Mind The Gap(s)

Texting and driving is receiving a lot of attention due to AT&T leading the charge there with their wonderful anti-texting campaign.

It's great that texting is receiving this attention.

I remember a few years ago Oprah had a big lead up about how she was going to announce something huge in regards to car crashes and she announced her make your car a No Phone Zone.

I remember exhaling with some disappointment.

Now, I love Oprah like almost everyone else.

But I was waiting on baited breath for her to bring to the spotlight that car crashes, at least around 80% of them could be prevented, if we would choose to drive differently. Not only by not using our phones but by not tailgating, not excessively speeding, possibly lowering the speed limits, etc.

I understand that using your phone is accounting for a lot of crashes but tailgating actually surpasses these numbers. What about excessive speeding? How about infrastructure? How about lowering speed limits? Our roads are really a war zone.

I was hoping she was going to expose the whole, complex (yet not really that complex) situation.

Of course, I applaud her shining light on the distracted driving epidemic, I merely think that there are other issues behind the enormous amount of lives lost on our roads, globally and here in America.

Of course I do admire her greatly I was just hoping she would be the one to say, something is really wrong here.

This is an interesting video that talks about how more people die from other people tailgating.

It makes me ill when people tailgate me on the freeway. It's a habit far too many people do. All I can think about is how long it took that person's mother to carry them in their womb and them labor them into life and they are riding too close for a matter of measly minutes.

Our roads need a major overhaul and the spotlight has yet to be put on the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eUgwVV5WJE

CHP to crack down on cell phone use in April

Jeri Lynch is a Sherman Oaks mom who lost her teenager, 16 year-old Conor Lynch, to a driver who hit him while he was running with his cross country team.

Here is video of a CHP ride along to see people texting and driving.

The consequence, a ticket.

But Jeri thinks and I agree, it's not enough. She says that we need to give distracted driving the stigma that drinking and driving has.

In 2012 446,000 tickets were issued to people using their cell phones while driving.

A crackdown will begin to start next month here. I hope that we all begin to crack down our poor misconceived notions that using our phones while driving is safe.

The Dangers of Poorly Designed On-Off Ramps

Poor driving choices are a huge part of why so many of us are dying in car crashes. But we must also look at infrastructure.

I'm no expert but there are some on ramps in Los Angeles, I all together try to avoid. I'm left with such a short amount of time to merge that it feels as if I'm playing rush and roulette.

Recently CHP added an on ramp where the 210 West becomes the 134 West, right by the zoo. I think it might be this new "improvement" via CalTrans website. Before it was tricky because you had to go around a corner and get over a lane. Now it's even more dangerous because you have to get over two lanes and deal with people merging right around the bend.

Do you notice any dangerous on/off ramps?

I have two other women, who love to drive on the freeways, who commented they were both scared by the new addition. My husband has commented it is a tricky spot as well.

Disagreeing With the Argument That Car Crashes are a Given

I just came across an older article, from 2010, written by a mom who was affected by a piece on NPR she heard. It talked about the fact that about 5 children die every day in the USA in car crashes.

The comments she received on the piece seem very backwards to me. Such as:

"Even if you never rode in a car ever again there are many ways we lose our lives, it is the human condition."

Yes, we will all die. But would you write that same sentence if it were commuter airlines killing 5 children a day? Every time there is a plane crash massive investigation goes into it. Our airlines have become very safe due to the pressure and demand to keep them that way.

Would you fly if 40,000 were dying in plane crashes every year?

Another commenter, whom I agreed with had this to say:

Casey@Good. Food. Stories. 12/13/10 at 5:35am

After almost 10 years of being able to use public transportation for my daily commute, I'm back to driving every day. You are right to worry - texting drivers, road rage, blatant disregard of lights and traffic signs (not to mention NO ONE stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks) - sorry to rant, but the things I see on a simple 10-minute drive are enough to strike fear into any mother's heart.