Put Down the Cheeseburger and Drive

In 1995, I was hit head on by a cement truck on a rural road in Sugarcreek Township. I was following behind my father as he watched in horror from his rear view mirror as he saw the speeding green beast impact with my tough but much smaller grain truck in a cloud of shattering glass, dust and smoke.

Needless to say, I heard the rustling of angel feathers that day, but walked away unharmed, which is more than I can say for either of the trucks. The cement truck driver had apparently been mindlessly bouncing along in this mammoth, 16-wheeled machine, with a barrel load of concrete mix and paying little attention to his speed or other vehicles.

Ever since Oprah Winfrey jumped on the 'don't text and drive' bandwagon, there have been countless stories in the media about deadly crashes caused by a distracted driver. I don't think anyone needed the great and powerful "HARPO" to tell us about the dangers of texting and talking on a cell phone while driving, but what about other activities that can distract drivers?

According to Distraction.gov, the official government website for distracted driving, the term applies to "any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing."

In 2008, 16 percent of traffic accidents resulting in a fatality were caused by a distracted driver, while 33 percent were the result of a drunk driver. Unfortunately the data reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation was not specific about the types of distraction.

The most common distractions listed by the website included using a cell phone (that was number 1), eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading (including maps), using a GPS navigation system, watching a video, and changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player.

Ladies, I know it's important for you to look your best, but is it absolutely necessary that you put on makeup while you're driving? Guys, you might think you don't need the mirror for that electric razor, but we are creatures of habit and you're used to seeing yourself when you shave. Get up a few minutes earlier and clean up before you leave the house.

Speaking of home, that's where you should read the latest David Baldacci book or The Wall Street Journal - not spread out on the dashboard in front of you while you're going 75 miles per hour down the highway. If you really love books, check out www.audiobooks.com or go to the local library. There are literally thousands of books on CD and MP3.

What about those people who insist on having a pet run free inside a moving car? Could there be any more of a potential hazard than a loose animal that could be easily frightened? I can hear the moans out there now from pet owners, "Oh but my Fluffy would never..."

To those people I say, "Get over it." However we love our pets, they are still animals and live by the instincts of fight or flight. If they're scared, even for a moment, they could jump in the driver's lap or run across the steering wheel at just the right time to cause a disaster. Fluffy belongs in a carrier or some type of seat restraint. It protects your pet and other drivers from potential danger.

There is no question that the majority of these kinds of accidents are easily preventable. Using some common sense would be the best first step and parents should take action to prevent teen drivers from developing such bad driving habits in the first place. So the bottom line is ... put down your phone and your cheeseburger and pay attention to the road, so I can turn this article right around!