How many accidents does it take for drivers to start paying attention to the road?
Well, it seems we’ve yet to find the answer to that question.
The issue of distracted driving is one that’s been harped upon over and over again, yet it doesn’t seem to be sticking. It’s an issue I’m sure our first responders are getting sick of seeing. I can only imagine how many accidents they have to go out to in a week where someone was texting, talking on a phone, or simply just doing something other than paying attention to the road.
Just last week I was heading down 54 Ave. when a driver at a stop sign, who wasn’t paying attention, decided to pull out right in front of me. Of course, I had to slam on the brakes, all of my bags flying forward and their contents going everywhere. Thankfully, one of us was paying attention as I ended up just inches from T-boning the car.
What’s even worse was it happened at the intersection right next to the RCMP building. It left me wondering what that driver is like on the rest of the road if that’s how careful they are going by the police.
Distracted driving only seems to be getting worse. According to the Alberta Motor Association, in 2016 there were 27,281 distracted driving convictions in the province. From January to March 2017, so just the first three months of the year, there were already 24,665 distracted driving convictions.
Society likes to blame the younger generations for being addicted to their phones, but more often than not we see grown adults who should know better not paying attention to the road in front of them.
In a 2016 traffic safety study conducted by the City of Edmonton, 94 per cent of drivers said that texting, emailing, or using social media while driving is a serious threat to safety.
Great news, right? The message must be getting across.
Well, not so much. Of those same drivers, 33 per cent admitted to doing just that while driving in the past 30 days.
We know its dangerous, we know the consequences, so why is it still happening?
If you’re that addicted to your cell phone that you can’t leave it be, that’s a signal it’s time to start working on your bad habits. Texting, and smart phones in general, haven’t been around for that long. You could go for a drive without it before, and you can do it again.
With the warmer weather here, the roads are getting busier and kids are spending more time outside, making it that much more crucial that your eyes are always on the road.
We’ve all seen the damage, and heartache, that distracted driving can cause, do you want to be the one to cause it?
