The holidays represent a time with family and friends and unfortunately for some that also means driving from one location to another. Law enforcement knows that the chance that we will be out and behind the wheel when we have had a little too much to drink is much greater around holidays. The police call on extra staff in the hopes to curb bad behavior and save lives. But are we not in need of this protection on a day to day basis with all that we do while tearing down the highways?
The average vehicle has a cell phone, a stereo system of some sort and talking GPS system on board. For those more talented, you can change a shirt, read the latest stock quotes on your smart phone or finish that argument that your partner started as you were walking out the door. These distractions are in addition to merging traffic, construction work and the passing thunderstorm.
The laws have cracked down on drunk driving in the effort to make our roads safer. If caught driving while intoxicated, you will be paying fines in the excess of a thousand dollars, you will be taking alternate transportation to work and could possibly spending some time behind bars. The laws regarding the many activities that we can find ourselves engaged in vary from state to state. And the punishment used to remind us to pay attention to the road is a fine ranging from $25-$50. However, most distracting activities are perfectly legal.
When driving drunk, we are in an altered state. The mind and body do not react very quickly, our focus is not where it needs to be and we do things that we might not do otherwise. Driving while multi-tasking, we do not react as quickly to change, our focus is not on the road in front of us and, at we drift into the next lane while we look up latest stock quotes.
It only takes a moment for the car in front of you to suddenly decide to make a right hand turn, complete without the benefit of a turn signal, or for that child to step out from behind a vehicle. As our population grows, our roads become more congested and it is not uncommon to sit in traffic for several hours because of road construction. Some people feel that they cannot go that long without being connected to the office or their family and maybe they actually cannot. But is it acceptable at the expense of others?
The judicial system is slow to catch up with today’s technology. Texting and hand-held cell phones are a no-no while driving but there not any laws that prohibit people from eating, putting on make-up or perusing the internet on our smart phone. The number of drunken driving incidents has gone down because the laws are unbending and not really open too much interpretation.
Many states already have a law regarding texting while driving but it is not that easy for a police officer to determine that someone was texting. The person could have been getting directions from their smart phone via the internet, which is perfectly legal. There is the potential for claims of harassment or precious time taken from our justice system to dispute whether someone was texting or hitting redial. So many officers are not too quick to respond to this law.
Whether it is drunk driving or driving while distracted, we are all operating vehicles that weigh in around 2000 pounds at legal speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. Does it really matter what we were doing when we have put other lives at risk for the sake of having too good of a time at the local pub or the quick text to the wife to find out what’s for dinner?
