Cell Phone/Driving Horror Story

[Valinda]

http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4449021
CLARK COUNTY
Woman's Arm Severed In Car Accident

A Letcher County woman suffered a horrible injury early Thursday when her arm was severed in a car crash on the Mountain Parkway in Clark County.
Jacqueline Dotson and her six-year-old daughter had to be cut out of their vehicle after the accident in which Dotson veered into the median and over-corrected, rolling her truck over the guardrail and landing upside down after flipping several times.

Several people stopped to help, and it turns out, the good samaritans may very well have saved Dotson's life. Sheila Vice, a nurse's aide, and an off-duty EMT from another county stopped to help, and put a tourniquet on Dotson's arm to stop the bleeding. Her arm was found near the accident still clutching a cell phone.

"Basically we stayed there and talked to them until the EMT drivers got there," said Vice.

Rescuers used the jaws of life to get the Dotson and her daughter out of the truck. Both were flown to hospitals, and Dotson is listed in serious condition at UK Hospital. Her daughter is not in the hospital, and sheriff's officials say they believe she's going to be fine.

Both were wearing seat belts.

LEX 18 News Headlines
http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4449021

[lostfaith]

Her arm was found "still clutching" the cell phone! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Valinda]

Her arm was found "still clutching" the cell phone! :eek: :eek: :eek:
Talk about getting caught red handed.:eek:

[luvahgirl]

I'm sorry but it's a little difficult to conjure up much if any sympathy for this woman. In fact, I'm surprised her mouth wasn't stuck to the phone also. Good grief - pull it on over to the side to talk!

[WebbyCat]

Talking on cell phones while driving should be illegal.

Just two months ago two teenage girls were killed in a head on collision here. The third girl survived with some pretty bad injuries. She said the last thing she remembered was the cell phone ringing and the driver trying to answer it and veering into the wrong traffic lane while she was fiddling with the phone.

[christine2448]

Talking on cell phones while driving should be illegal.


:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Lauren]

I always turn mine off. I do not wanted to be tempted. We had a local gal who got killed (single parent of 2) while on the freeway looking up a phonenumber(s)in a phone book. Crazy. If you need to talk, get at the very least a headset, although you are still talking and distracted IMO, I know I am not that coordinated. Or pull over. We got thru years without cell phones and I think we can for a few minutes.

[reb]

i have a solution.... i just avoid driving as much as possible. i work close to home, or if i do have to go far, i take the simplest/shortest/least crowded route possible... & also don't go out at rush hour. i used to LOVE driving, but not anymore. but then again, by using a car, i'm part of the problem.
anyway, i agree, since people cannot handle this type of thing, unfortunately-- it should be outlawed. it was bad enough with people fiddling with the radio.tape player, now they're fiddling with that AND their damn phones. now we have the global positioning map-finder thingies too-- more and more things to take your eyes & mind off where they SHOULD be, which is ON THE ROAD!!!! also, what's the deal with people now putting those little TV's in the FRONT seat, up near the rear-view mirror???

[reb]

btw... i can hear it now,, "uhh, ma'am.. we found your arm, and here's your phone-- you have four messages..." i bet she used the other arm to check right away.... sheesh.

[strach304]

My favorite :D women putting makeup on while driving. They're all distractions with children being at the top of the list for me.

[sleuthin4fun]

The best is when you see a mom in her car on the phone, putting on mascara, eating a muffin with a toddler in the back seat. By the way I am guilty of talking on my phone when I drive.

[AlwaysHope]

i have even seen people reading while driving at 65-70 mph... now that is crazy! I talk on my cell while driving, but only for a minute or two...never in bad weather, and never when there are children in the car.

DRIVE SAFE EVERYONE!!

[christine2448]

btw... i can hear it now,, "uhh, ma'am.. we found your arm, and here's your phone-- you have four messages..." i bet she used the other arm to check right away.... sheesh.
:eek: :eek: :eek:

[PrayersForMaura]

I heard a report on the radio that research shows it's not talking on the cell phone that causes distractions. It's the dialing or looking at something and not the road.

People talk to other people in a car. It's the same thing if you think about it, except sometimes you hold the cell phone instead of use a headset/handsfree system.

