Distracted driving: An unhealthy habit that needs to be curbed!

August 26, 9:04 AMWest Palm Beach Health and Happiness ExaminerTracy Allerton

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 Driven to distraction: Would you want to  be near this guy
 in traffic? Or worse, are you him? Flickr photo/Jim the Corsair

We all know that distracted drivers are increasingly dangerous on our roads. In fact, Live Science recently reported on a study indicating that cell-phone-using drivers pose as much or more of a threat than drunk drivers!

"We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit," said researcher Frank Drews in the Live Science article.

And yet, when given the chance, drivers willingly engage in such risky behaviors.  About 10 percent of motorists said they sometimes talk on cell phones while driving, according to Live Science.  That figure, however, seems awfully low, given the results of a recent poll conducted by CarGurus.com, which found that more than half -- 52 percent -- of its respondents admitted that they read/write e-mails or text while driving! (The survey involved 2,881 online automotive consumers worldwide.)

The main problem, of course, is that everyone assumes that they themselves are good, safe drivers -- but clearly, at least half are wrong! And a close corollary is that, based on their own fantasy of awesomeness, many drivers ignore the rules of the road, thinking they are somehow exempt, that the rules are for everyone else! 

The number of people killed each year by these morons (specifically, from accidents involving drivers on cell phones)  has been estimated at 2,600 people.  (Again, that figure is probably on the extremely low side.)

And states are taking action, by banning risky behind-the-wheel behaviors. To date, 12 states (plus D.C) have enacted a ban on hand-held devices; and 17 states (plus D.C) have banned text messaging while driving, according to stats provided by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Unfortunately, Florida is not on that list, as our lily-livered legislators have yet to enact any cell-phone bans (they claim that the budget crisis has pushed this issue to the very back burner -- how convenient!); so drivers here are free to talk and text away, regardless of the risk they pose on their fellow motorists.

More unfortunately, other risky behaviors behind the wheel -- such as eating, applying makeup, and even reading the paper or working on your laptop (!) -- have been completely ignored by lawmakers.

Bottom line: You're surrounded on the road by self-serving idiots -- leaving you sole responsibility for ensuring your own safety!   First of all, take a good look in the rear-view mirror, own up to your own foolishness -- and cut it out, already!  Follow the rules of the road, and drive defensively!

Click here for the Top 5 defensive-driving measures you should take every time you get into your vehicle!