Rudes of the Road III

I never thought I'd need to rant again about drivers. But I never thought that driving would become more hazardous then it already was. It has. Thanks to cell phones and the bad habits of drivers, driving has become a combat sport. Let's not mince words here: The problem is not cell phones, it is bad drivers who risk both their lives and ours every day on the road because they are too self absorbed to pay attention to the task of driving an automobile.

The facts are undeniable. Human behavior is at fault in combining cell phone use and driving. People who use a cell phone while driving, and particularly those who text while driving, put everyone on the road at risk. Although data is limited and difficult to obtain, the available data and most current research on cell phone use proves beyond a doubt that cell phone use while driving is dangerous.

Each year, 21% of all teen fatal car crashes are the result of cell phone usage. This fatality percentage is rising. Talking on cell phones also causes 25% of all adult auto accidents.

One third of all teen drivers text on cell phones while driving. One fifth of all adult drivers also do it. A 2007 insurance survey revealed that 73% of all drivers use cell phones while driving, And although 84% of all drivers are aware of the dangers of cell phone use while driving, they continue to do so. Recent university research has proven that reaction time is significantly slower, alertness is hampered, vision is impaired, and, despite popular myth, there is no such thing as multi-tasking in human beings. Computers, yes; humans, no..

We see the effects everyday. Humans behind the wheel slowing down traffic, driving through stop signs, weaving out of lane; causing a countless number of almost accidents and too many real ones. In Pennsylvania, from 2003 through 2006, 50 auto deaths were directly linked to cell phone use. During that same time period, the state also reported 5715 cell phone related car accidents.

There have been only 2 beneficiaries of this lack of common driver sense: Lawyers involved in auto personal injury and death and insurance companies that can raise rates. There is perversely one other benefit. Grisly as it may seem, bad drivers have made some drivers, who may never use a cell phone behind the wheel, more vigilant and defensive.

I have spoken often about bad driving. Sometimes out loud while driving to the amusement of any passengers. See that woman eating a sandwich with one hand and a cigarette in the other? Look at that man reading a notepad while behind the wheel. All dangerous but also astonishingly stupid. I once saw a woman painting her toe nails while driving. Use your imagination to figure out how that was done. However there is nothing funny about recent increase in deaths and accidents caused by cell phone users. It is criminal behavior and should be treated as such by our legal system. 50 nations currently ban cell phone use while driving and a few have added prison sentences for violations. In the US, 6 states out of 50 have cell phone bans and one state is considering adding a mandatory 15 year sentence to any auto death caused by a cell phone user.

Cell phones and texting while driving are symptoms of a larger problem. There are too many poor drivers in the USA. The reason why the US has so many bad drivers is the relative ease that a person can obtain and retain a state driving license. Most drivers learn to drive by driving the family car and taking a High School Driver's Ed course. High School Driver's Ed is woefully inadequate and usually assumes that someone has already taught the prospective driver how to control a vehicle. Since Driver's Ed is part of a high school curriculum, student's often treat the course like any other dumb school requirement and work as little as possible for driving certification. It as an easy way to get a state driver's license with little sweat, little work, and not much real learning beyond the basics of handling an automobile. After you get your permit, unless you mess up with too many tickets and those pesky accidents, you get to keep your driving license forever. Some states offer restricted licensing, but most of these are based on age, not skill.

My driving training of many years ago was not much better. High schools in my day did not have Driver's Ed but commercial Driving Schools were in abundance. For a fee, you were taught the basics, sort of, and you were prepared to take the state driving test, sort of. If you were lucky, you passed the state driving test on the first try. If not you retook it until you passed. State driving tests, at least in my state of birth, were hard. The driving test was precise and there was no room for error. Any little mistake meant a failure. My children could not have passed my birth state's driving test with the minimal training they received in high school. Modern state driving tests are easy in comparison.

The most interesting driving test I had ever taken was to obtain a driving license in Puerto Rico. Here is the driving test: Study a sheet of sample driving questions, take a written test which, surprise surprise, were the same as the sample questions, and then take the driving test. Start the car, drive down the street, pull up to the curb, park, turn the motor off. I passed the test. Got my license. After taking the test, I understood the underlying cause of the nature of Puerto Rican driving skills. I assume that driver training and licensing in Puerto Rico has improved since my days behind the wheel in P.R.

I was a typical American driver until I was required to take a driving course while in the military in order to be authorized to drive military vehicles . The defense driving skills I learned in that class influenced my driving skills forever. Even then I wondered why all citizens were not required to take such a course. I later discovered that there were places that it was, just not in the USA.

I have traveled extensively around the world. I had been told horror stories about how awful driving was in other countries. The stories were only partially correct. Driving in some countries is frightening and difficult, but the drivers in some were not. They were good, well trained, and paid attention to their driving. Only superficially, through American eyes, did drivers in countries like Ireland, England, or Italy appear reckless. International auto fatality data for 2004 ranks the USA 40th out of 52 for per capita death rate per nation. We are not the worst, Portugal holds that honor, but statistically 11 states of the USA have worse death rates than Portugal. Other nations are not without their traffic problems but many of them have something we do not: a stricter driver licensing procedure. Unlike in the USA, where a license is considered a 'right', Some foreign nations consider it a 'privilege' that must be earned. Recently, particularly in the EU, there has been pressure to ease the requirements for licensure to attain consistency between European nations. Germany is known for the most rigorous procedures.

Let's take New Zealand as an example. New Zealand has a graduated driver licensing system. Each stage requires a test, medical exams, and driver education. New Zealand drivers start out with a learner's license like the USA except you cannot drive alone. After 6 months, a driver applies for a 'restricted' license which is similar to the US learners permit ( no driving at night, no passengers, automatic transmission cars only). After 18 months if you are under 25 years old, you can apply for a 'full' license. The total cost for entire process, not including driving classes is $282 NZ dollars. There is also a 'no tolerance' policy for alcohol if you are under 20 years old. New Zealand is not without it's driver problems. It is 27th out of 52 on the per capita death rate index and the nation is currently debating raising the minimum driving age from 15 to 17. NZ also does not ban all cell phones yet but the issue is currently being debated and, as of November 2009, cell phone use by transport drivers will be banned. Now compare NZ to the USA and consider that this example is one of a nation that does not have tough driving regulations.

The solution should be obvious. Not only does the US need a ban on cell phone use while driving but tougher driver licensing. Humans cause auto accidents and more needs to be done to reduce driver risk. A 1977 study concluded that human error was the cause of 57% of all auto accidents and was a contributing factor in over 90% of them. Only 2.4% was due to mechanical failure and only 4.7% were due to environmental factors. 90% of all drivers believe that they are good drivers. Yet 90% of all accidents and deaths are due to driver error. How can this be?

The sad truth is that people have bought into the myth that driving is easy. It is not. It is a complex task that takes intense concentration and the key to becoming a good driver is a high standard of driver instruction, monitoring, and learning how to be both a good driver and a safe driver. And this must include legal enforcement of minimizing distractions such as cell phones usage.

I would like to think that this will be my last word on this subject but I fear it will not.