The report said "talking" on a cell phone is no more dangerous that smoking, eating talking to another passenger in the car, etc. It bugs me when I am a passenger and the driver looks at me -- even glances -- when talking. I say, you can talk to me, but keep your eyes on the road! :slap:
Anyway, this report has the statistics to back it up from some research they did. I wish I could find a link. I will look for it.

Singing along with the radio could be just as much of a distraction as talking.

So I kind of agree with the study. It's not the talking so much as much as the dialing or doing other things.
You should always have both hands free though. I agree with that.
You need to use one hand for blinkers a lot of time. Some people who don't talk on cell phones don't use blinkers and they cause accidents, too.

That drives me nuts when people don't use blinkers!
I'd pull people over for it if I could!

[Valinda]

The best is when you see a mom in her car on the phone, putting on mascara, eating a muffin with a toddler in the back seat. By the way I am guilty of talking on my phone when I drive.
I hate to admit it, I've been guilty of it too. But I no longer hold my cell. I either use a headphone or speaker, and use voice dial when making calls.

[CyberLaw]

Oh please......

Prayers for Maura, please note:

www. drivenowchatlater.com

There are so many other driver distractions that cause accidents. Why focus on cell phones?

Answer: Phone conversations have been shown to cause a cognitive distraction in drivers. In other words, the driver's brain is intensely engaged with the conversation, although he may appear to be paying attention to the road. This does not happen with other common distractions, including conversations with passengers. Research has shown that phone conversations cause what is termed "tunnel vision" in drivers. Although they appear to be looking at objects, their brains are not registering a good portion of what they see. Therefore, a driver is impaired for the entire length of the phone conversation.

Why doesn't the use of hands free equipment solve the problem? At least both hands would be on the wheel.


Answer: The use of hands free equipment would free up both of the driver's hands during the phone conversation. However, since it's been shown that the distraction from cell phones is mostly a cognitive one, having both hands on the wheel will make little difference.

I drive fine while on the phone. It's other people who can't seem to handle it. Why should I be effected?


Answer: Research shows that drivers are rarely aware of their own poor performance while on the phone, but have observed others driving erratically while on the phone. This would imply that a consequence of using the phone while driving is that it makes a driver insensitive to his or her own impairment. Much like an alcoholic feels sure that he/she drives fine while intoxicated.

www.2 (http://www.2) potsdam. edu

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that drivers who used mobile phones while driving were four times more likely to crash than those who do not, a rate equal to that for drunken driving at the .01 level.

www.cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca)

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO - It could be a first in Canada, charges have been laid against a driver who caused an accident and was reportedly using a cell phone at the time.

A man faces two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Two independent witnesses say they saw a driver talking on a cell phone immediately before the crash in Mississauga, Ontario.


Investigators plan to obtain phone records. A woman was critically injured and her adult daughter, who was also in the car, was badly hurt.

In conclusion: Talking on the cell phone increases your chance of accidents, either if it is hands free or mobile.

[strach304]

I have young daughters that drive and have complained often about the phone while driving but now I'll add one more to the newest distraction; the ipod. Great little gadgets just like cell phones but something that is a distraction and may take your attention away momentarily. I hardly ever answered my phone when I was driving for the sole reason that I found it to be distracting.

Now back in the old days :crazy: I was in an accident with my husband and our small daughter was in the back seat seatbelted of course and they were fine but it was my side the van slammed into, how I lived through that I'll never know but I did see it coming because I could see the driver looking at a map and as I looked over at my husband he was looking down putting out a cigarette. It was the man in the vans fault but I always felt if my husband had been paying better attention he would have seen it in time. I became a very defensive driver after that experience.

[Niner]

Her arm was found "still clutching" the cell phone! :eek: :eek: :eek:

:eek: :eek: :eek: is RIGHT!! geez... good thing I don't own a cell phone! Solves THAT problem!! :p

[Valinda]

Oh please......

www. drivenowchatlater.com

There are so many other driver distractions that cause accidents. Why focus on cell phones?

Answer: Phone conversations have been shown to cause a cognitive distraction in drivers. In other words, the driver's brain is intensely engaged with the conversation, although he may appear to be paying attention to the road. This does not happen with other common distractions, including conversations with passengers.
I don't understand the difference between talking on a hands free cell, or talking to a passenger. They're both talking, so depending on the conversation they both should be equally as distracting.

[CyberLaw]

Now I am not a Doctor, nor Brain Surgeon, but it has to do with the function of the brain and how a "conversation" with a passenger differs from a "conversation" on a cell phone. How the brain processes and "reacts" to each.........

