| Although I doubt
that the majority of my senior readers multitask while driving
their cars, everyone should be aware and even alarmed by
the recent research which has revealed the dangers of distracted
driving.
Since drivers using cellphones are four times as likely
to cause a crash as other drivers, you or I could suffer
the consequences of someone else’s momentary distraction.
The research also indicates that hands-free devices do
not eliminate the risks because the conversation, itself,
is a distraction. Some experts feel that a hands-free law
actually makes driving riskier by seemingly condoning the
practice of calling while driving.
Volunteers driving a simulator were found to become so
focused on some conversations that they missed surprises,
like another car running a light or a dog appearing at the
side of the road. Sending text messages while driving, proved
even more difficult and the volunteer slammed into the virtual
car in front of her.
The younger generation has become so dependent upon a multiplicity
of communication devices (cellphones, laptops, BlackBerries,
navigation devices, and MP3 players) that attempting to
do without them for even a short period of time is like
trying to take a pacifier away from a baby.
Tantrums and outrage and cries of “freedom infringement”
ensue. But what is the point of carmakers adding air bags,
anti-lock brakes and other safety features, if at the same
time they continue to add multimedia systems: audio, video,
GPS, audio books and now on the drawing board, a voice command
system that will allow drivers to surf the Internet?
Each new device encourages drivers to look away from the
road, to momentarily search for a song title or to check
for messages or the location of the nearest gas station.
Sometimes, one moment of inattention is all it takes and
lives are changed, forever.
My father, who had worked for the Pennsylvania traffic
department as a young man, was perhaps extra strict. When
he finally agreed to teach me to drive, he would not even
permit the radio to be playing or any lengthy conversations
to take place.
If he were alive today, he would surely be aghast at the
numerous common distractions we accept. Only a handful of
states have banned the use of cellphones while driving.
One problem is that there isn’t any long-term data
on crashes caused by distracted driving. Although cellphone
use has increased eightfold from 1995 to 2008 to where it
now stands at 270 million, 21 states do not even include
a box on accident forms for police to check electronic devices
as a cause, and many drivers do not admit to having been
on the phone at the time of an accident.
That leaves the fight against car distractions to a small
group of people who are aware of the dangers, many who have
already lost someone in an accident. The rest of us can
push for more laws to ban use of distracting devices while
driving or at the very least, encourage our family members
to pull over to the side of the road before using anything
that could cause them to lose their focus on the task at
hand.
And although seniors may not be guilty of using distracting
devices, they need to be aware that as they age, their response
time has diminished, their eyesight and other faculties,
not as keen. The AARP course, 55 Alive, given regularly
at most local senior centers, is a helpful way to update
your skills. Senior Helpers, a caregiver service, suggests
that families hire a part-time caregiver to serve as a driver
and companion when they become aware that their elderly
loved one can no longer drive safely.
As my Dad often reminded me, “Always remember, Jeanie,
when you are driving, a car is like having a lethal weapon
in your hands.”
Jean Cherni is founder of Senior
Living Solutions, a retirement advisory service. Contact
her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds, Branford
06405.
H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
Corporate and & Commercial offices are located in North
Haven, where the company was founded in 1958. All listings
can be found in color on the web at: www.hpearce.com. |
