There has been a lot of news lately with concern over distracted drivers. With the ever increasing numbers of cell phones and other distractions, not to mention road rage; even the most experienced drivers can face insurmountable challenges. Drivers putting on makeup, talking on or dialing cell phones, eating food, or dealing with small children while behind the wheel are three times as likely to be involved in a crash. Almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happen within seconds of some form of driver distraction. Young, inattentive drivers are much more likely to have them due to inexperience.
Drivers apparently still do not have adequate knowledge of basic rules of the road, and they exhibit bad habits behind the wheel. Unfortunately, some of these bad habits result in aggressive behavior. Road rage can happen to anybody at anytime and can vary from an aggressive gesture or word to a physical attack, or in some cases, even death. In fact, just recently a friend of my daughter’s lost his life due to this type of act, stabbed to death by another driver after stopping to confront the teenager for his apparent reckless behavior on the road. Drivers stopped at traffic lights, stuck in traffic jams, or getting into or out of their cars are generally the most vulnerable. Poor judgment, such as driving aggressively or recklessly, is more prevalent among the teenagers, provoking road rage as well. Many of us have dangerous driving habits that we are not even aware of, and this is something we should all take into consideration each time we get behind the wheel and drive.
My teenage daughter will soon be getting her own license, and I worry more about the irresponsibility of other drivers than I do about her. However, I was pleased to learn that recently in my state (N.C.) a new law was passed to prohibit the use of cell phones by teenage drivers. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for North Carolina teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17. In fact, both teenagers and adults are four times more likely to be involved in an accident while using a cell phone. Fortunately, now drivers under the age of 18 caught using a cell phone could face a $25 fine and an extension to their graduated driving period, of which I also approve. The graduated driver’s license not only limits the number of fatalities for younger drivers but also limits distractions from other passengers. Under this provision, a Level One permit authorizes teenagers to drive with a supervising driver (a supervising driver must be a parent, grandparent, guardian of the permit/license holder, or a responsible person approved by the parent or guardian holding a valid driver license for at least five years) between 5 am and 9 pm during the first six months. No one except the driver and the supervising driver are allowed in the front seat. Before graduating to Level Two, the teens must keep the permit for at least 12 months with no convictions or seat belt infractions. Under the Level Two Limited Provisional License, drivers may drive without supervision from 5 am. to 9 pm. and at any time when driving directly to or from work. Once a license is obtained, however, there may be no more than one passenger under 21 years of age in the vehicle, with exception to immediate family. Cutting out the use of teenage cell phone users while driving and the graduated driver’s license is only a start. If only we could do something for the distracted adults out there as well.