Please note: Phone conversations have been shown to cause a cognitive distraction in drivers. In other words, the driver's brain is intensely engaged with the conversation, although he may appear to be paying attention to the road.


The only difference is that your hands are free. The only safe way to have a "phone conversation" while you are driving is to pull over to the side of the road. Concentrate on the conversation, and not on the driving. Or not answer the phone and concentrate on driving and not a conversation.

It has been shown, by doing both, you have a four times higher chance of having an accident. It should be noted also, that if you are having an angry conversation, your driving will relflect that. You will be a lot more agressive.......and the cognitive distraction increases significantly.


A Father and his daughter were at a level train crossing. There would be some sort of "warning" of a train approaching. The man did not pay attention as he was having a "conversation" with some one on his cell phone. I don't have to tell you the rest........


A women and her 4 year old son were driving in a "difficult" rural area, in weather that was not ideal. In this area, you have to grab the steering wheel and drive extremely slow and carefully as it is winding and snowy. The extra hazzard is that this road is winding beside a lake. You need 110% attention. The women was on her cell phone.........I don't have to tell you the rest.


It did not matter if hands free were used, or not, just the fact that "their" mind was on a conversation and not on the road was enough............it is extremely sad to think of what happened to them and that it could have been prevented. Especially the kids........


So in conclusion is it not the "method" of having the conversation, it is the conversation itself.


I even find this "when I am on the phone at home" and doing other things, like when I go to check dinner and find I put dinner in the oven, but did not turn the oven on. My mind was on the "conversation"..........

[PrayersForMaura]

:eek: :eek: :eek: is RIGHT!! geez... good thing I don't own a cell phone! Solves THAT problem!! :p
Actually, everyone should have a cell phone. If your car breaks down and you are all alone at night, it is nice to have a phone to be able to call for help.
Or if you are lost. I've had several occasions where I was so glad I had a cell phone. You don't have to use it while driving but it's good to have one in a car. Even insurance companies encourage that.

[PrayersForMaura]

Now I am not a Doctor, nor Brain Surgeon, but it has to do with the function of the brain and how a "conversation" with a passenger differs from a "conversation" on a cell phone. How the brain processes and "reacts" to each.........

Please note: Phone conversations have been shown to cause a cognitive distraction in drivers. In other words, the driver's brain is intensely engaged with the conversation, although he may appear to be paying attention to the road.


The only difference is that your hands are free. The only safe way to have a "phone conversation" while you are driving is to pull over to the side of the road. Concentrate on the conversation, and not on the driving. Or not answer the phone and concentrate on driving and not a conversation.

It has been shown, by doing both, you have a four times higher chance of having an accident. It should be noted also, that if you are having an angry conversation, your driving will relflect that. You will be a lot more agressive.......and the cognitive distraction increases significantly.


A Father and his daughter were at a level train crossing. There would be some sort of "warning" of a train approaching. The man did not pay attention as he was having a "conversation" with some one on his cell phone. I don't have to tell you the rest........


A women and her 4 year old son were driving in a "difficult" rural area, in weather that was not ideal. In this area, you have to grab the steering wheel and drive extremely slow and carefully as it is winding and snowy. The extra hazzard is that this road is winding beside a lake. You need 110% attention. The women was on her cell phone.........I don't have to tell you the rest.


It did not matter if hands free were used, or not, just the fact that "their" mind was on a conversation and not on the road was enough............it is extremely sad to think of what happened to them and that it could have been prevented. Especially the kids........


So in conclusion is it not the "method" of having the conversation, it is the conversation itself.


I even find this "when I am on the phone at home" and doing other things, like when I go to check dinner and find I put dinner in the oven, but did not turn the oven on. My mind was on the "conversation"..........
Do you have any statistics that show how many accidents have involved cell phone talking?
Because I see people driving down the road everyday and 4 out of 5 people are talking on cell phones, including me.
I've never had an accident, I use my blinkers, wear my seatbelt and drive better than some people I see on the road who don't use blinkers, speed and have road rage.

I don't see many accidents around me, so I would guess that talking on a cell phone does not cause THAT many accidents or I would be seeing one pretty much every few minutes.

