From the Chicago Tribune:
Reckless on the road
May 6, 2009
All over America, state and local governments are busy enacting laws to stop drivers from fiddling with their gadgets when they're supposed to be watching the road.
Five states and dozens of municipalities have banned talking on cell phones while driving. Many of those governments are debating whether they need separate laws to cover BlackBerrying. Last year, Illinois joined the growing list of places where it's illegal to text-message while driving.
Lake County sheriff's police say motorcyclist Anita Zaffke was killed Saturday by a driver whose attention was diverted by a decidedly low-tech endeavor: She was painting her nails. Zaffke was sitting at a stoplight in Lake Zurich when her bike was rammed from behind by a Chevy Impala. Zaffke was thrown 200 feet.
The Impala's driver, Lora Hunt, told police she didn't see the red light or the motorcycle until it was too late because she was preoccupied with her polish. She was ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. But prosecutors are weighing more serious charges, reopening the debate over whether Illinois needs a law against "distracted driving." That would give prosecutors more options when faced with an offense that seems to fall between a traffic citation and a felony reckless driving charge.
Last year, a task force headed by Secretary of State Jesse White recommended three new offenses -- negligent vehicular operation, aggravated negligent vehicular operation and negligent vehicular homicide, depending on the severity of damage caused by a distracted driver involved in a crash. The General Assembly settled for a ban on texting while driving.
That move seemed misguided, and not because we think it's a good idea to type with your thumbs while driving. We see no reason to single out texting, given all the other dangerous behaviors we observe during our daily commute. Reading the paper, flossing your teeth, applying mascara, spreading cream cheese on your bagel, tying your tie while steering with your knee -- any of these can cause tragedy in the blink of an eye. Most of us are guilty at some time. All of us know better.
The push for new legislation grew out of a 2006 case in Urbana in which a 19-year-old driver who was busy downloading ring tones struck and killed a bicyclist. The prosecutor settled for a charge of improper lane change -- which came with a $1,000 fine, traffic school and probation -- because she didn't think the driver's actions qualified as reckless homicide.
There's no need to name names, but we can think of other jurisdictions in which prosecutors would have absolutely no reservations about a reckless homicide charge under those circumstances. The law should not be applied timidly.
Lake County authorities say it could be a month before they decide whether to file further charges. They should take their time. Besides awaiting the results of blood and urine tests, they'll do an accident reconstruction and other tests.
But if a thorough investigation backs up what police have already said -- that the driver slammed into the bike because she was looking at her fingernails instead of the road -- then we hope prosecutors will spare us the hand-wringing over whether that constitutes recklessness.
What part of a behind-the-wheel manicure sounds safe?
Now I'm generally against legislation clogging up the books BUT I am into state's rights so if "open-minded" people can't control themselves like the opinionated, anal-retentive, proud, and "close-minded" people can, laws must be placed to regulate you. Actually, you will screw up either way so the laws are there for a benchmark so you can be punished as the screw-up you are.
I'm on this rant as I'm reading these stories more and more. I will always remember arriving to work in the Burn ICU a few years ago and pulling back the sheets of a newly arrived patient who had been rear-ended by an SUV at 70mph while he rode his motorcycle. His wife had been thrown clear and was in serious condition but he had been dragged by this SUV until his motorcycle exploded. I could go into great detail but let's just say he was recognizable only as human. He didn't last the hour. The staff said, "They think maybe the SUV driver had a seizure or something....." Why do we always give this benefit to those who cause such ghastly damage to others. I tried to add balance to the situation with, "Maybe he was just an A-hole on his cellphone or adjusting the bass on his rap music!" Harsh as it was, it is expected from me, and seldom challenged. I've always wondered what happened to that SUV driver. Does he think of this man every day? Is he in denial - forever mad at the guy for being in his way - with a "he got what he deserved" mentality?
It's funny, something like 80% of people interviewed considered themselves "better-than-average" drivers. Though statistically impossible, I imagine this would include those painting their nails, texting on a phone, watching a TV, or, and I've seen this a lot, reading a book propped on the steering wheel! We are all guilty of willing distraction. Consider that in Germany, automobiles are not manufactured with cup holders. The American legislators would have a field day with the proposal of a high speed "autobahn" in the USA, yet Germany's auto fatality rates are equal or below ours. And In Italy, we saw nobody carrying around a "To Go" cup. Coffee was consumed at the counter - not on the go. Cycling in that crowded country of narrow roads and speedy drivers actually felt much safer. Other countries tend to see driving as a responsibility. But in America, we "cruise". We drive aimlessly from red light to red light for pleasure in our gigantic gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. It is a privilege that our relatively low gas prices allow. It is no longer such when we endanger others doing it. Kids hang out car windows, drag race, and attempt to add every distraction to a car possible. Granted, I did it as a kid and I consider myself lucky - not for me but that I didn't kill someone else.
Overall Americans tend to have this arrogant attitude of entitlement to "creature comforts" that is starting to not only irritate the rest of the world but cause real harm to those around us. Add to this the asocial nature of humans brought on by a faster paced lifestyle and even the anonymity of hiding behind a keyboard all day, and we don't even care who we hurt - as long as it doesn't interrupt our schedule.
Yet we continue to blame and regulate helmets, guns, acetone, ephedrine, and other inanimate objects as the real causes of these unfortunate "I'm only human" incidents.
Our "don't judge" attitudes take the focus off how we can prevent so many accidents. We do little to enforce the laws already there to prevent accidents - failure to use turn signals, rapid/multiple lane changes, and aggressive driving apparently go unnoticed - but those are things that can and do cause accidents. Now seat belt and helmet laws abound here in the US but they don't prevent anything. Ask yourself which one's get more press? We have to start thinking about why we do what we do!
I should just rename this blog, "The Eccentric Ranter" but I still want to share my hobbies. Those who know me, not even well, know they haven't heard the last of it!
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