Precision driving: Evolution of a driving distraction

Some driver distractions have been around since Henry Ford’s Model T. Most likely, even early vehicle operators diluted their driving attention with insect shooing, eating, smoking, or rubbernecking stares toward roadside diversions.

Later, drivers began tending to vehicle accessories such as heaters and radios during their journeys. Throughout automotive history, drivers have made driving errors, and had accidents, as a result of the influence of common distractions.

One item on the list of things that absorb driver attention is a relative newcomer — one that has not been around for much of automobile history — the cell phone.

The evolution of driver cell phone use has been rapid. This newer device has rapidly surpassed concerns about other forms of driver distraction, and in a short time, drawn the attention of state lawmakers.

Statistics derived from crash scenes create lists of the top crash-causing driver diversions. When I first wrote of the general distraction phenomenon a couple of years ago, cell phone use was well down on the national list — below looking at scenery, adjusting the radio, eating, drinking, or reading a map.

Within a few months of that first writing, cell phones as an accident-causer made their way up from around number six on the list to number two. Today, a year or so later, determined, distracted drivers have put the cell phone — you guessed it — in the number one spot.

The East Coast often sets America’s trends, so when New York passed a law making it illegal for drivers to talk on a hand-held phone awhile ago, we could predict what was coming for us. It appears that Washington will soon join four other states that outlaw driving while talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device.

After passing the Senate vote, the Washington state bill made it through the House on April 11. Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign the bill into law when it gets to her desk. The final version will take effect in July 2008.

The law will make it a legal offense to talk on a hand-held cell phone while driving. The current version of the law places the infraction as a secondary offense, meaning that one can’t be pulled over just for that, but the citation could be tacked onto another ticket, let’s say, for weaving or speeding. That makes enforcement more difficult for law officers, but they will definitely be watching for it. From what I’ve seen, driving phone conversationalists will be committing plenty of primary offenses.

What effect will the law have? Well, for certain, the sale of cell phone headsets will increase. Headsets cost from around $15 for ear pods, to over $100 for wireless headsets and speakers — the electronic sellers welcome the law. Enforcement agencies should gain some revenue also — New York has written nearly 270,000 tickets since its law has been in effect. The Washington law specifies a $101 fine.

Will the law improve safety? Sadly, I don’t believe so. To me, the core of the distraction is not holding the phone, but rather having the conversation. Depending on depth and gravity, I’ve driven for miles without consciously remembering the drive. That is why I now pull off the roadway to use the cell. I subscribe to the position of some fleet operators, like UPS and FedEx, who forbid the use of phones while driving.

Another hole in the proposed law is that the giant distraction of dialing the phone is not addressed; voice-activated dialing may alleviate this to a degree, but it’s all distracting, nevertheless. A law prohibiting phone-texting is now in the works, however, which may cover fooling with the keypad.

I am seldom for increased legislation. For me, this issue is akin to the motorcycle helmet law — I’m not against helmet use, just mandatory helmet use. Likewise, I’m not for cell phone use while driving, just the legal prohibition of it.

Simple laws can’t protect people from all the ways they may hit their head, just as laws cannot protect drivers from all of the distractions to which they are susceptible.

Instead, I would encourage an education program enlightening drivers with pertinent information. Cell phone conversations impair drivers, and relegate them to a legally intoxicated state — slow in recognition and reaction. Other studies show that a driver talking on the cell phone increases his or her accident proneness four times.

I think that the only way to assuage the epidemic that cell phone use by drivers has become is to get everyone to stop it — to pull over to gab. That will take driver realization — not laws.