[PrayersForMaura]

Harvard study finds economic cost of cell phone accidents equals benefit of calls on the road

Harvard researchers estimate about one in 20 U.S. traffic accidents involve a driver talking on a cell phone, but say laws banning cellular phone use while driving would cost society about as much as they would save. Data on the number of crashes caused by cell phones is incomplete, said the study released Monday by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. But it suggested that drivers talking on their phones are responsible for about 6 percent of U.S. auto accidents each year, killing an estimated 2,600 people and injuring 330,000 others.

...The Harvard study found that a cell phone user has about 13 chances in 1 million of being killed in an accident while making a call; that compares with 49 in 1 million for someone driving without a seat belt.



Other drivers and pedestrians have about four chances in 1 million of dying in an accident caused by a cell phone user, according to the study. Their chance of being killed by a drunken driver is more than four times as high -- 18 in a million.



The statistics are based on an average cell phone owner using 600 minutes a year.

Harvard's statistics update a center study released two years ago that estimated the chance of being killed while driving and talking on a cell phone were about six in a million and 1.5 in a million for other people on the road.


More: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/12/02/financial1113EST0084.DTL



In conclusion, I think people have more of a chance of being injured by a family member in domestic violence than being hurt by a person talking on a cell phone while driving. I think this whole thing gets blown out of proportion by people making assumptions about what they think is right and wrong because they do or do not do it.

[PrayersForMaura]

For the record: I don't talk on the cell phone all the time in my car :) Just when I feel it's safe to do so. If the road is icy or there's a lot of traffic with slow downs and I'm trying to find a place, I won't talk on the phone. I just do so mostly on routes I'm familar with, sometimes on the highway when there's light traffic, if I'm stopped at stop lights or on long drives when I am bored and feel like dozing off!

I think I'm a responsible driver. Not perfect, but responsible.
I do some things that aren't "compliant" such as go a few miles or so over the speed limit when I'm running late. A lot of people do, doesn't make it ok to do so. But knock on wood, I've never caused an accident or been in one. I almost was the other day when I was really tired and NOT on the phone and traffic came to a dead stop and I slammed on the brakes. I had to swerve in the other lane and luckily no one was there. I was on some cold medicine and was drowsy and had to get up early for a meeting before work. Needless to say my heart was pounding.
That's not my typical driving style.

I think people get into their cars thinking they don't want to cause an accident, so most people I would hope can manage what distractions they have. Yes, there are those few who do not. But it's not fair to blame everyone because a few people may drive poorly or have an accident. You may never know what exactly caused that accident. It might not have ben the cell phone after all. A simple sneeze can make you close your eyes.
A spider scared the heck out of me once.

Blanket, general statements just don't apply to everyone.

[Linda7NJ]

Now I am not a Doctor, nor Brain Surgeon, but it has to do with the function of the brain and how a "conversation" with a passenger differs from a "conversation" on a cell phone. How the brain processes and "reacts" to each.........

Please note: Phone conversations have been shown to cause a cognitive distraction in drivers. In other words, the driver's brain is intensely engaged with the conversation, although he may appear to be paying attention to the road.


The only difference is that your hands are free. The only safe way to have a "phone conversation" while you are driving is to pull over to the side of the road. Concentrate on the conversation, and not on the driving. Or not answer the phone and concentrate on driving and not a conversation.

It has been shown, by doing both, you have a four times higher chance of having an accident. It should be noted also, that if you are having an angry conversation, your driving will relflect that. You will be a lot more agressive.......and the cognitive distraction increases significantly.


A Father and his daughter were at a level train crossing. There would be some sort of "warning" of a train approaching. The man did not pay attention as he was having a "conversation" with some one on his cell phone. I don't have to tell you the rest........


A women and her 4 year old son were driving in a "difficult" rural area, in weather that was not ideal. In this area, you have to grab the steering wheel and drive extremely slow and carefully as it is winding and snowy. The extra hazzard is that this road is winding beside a lake. You need 110% attention. The women was on her cell phone.........I don't have to tell you the rest.


It did not matter if hands free were used, or not, just the fact that "their" mind was on a conversation and not on the road was enough............it is extremely sad to think of what happened to them and that it could have been prevented. Especially the kids........


So in conclusion is it not the "method" of having the conversation, it is the conversation itself.


I even find this "when I am on the phone at home" and doing other things, like when I go to check dinner and find I put dinner in the oven, but did not turn the oven on. My mind was on the "conversation"..........
See, I don't have this problem and can talk on the cell while driving cause I usually pay no attention to who is talking;) ( my husband) I just say "uh huh" a lot !

