Slow Down

Since the dawn of man, communicating with each other has always been necessary to insure the survival of the human race. We’ve come a long way since then, we’ve made machines and systems to make it easier to communicate with almost anyone around the world. We’ve thrived through the years and invented devices that help us get things done faster. From transportation to information, none of this would be currently available to us without communication. Today, we have information to just about everything available at our finger tips. We can get to places thousands and thousands of miles away in just a few hours. And we can talk to one another without distance being a problem. The technologies we use to communicate with each other today were something people only used to dream of because they didn’t think it was possible. Not many people today realize the power they have readily accessible to them.

People these days are all about getting things done, the quicker the better. We’ve taken multitasking to another level, don’t get me wrong multitasking is great, but when taken in moderation. There are just some things we shouldn’t do while operating heavy machinery. Or more to the point, while your behind the wheel. It’s crazy to think something like texting has become an unexpected threat in America. Studies have shown that texting while driving could be more dangerous than drunk driving. Because this has been such a huge problem, on January 1st ,2010  in Austin Texas there was a law put into effect stating it was illegal to text and operate a motor vehicle, So the question now is, should we take it one step further and include banning conversations and web access while operating a motor vehicle?

In my personal opinion I say absolutely make all phone use illegal while driving a motor vehicle. Better safe than sorry. I know first hand what happens when some people are talking on their phones while driving, I’ve been in thirteen car accidents, every single one of them crashed into me, and at least nine, I know for sure were talking on their phones when they did. If you don’t think that’s a good enough reason to ban it, I’ll give you the most important reason why I think they should. While I was doing my clinicals to become a paramedic we had one call to come treat a patient who had been in a car accident. When we got on scene, it was a pretty gruesome sight. The story was the man who needed medical attention was talking on his phone, speeding in the parking lot when he lost control of his truck and crashed into another person who was texting next to their car. The truck smashed the person who was texting in between the car and the truck with such force that the person actually split in half, on one side of the truck, were his legs and on the other, his torso, he died but not immediately. It’s not a matter of if you can talk or do something on the internet while you drive, but rather why take the risk that you could take somebody’s life or your own. Can you be patient enough to wait until you get out of the car to have a conversation or look something up?

On March 22nd ,1999 Brooklyn, Ohio was the first city in the United States to actually ban hand held cellular phone use while in vehicles. Since, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia require drivers to use a hands-free cell phone. School bus drivers are not allowed to talk on cell phones, except in emergencies, in Arizona, Arkansas, California, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Tennessee. Teen drivers are banned from talking on cell phones in the District of Columbia, Maine and New Jersey.　 Even in other countries such as Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, it is illegal to use cell phones in cars.

Could you imagine if this was world wide? It almost is,  it’s funny to think that something as small as waiting to talk to someone until your done driving can save lives. I mean what have you got to lose? You wanted to change the world, make it a better and safer place? This would be a start.