Sunday, February 15, 2009
Driven to distraction
Christian Trejbal
Recent columns
- Making sense of local elections
- Voters have only themselves to blame
- Money flows freely to local candidates
- Candidates contemplate a little big-box store
From the RoundTable blog
Virginia lawmakers this year put personal liberty ahead of nanny laws. What were they thinking? Motorists who talk on their cellphones threaten everyone else on the road, and they are downright annoying, to boot.
Sure, current laws already punish reckless, dangerous driving, but they are inadequate. Virginians need their lawmakers to decide how much additional risk in an inherently risky activity is justified.
"I think it's common sense that a distraction from any cellphone is bad," said Sen. Patricia Ticer, D-Alexandria, who sponsored the bill to ban them.
It's more than common sense. It's science.
Studies show that people who talk on cellphones are distracted. It doesn't matter whether they hold the phone or use a hands-free set. Their attention is divided, and their response times are reduced. It's simply irresponsible for Virginia to allow them on the roads.
Ticer's colleagues did not heed her warnings. They killed her bill, just as they killed similar bills in the past.
Fortunately, the General Assembly meets annually. Ticer or one of the other nannies can try again next year.
And if they are honest about their fidelity to science, they will come back with some other measures to make the roads safer.
The science is clear: Plenty of things distract drivers and cause accidents. Cellphones are not even the most dangerous. Researchers from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Virginia Commonwealth University ranked them sixth.
A few bills could take care of the top five.
The Keep Your Damn Eyes on the Road Act. Who doesn't check out the carnage from an accident, a sweet car passing on the left, an attractive man or woman walking down the street, and all of the other visual delights on and around the commonwealth's roadways? Just the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains or Venus blazing near the horizon can draw one's eyes away from the road.
It is hardly surprising, then, that rubbernecking is the No. 1 driver distraction, three times as likely to be a factor in an accident as talking on a cellphone. Meanwhile, looking at scenery or landmarks came in third, twice as dangerous as cellphone chats.
The KYDER Act would ban drivers from looking anywhere but the road. Police could pull over and ticket anyone with wandering eyes.
The Driver Anti-Fatigue Technology bill. The second-most dangerous distraction is getting tired behind the wheel. When people do not get enough sleep at night or drive too long, their eyelids become heavy, and focusing on the road becomes difficult.
Under the bill, dashboard cameras would monitor drivers' eyelids. If they droop too far, an onboard computer would shut down the engine. Motorists would have to coast to the side of the road and catch a nap. That, or drink a cup of coffee.
The Solo Motorist Empowerment Goal. Research shows that passengers are nearly twice as distracting as talking on a cellphone, fourth on the list. They offer all of the conversational distraction of a cellphone call and add proximity. A driver cannot just hang up on an argumentative spouse when he's sitting right there.
Then there are the kids. Anyone who has been hit in the back of the head by a sippy-cup, who has threatened to turn the car around right now, who has reached the brink of insanity after repeatedly listening to Dora the Explorer DVDs knows just how dangerous and distracting children are in the car.
Virginia's roads will be safe only if everyone drives solo.
The Aural Distraction Deterrent law. Fifth on the list of dangerous distractions is playing with the radio or CD player. When drivers scan for a better song, they pay insufficient attention to the road. It gets even worse when they sing along, cheer a winning touchdown or curse a story on National Public Radio.
Once again, a ban would do. State law would order everyone to drive in silence. As a side benefit, thumping bass from overpowered subwoofers will never bother Virginians again.
Finally, we get to the sixth most dangerous distraction -- cellphones. Just recycle this year's bill.
Activities further down the list might fit into an omnibus bill. The Personal Attention Restoration And Navigation Omnibus Illegal Distraction plan could ban everything above plus eating, drinking, adjusting vehicle controls, smoking, loose pets and reading maps. And no more emotional impairment. Researchers found that to be a distraction, too. If your boyfriend dumps you, no driving for six weeks.
Of course, if lawmakers want to save time, there is a simpler solution: Ban automobiles. Science shows they are a factor in every crash, and it's about the science, not bias against new-fangled gadgets, right?
Trejbal is an editorial writer for The Roanoke Times based in the New River Valley bureau in Christiansburg.