[CyberLaw]

Well for starters: Here is a small sampling of OTHER countries that limit cell phone use.

Gee, if cell phone use is so "innocent" and has no impact on driving, I wonder why all of these countries went to the measure they did to limit use.

I wonder why, could it be that these countries know something that NA does not.

Australia - banned in all states, Finland, Italy,Switzerland, Spain, UK and many, many more countries that either ban cell phone use, or limit it to when your car is not running. Almost every other country from A - Z. Except of course the USA.

Several states have legislation pending that either bans cell phone use or limiting the use of cell phones while driving.

Connecticut - full ban, DC, New Jersery, New York, in addition several other states are debating a bill for cell phone limit or ban.

There is even a bill at the National level being debated.

In addition, there is a bill on a second reading in Ontario to ban cell phone use.

I guess these countries, states and province must have missed the one study that says cell phone use is not linked to an increase in accidents, fatalities and near accident.

[gardenmom]

:eek: :eek: :eek: is RIGHT!! geez... good thing I don't own a cell phone! Solves THAT problem!! :p
You better watch out the next time you drive down Foothills. I'll be the one waving to you with one hand, while holding onto my cell with the other!! :angel:

[lizziedripping]

[QUOTE=WebbyCat]Talking on cell phones while driving should be illegal. QUOTE] :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Using a hand held mobile phone and driving is illegal in over 30 countries, including the UK, those caught in the UK are usually prosecuted for dangerous or careless driving also.

Offenders are fined fined £30 initially - rising to a maximum £1,000 if their case goes to court.

Those caught breaking the ban will also get three penalty points on their driving licence for each offence, (a maximum of 12 points on a licence is an automatic driving ban).

Is this not the case in the USA?

[CyberLaw]

There is not national ban on cell phones as far as I know.

It is a "patchwork" of different laws for different states.

Ontario is "proposing" a ban on some cell phone use, but I doubt it will go ahead.

[Toby]

I've known some people who shouldn't be allowed to have conversations while driving. Nevermind cell phone usage...

[concernedperson]

I've known some people who shouldn't be allowed to have conversations while driving. Nevermind cell phone usage...

Have you run into the minivan drivers on Louisiana highways? Brutal, just brutal.I don't know where they got permission to drive. LOL!

[Details]

One difference between a cell phone conversation and talking to a passenger - the passenger is there being a second set of eyes if you get distracted.


Of course, I talk on the cell while driving, but I'm one of the safe ones, of course!

[CyberLaw]

Are you kidding, the "soccer" moms running stop signs, speeding, driving like a maniac, so they can get their kids to school. While they are talking on a cell phone. They don't seem to "realize" that they put other people especially kids at risk.

How about a women who was driving and putting make-up on with BOTH hands........she had her kids in the back seat..........

[Toby]

Soccer Moms just won't stand for being outlawed...they just won't have it...:D

[vicktor]

There was a case in Denver where a 16 year old was attempting to use his cell phone, and ran into a bicyclist on the shoulder, killing him. As part of his restitution, he had to give talks on the dangers of driving while using a cell phone. A very sad case.

[Valinda]

I notice many drivers tend to look at their passenger while talking, instead of keeping their eyes on the road. I know it is courteous to look at who you are talking to, but not while driving.:doh: IMO, talking to a passenger can be just as distracting as talking on a hands-free cell.

[PrayersForMaura]

Well for starters: Here is a small sampling of OTHER countries that limit cell phone use.

Gee, if cell phone use is so "innocent" and has no impact on driving, I wonder why all of these countries went to the measure they did to limit use.

I wonder why, could it be that these countries know something that NA does not.

Australia - banned in all states, Finland, Italy,Switzerland, Spain, UK and many, many more countries that either ban cell phone use, or limit it to when your car is not running. Almost every other country from A - Z. Except of course the USA.

Several states have legislation pending that either bans cell phone use or limiting the use of cell phones while driving.

Connecticut - full ban, DC, New Jersery, New York, in addition several other states are debating a bill for cell phone limit or ban.

There is even a bill at the National level being debated.

In addition, there is a bill on a second reading in Ontario to ban cell phone use.

