern states. I apologize for not being able to provide the name of this state at the moment but my note has gotten away from me. But the gist of it is that a person who "knowingly texts another when the actor knows the other is driving" will be charged in any resulting accident. In other words, if you text someone and that person texts back to you that he or she is "on the road" you could find yourself being charged either as an accessory or even with the actual crime itself if you continue texting that person. I do not know if this law will pass, but it could be enforced rather easily - all the officer needs to do is get the phone records just prior to the accident. It is not that far of a stretch for these types of laws to pass across the nation.
Distracted driving due to texting, typing, programming, or even just talking on your phone, is no longer being tolerated, and will no longer serve as an excuse for a needless accident. There is nothing you can do with your phone or other device while driving that is worth accidentally killing someone. Remember this too: Someone you love could be the next victim of a distracted driver. So please, try to break habit and break the cycle. It is not just that you might wreck your car or someone else's; it is not just that you might kill someone in the wreck you cause. Both scenarios are bad enough. But now, there is a very strong likelihood that you will go to prison if you injure or kill someone due to being a distracted driver.
So get that hands-free device now. And before you text, type, or program...think. Maybe it can wait until you get to a red light. Maybe it could even wait until you pull off the road into a parking lot or a wide shoulder. But be careful when you pull to the shoulder to use your phone. A distracted driver might well crash into you while you are texting.
No comments:
Post a Comment