I read recently a news item that represents a victory of sorts: 86 percent of all Americans now use their vehicle seat belts. Considering that once upon a time (back in 1983) the number was 14 percent, that’s reason to cheer. So is the fact seat belts have saved an estimated 250,000 lives since then.
Coincidentally, I just read a report that 86 percent of smartphone users use them for local searches for places to eat and shop. I suppose somewhere someone will argue that this represents a step forward in the evolution of human society to one of greater efficiency and productivity. But, I would suggest, it also represents a highway menace that’s growing faster than we realize or are planning to do something about. This alone could reverse the score of lives saved by seat belts.
What strikes me as bitterly ironic is that mobile communication devices present a clear, present and growing danger to driving safety: texting and cell phone use while driving kills and injures thousands of Americans every year. And yet it seems that our federal government is more concerned with improving automotive fuel efficiency than preventing distracted driving resulting from mobile communication abuse.
To me, the solution to the problem is simple. Just as the government required car manufacturers to make seat belts standard equipment, and is requiring them to make more fuel efficient, why isn’t it requiring those same manufacturers to install technology that automatically shuts down cell phones when the ignition switch is turned on? What’s more, the technology already exists.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all in favor of improving fuel efficiency. But let me ask: would you willingly pay a bit more for gas so that you, your loved ones and your colleagues would be at less risk of being injured or killed by distracted driving abuses or abusers? I know I would.
I’m not suggesting our lawmakers are negligent here. Texting technology came upon us pretty quickly, and energy use has for some time been and continues to be an urgent global issue for some time. But I hope that Washington gets involved sooner than later in mandating cell phone cut-off ignition switch technology in all new vehicles. I think we owe it to ourselves to let our leaders know the time is now – don’t you?
In addition, why not require that cell phone manufacturers produce devices that can sense vehicular motion so that phones become powered off automatically when the wheels start rolling. There’s no need to wait for all older cars to be replaced by new ones to solve this menacing issue for us now.
Buckle up and switch off, and do so today, every day. Let’s not erase the progress we’ve made in driving safe.