I guess these countries, states and province must have missed the one study that says cell phone use is not linked to an increase in accidents, fatalities and near accident.
you can't possibly compare other countries' laws to ours.
In Cost Rica on parts of the pacific coast, they don't even have doors on their homes because of low crime. Try that in our country!
Some countries ban many things ... things that would surprise you.
That is why we're a free country.
You can't single out cell phones while driving without giving the rest of the story.

Some people are irresponsible while driving, period. Others are not.
It really depends on the person, too.

Speeding is against the law, yet who doesn't do that???
Come on, fess up.
You would be lying if you said you didn't.
What about using blinkers?
Do you know how many accidents are caused because people don't use blinkers? You'd be surprised.
Driving drunk and speeding still far exceed the number of accidents involving cell phone usage.

I understand where you're coming from though, and I'm not saying it doesn't annoy me when people are on their cell phone and driving like idiots. But it's not everyone. There are people driving like idiots who aren't on cell phones. The cell phones just make it more annoying.

[CyberLaw]

So the UK, Australia are considered "third world countries like Costa Rica".

As far as I know UK and Australia and all Europeans countries are extremely 'enlightened" for the safety of their citizens. They will enact laws that may infringe on an individual rights to endanger other people on the road, but if it saves lives then they look out for all people, not just the individual.

One of the differences is that some people feel they can do whatever they want as long as it does not impede on their personal automony. In other counties they will impede on a person automony, if it is in the "best interest" of all people.

We are not comparing housing standard between two countries, because if we are you would be amazed at the housing prices in the UK. A little rural house in the US may go for 70 - 80K and the same type of house in the UK will start at 300 K.

So housing standards and cell phone use in different counties are like apples and oranges and have no relevance.

Yes I was hit by a person on a cell phone, this women was have a argument with her husband while she was driving and was not fully concentrating on the road, but ticked off and yelling at the other person and was driving aggresive as a result of her anger. Her conversation spilled over to her driving.

Sorry I don't have to speed, as I always plan ahead for my trips, leave my self plenty of time and respect all people on the road and the rules of the road. After all, speeding causes accidents............

[PrayersForMaura]

So the UK, Australia are considered "third world countries like Costa Rica".

As far as I know UK and Australia and all Europeans countries are extremely 'enlightened" for the safety of their citizens. They will enact laws that may infringe on an individual rights to endanger other people on the road, but if it saves lives then they look out for all people, not just the individual.

One of the differences is that some people feel they can do whatever they want as long as it does not impede on their personal automony. In other counties they will impede on a person automony, if it is in the "best interest" of all people.

We are not comparing housing standard between two countries, because if we are you would be amazed at the housing prices in the UK. A little rural house in the US may go for 70 - 80K and the same type of house in the UK will start at 300 K.

So housing standards and cell phone use in different counties are like apples and oranges and have no relevance.

Yes I was hit by a person on a cell phone, this women was have a argument with her husband while she was driving and was not fully concentrating on the road, but ticked off and yelling at the other person and was driving aggresive as a result of her anger. Her conversation spilled over to her driving.

Sorry I don't have to speed, as I always plan ahead for my trips, leave my self plenty of time and respect all people on the road and the rules of the road. After all, speeding causes accidents............
So you never break laws?
You never speed?
Do you always use blinkers / turn signals?
Do you come to complete stops?
Do you ever engage in road rage?

I am just asking these questions to not only you but everyone because a lot of people who want to enforce certain laws do not always follow the laws already in place. I am just wondering if those people who are for banning cell phone usage follow the other laws that cause the most amounts of accidents in the country.

[PrayersForMaura]

To back up my previous post:

The Most Common Causes of Accidents



Almost 18 million traffic accidents are reported in the United States annually, and more than 450,000 are reported in Canada each year. Human error is responsible for about 90 percent of these accidents.

The most frequent traffic violations committed by poor drivers are:

(1) speeding—the principal contributing factor in fatal and nonfatal traffic accidents;
(2) failing to yield…

More: http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-197059
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[PrayersForMaura]

Aggressive Driving

If you think driving is a race you have to win, remember: The winners are those drivers who reach their destination safely.

Learn to recognize aggressive driving behavior in yourself and others: speeding, tailgating, making sudden and frequent lane changes, failing to yield the right of way, ignoring traffic signals.
Remember that these behaviors cause over 50% of all crashes.

