We all do it people. Don’t even act like you don’t. We chat on our cell
phones while driving to work, running errands, dropping off the kids,
picking up dinner – you get the idea. I’ve even been sitting in my car
and found myself thinking “man there’s nothing on the radio…I’m bored…I
should call my mom…” Like there isn’t the business of DRIVING and
PAYING ATTENTION to keep me occupied.
This
is a subject near and dear to my husband’s heart. He thinks talking on
cell phones while driving is probably the least safe thing you could
possibly do while driving. Well, except maybe sleeping, though I don’t
know, maybe you have a talent I don’t. I try not to judge.
So to
add insult to injury, studies are now showing that people using cell
phones while driving can actually impede traffic flow. According to the
Wall Street Journal, “For someone commuting by car an hour a day, drivers on cell phones could add about 20 hours a year to travel time.”
The study, which included 36 students using driving
simulators, found that drivers on cellphones are far more likely to
stick behind a slow car and that they change lanes about 20% less often
than drivers not on the phone. Apparently on average driver-talkers
take 3% longer to get wherever it is they are going and make other
driver’s commutes 5-10% longer.
I don’t know about you but I only run across these slow people every
now and then. I usually run across the driver-talkers that are driving
like their backseat is on fire and they are fleeing form the flames.
And also not looking where they are going. Natch. The article goes on
to say that “wireless-phone companies encourage people not to talk on
the phone in bad traffic.” But of course.
Luckily my state of California has helped solved part of the problem
for us. Arnie (as in Schwarzenegger) has declared that we will all have
to use hands-free devices by mid-year this year or he will kick our
collective bottoms. With a $20 fine. Yikes. I say that with as much
sarcasm as I can muster in a blog. Twenty bucks will surely not deter
those most likely to be on the phone from actually being on the phone:
rich business people, LA fashionistas, the cast of Real Housewives of
Orange County. But anyway, that’s a whole different article!
So take head driver-talkers, you are making my commute 2 minutes
longer! Get off the phone and hit that gas pedal! Check out your cell
phone laws here.
Breanne Boyle
Contributing Editor
arnold schwarzenegger
