With the advent of warmer weather, we are seeing more people – especially children – out around town. That means it’s time to think about vehicle and roadway safety. This past month, the state conducted its “UDrive. UText. UPay” campaign, cracking down on distracted driving. But it’s not just about avoiding traffic tickets; it is about personal responsibility and weighing the value of human life.According to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, talking and texting on cell phones is the number one cause of distracted driving among drivers of all ages. Nine people in the United States are killed each and every day in crashes that involve a distracted driver, the CDC’s Transportation Safety division reports.While distracted driving used to be characterized by using one’s rear view mirror to apply make-up or eating a full meal in the car, it is now defined in a whole new manner, thanks to cell phones.Distracted driving includes all situations in which drivers take their eyes off the road, take their hands off the wheel, or generally take their minds off driving.While it is difficult to measure when one’s mind is not in the moment, it is easy to see when someone is not physically present at the wheel. At this point in time, we think all of us have had the experience of pulling up next to a vehicle, only to see someone staring intently into his or her lap. The most frightening experience is witnessing drivers holding up their phones at eye level while their vehicles are actually in motion. The phones are often held to the side, of course, so as not to completely block the drivers’ line of sight. Maybe this offers a false sense of security to the offenders.It’s one thing to talk to passengers, have a conversation on blue tooth, or grab a quick snack while driving (although all fall under the category of “distracted driving”), but sending or receiving texts or emails is unacceptable and, frankly, appalling. We wonder what those who text or email while driving would think if they came upon a driver who was perusing a newspaper or writing up a shopping list while cruising down the highway at 65 miles per hour.What it really comes down to is how much we value life, both our own and others’, and what is actually important in a lifetime. What we have to internalize ...