March 2006 Safety Month
More info: http://www.nsc.org/nsm/aggressive_driving.htm





Drinking and Driving
You simply can't hear it enough times: Don't drink and drive.

Keep these sobering statistics in mind:
Alcohol is a factor in more than 40% of all motor vehicle fatalities.
An average of one person every two minutes is injured in an alcohol-related crash in the U.S.
Young people are particularly at risk. Every day,13 people between the ages of 16 and 24 die in an alcohol-related crash.
Strictly enforce a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to alcohol and the young drivers in your family. Remember, it's the law in all 50 states! Give teens the guidance they need to deal with peer pressure and make safe choices.
More: http://www.nsc.org/nsm/drinking_driving.htm




Distracted Driving
Driven to distraction? Don't end up in a crash! Focus on driving and reduce your risk.



Keep in mind: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 25% of all crashes involve some kind of driver distraction.
The time to adjust your mirrors, radio or temperature control is before you pull out of the driveway - not while you're driving.
Don't reach down or behind the driver's seat, pick up items from the floor, open the glove compartment or clean the inside windows while driving.
Your vehicle is not a portable salon - allow time for personal grooming at home.
Enjoy your meals at home or in a restaurant - not on the go.
Going someplace new? Plan your route ahead oftime. If you need to refer to a map, park the car or ask a passenger help you navigate.
If you've got passengers, some conversation is inevitable - but try to avoid very emotional subjects while driving.
For cell phone conversations, pull over to the side of the road or wait until you reach your destination. The safest time to use a cell phone while driving is when stopped.
Never answer or dial a cell phone in hazardous conditions like heavy traffic, higher speeds, or bad weather.
Notice this accounts for 25% of all accidents, yet encompasses many forms of distractions, NOT just cell phone usage, but I bolded it to show you that I wasn't hiding any facts or skewing data. Normal conversations in cars can be just as distracting, which was my point a page or so ago....

More: http://www.nsc.org/nsm/distracted_driving.htm

[TheShadow]

QUOTE......A ringing cell phone, a wet Delta road and a speeding driver apparently led to a fatal accident Monday morning near Courtland that claimed at least two lives.

One of the victims was 3-year-old Meeyon Taylor, who was just beginning her life. The other was 18-year-old Sheree Palacio, who was rebuilding hers. The body of another child could not be found, and the California Highway Patrol called off the search Monday afternoon........QUOTE



QUOTE....Fletcher was the driver and the mother of the missing girl, said CHP spokesman Jasper Begay.

The accident occurred about 9:40 a.m. on Highway 160 atop a Sacramento River levee just south of Courtland, according to the CHP. It had started raining at the time of the crash. Begay said that Fletcher told an officer the last thing she remembered was answering her cell phone....QUOTE
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14232857p-15054921c.html

For what it's worth....I think this article has relevance.

[Pharlap]

Talking on cell phones while driving should be illegal.

Just two months ago two teenage girls were killed in a head on collision here. The third girl survived with some pretty bad injuries. She said the last thing she remembered was the cell phone ringing and the driver trying to answer it and veering into the wrong traffic lane while she was fiddling with the phone.

Pull over to talk, not drive....:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[PrayersForMaura]

QUOTE......A ringing cell phone, a wet Delta road and a speeding driver apparently led to a fatal accident Monday morning near Courtland that claimed at least two lives.

One of the victims was 3-year-old Meeyon Taylor, who was just beginning her life. The other was 18-year-old Sheree Palacio, who was rebuilding hers. The body of another child could not be found, and the California Highway Patrol called off the search Monday afternoon........QUOTE



QUOTE....Fletcher was the driver and the mother of the missing girl, said CHP spokesman Jasper Begay.

The accident occurred about 9:40 a.m. on Highway 160 atop a Sacramento River levee just south of Courtland, according to the CHP. It had started raining at the time of the crash. Begay said that Fletcher told an officer the last thing she remembered was answering her cell phone....QUOTE
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14232857p-15054921c.html

For what it's worth....I think this article has relevance.I do too, for it combines the things I wrote about: driver error:
A ringing cell phone, a wet Delta road and a speeding driver

Again, I think people are misunderstanding my point.

I am not "for" talking on cell phones while driving.
But, it is not the cause and cause alone of the majority of accidents on the road, and to say that it is is a flat out lie.
Just because someone doesn't agree with something is not reason to skew the facts or hide the truths.

There are many distractions besides talking on cell phones that can cause accidents. And I think people should lobby for them all and not just one thing. Lobby for safe driving, and if you make it a law to not talk on cell phones while driving, then make it a stiff penalty, but you better make other laws, too, and lots of them because that is not the only distraction while driving.
But banning of anything never solves a problem because people are going to do it anyway. Awareness and educations of the problems and the end results are more helpful, I think. Harsher fines helps lessen the number of offenses, perhaps. Definitely makes the state some money.

In Los Angeles, I was told that the fine is $5,000 for a DWI. My friend who lives there told me this. If this is true, that is good. :clap:
I think the rules should be tougher.
Because people will break the rules.
It happens all the time

[PrayersForMaura]

QUOTE......A ringing cell phone, a wet Delta road and a speeding driver apparently led to a fatal accident Monday morning near Courtland that claimed at least two lives.

One of the victims was 3-year-old Meeyon Taylor, who was just beginning her life. The other was 18-year-old Sheree Palacio, who was rebuilding hers. The body of another child could not be found, and the California Highway Patrol called off the search Monday afternoon........QUOTE



QUOTE....Fletcher was the driver and the mother of the missing girl, said CHP spokesman Jasper Begay.

The accident occurred about 9:40 a.m. on Highway 160 atop a Sacramento River levee just south of Courtland, according to the CHP. It had started raining at the time of the crash. Begay said that Fletcher told an officer the last thing she remembered was answering her cell phone....QUOTE
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14232857p-15054921c.html

For what it's worth....I think this article has relevance.Thanks for posting this story, it really broker my heart.
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Here's a few more clips from the story


"The speed, the wet roadway, the distraction of a cell phone - those are all a combination of a major crash like this," Begay said.

The northbound car went off the road at a curve where the posted speed is 45 miles per hour, Begay said, and hit a tree west of the roadway apparently at high speed. The car spun into another tree, which sheared it in half. The rear end of the vehicle slid into the river, and with it, the three passengers who are believed to be dead.

[CyberLaw]

Prayers for Maura:

I would hope you look up the "type" of distraction and the effects of those distractions on the how the brain function while driving.

When you are on a cell phone(but not with other types) of distractions you field of view is narrowed, your reaction time(as in speeding) is narrowed, you don't notice "hazzards" or people walking because the function and effect of cell phone on the brain.

So if you are speeding(a danger) on a wet road(again a danger)you are paying full attention to what is in front of you, but the minute your attention is taken off those two facts, is when you divert your attention to the cell phone conversation.

I even do it when I am on a Landline......I get distracted because it is a two way conversation and I am the one on the other end listening, and reacting to what is said.

www.apa.org/monitor/sep03/distraction.html (http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep03/distraction.html)



In the cell-phone variation, drivers had two different mental tasks: to convert foreign currency and to recount in detail their actions on a given day and time. The calculation task proved to be particularly distracting, and so the authors say that complex conversations--whether by phone or with a passenger--are dangerous for road safety. "This work adds to the growing body of scientific evidence, establishing that cell phones and other in-vehicle devices can often draw attention away from processing the information necessary for the safe operation of a motor vehicle," says University of Utah psychologist David Strayer, PhD, who conducts extensive research on driving and cell-phone use.

In sum, internal distraction can cause at least as many mistakes in driving as external distraction. "This work is consistent with the observation that a basic form of driver error is that drivers look at, but fail to see, roadway traffic and other imperative information in the driving environment," explains Strayer.

So you are talking on your cell phone, you are distracted by a two way conversation and you don't react in time to that person crossing the street, or a red light because of the cognative distraction of a two way conversation reducing your attention to external factors and causes you to have slower reaction time.

So if you are speeding, on a wet road. You are still paying attention to the road. But the moment you pick up your cell phone, your attention is now diverted from the external factor to the internal factors and you don't pay the attention to the road, but your brain is wired to 'engage" your brain in the conversation.

That is why when you use the cell phone when drving, even if you are speeding, you are fulling increasing your chances of an accident due to two factors(speeding will reduce your chance to stop in time) and cell phone(because you won't notice the external factors that require you to stop in time)

So it is the effect on the cognative function of the brain that cell phone use while driving is in effect and the cognative function that causes a person to be less aware of what is happening around them on the road to respond in time to avoid an accident.