The New DUI: Driving While Distracted

Uh oh. Better buckle up. It seems that more and more states are considering banning drivers from engaging in activities they call distracting.

Here in New York and elsewhere, we’ve (reluctantly) gotten used to hands-free cell phone chatting and conversations routinely interrupted by frantic instructions to “oh (insert four-letter word of your choosing here), hold on, there’s a police car.” But these newest restrictions could really put a cramp on the whole multi-tasking car culture as we suburban household CEOs (alternately known as Captains of the Carpools) know it.

Get this: Vermont is considering prohibiting eating, drinking, smoking, reading, writing, personal grooming, playing an instrument, or (this last one is downright cruel) interacting with pets while driving. Okay, cigarettes make me sick and I am a proud piano lesson drop-out. And I have indeed noticed that reading about Brittany’s latest parenting faux pas while driving really does adversely impact my level of reading comprehension.

But putting pedal to the metal without a cup of java or "interacting" with my Lab? Whoa. Talk about distracting. Clearly these lawmakers have not seen me handle my morning commute caffeine-free or steer my way through errands while ignoring 85 pounds of panting pet.

The rub is that the Green Mountain State is actually one of my favorite getaway destinations. But I might just have to forgo any road trips there if these new laws pass. Then again, maybe I'll just let my husband drive while I work my way through a cone of Ben & Jerry’s and play my favorite musical instrument, the iPod.

Comments

People have started to abuse the privilege (Remember that? Its a privilege to drive not a right) to drive the way they want and there are way too many accidents because of it. I think you will survive. I applaud them for taking a stand in this.

I rather feel pity for the fast food places that have bothered installing drive threw since that will probably mean cutting some positions within that establishment and we're not talking managment's, we are talking the people that actually work the windows. When the states that go too far with the food and drink banning they'll realize it when tourists avoid their state and residents realize how absurd their laws have become and move out leaving their revenues hurting.

That is a reslly good decision on their part! i have seen so many drivers distracted while driving. a couple examples, someone i saw was reading the newpaper, and drinking coffee in rush hour traffic or some woman was putting on mascara, seriously! the hands free phone, i do that anyway when the occasion warrents it, but some people abuse that too, how many people do you se on the phone daily? and i have to agree driving is not a right but so many people abuse it. but i think its ok to occasionaly eat or drink, not both at the same time, when its safe enough, like at lights or when theres not alot of traffic.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the over legislating of "safety." I mean, come on, it only hurts those of us who actually abide by the law. There will always be the others (you know the ones, they play instruments while driving, or shave or whatever,) and they will do it whether there is a law or not. Grrr...

Uh...I agree with you wholeheartedly. I do think that some levels of distraction are unneccessary and probably should be outlawed, like applying makeup or READING while you're driving, but seriously half the things on that list are ridiculous! Hands-free earphone good, not interacting with your pet bad.
I'm sorry, but what's next, are they going to outlaw interacting with the humans in your car as well? No talking to your husband or comforting your screaming child either you irresponsible fools! And how about singing with the radio?
I think half the problem may just be that the lawmakers coming up with the crap have drivers and don't ever have to drive themselves to work an hour each way with no java!

I live in South Florida. And I drive a motorcycle and a sports car. Get off the phone!!!!!!! Please pay attention to what you are doing. Get off the phone!!!!!!!
I have a pet that drives around with me. She sleeps on my lap. I don't put on makeup, seldom eat in the car (indigestion with this traffic), IPOD off for driving please, unless plugged into your car. Earplugs are illegal in Florida while operating a motorized vehicle anyway.
GET OFF THE PHONE> Personal grooming is done at home in your bathroom. Better lighting, no cars, can't hit anything.
Does anyone remember how it was before all these distractions came into our lives? We talked to each other while on car rides. Listened to the radio and had a much more stress free life. I turn my phone on silent while driving. Leave a message at the beep. I will return your call. I don't even carry it with me at work. Get off the phone and live again.

I completely agree with beachgirl. Get OFF THE PHONE! What did you people do before we had cell phones? Can you even remember? I'll bet you survived. Nothing looks more retarted than people walking around with a plug up their ear and talking. The first time I saw that I thought the person was insane.

Mary, I'm with you. While I do use the hands-free thingy in the car, I still can't get used to the people who walk around talking into their sleeves like the suburban Secret Service. Look for a post about it coming up soon! In the meantime, thanks for writing. Cheers, Laurie

I have a son who had a very bad car accident due to some of these distractions. He now has to deal with a spinal cord injury and learning to 'commute' using two-wheels ( a wheel chair). It all seems fine to multi task while driving until someone in your own family gets hurt.

Top Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents

• Reckless and negligent driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Inexperienced and irresponsible drivers
• Inattentiveness to the road and other vehicles (i.e., tuning the radio, talking on a cell phone, or chatting with passengers, etc.)

The #1 cause for Spinal Cord Injury is car accident.

Drive safe . Be safe.

Jody DeVere
President
AskPatty.com, Inc.
For more info go to:
http://www.askpatty.com/page.php?ID=265

i understand where these lawmakers are coming from, but seriously! some of it is too much. i agree we shouldn't abuse driving b/c it is a privilege, but seriously. Who doesn't eat once in a while in the car? Does that mean we get rid of drive-thru's? and turn off phones in the car? Lawmakers should not be able to limit what we can do in the car, but the public- those driving, anyway- should know how to handle these situations. for example, drinking hot coffee- not when you're driving fast or in traffic, because if its too hot, that is a distraction, or if it spills. Or talking on the phone- if it is distracting, stop somewhere to resume the conversation, or tell the person that you're on the road and that you two should discuss this later. Is it that hard to use common sense? Yeah- we should be safe drivers, but we shouldnt get rid of everything. Now grooming- totally understand why that is distracting, or reading, and smoking- it's not good for you, so i agree. some should be done at lights only- like writing.

I agree with most of these prohibitions (except the drinking of water and coffee) and perhaps the disappearance of the drive-through at the local fast food joint would help solve the obesity epidemic and open up jobs in the fresh vegetable and fruit-chopping segment. But they left a big one off the list: use of the Blackberry. Everyone is walking around with these now, no matter how important we are; we just can't be away from email for more than an hour. When my husband blackberries while driving (and he has been known to do this in Vermont) I tell him to pull over so that I can drive.

i failed my perimit sucks

dumb morons, you don't know the law, and you will get what's comin for you, traveling is not a priviledge, it's a common right:

"The right of the citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, either by carriage or by automobile, is not a mere privilege which a city may prohibit or permit at will, but a common right which he has under the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."- Thompson v Smith 154 SE 579.
"The claim and exercise of a constitutional right cannot be converted into a crime.-Miller v. U.S.,230 F 2d 486, 489.

Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them." - Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 491.

The case of Hertado v. California, 110 U.S. 516. states plainly: "The State cannot diminish rights of the people."

"The right to travel is a part of the liberty of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the 5th Amendment." - Kent v Dulles, 357

in nazi germany people also fell for everything their "government" hung on them and look what happened, give up your rights, go ahead, and in the mean time look up on the internet: concentration camps in america and prison trains that are waiting for their day to start collecting usless, bankrupt sheep for people, i'm leaving this bankrupt cancer nation. people deserve their government and all the punishment they accept. looks like NON of you ever read constitution, one judje said it best: IT"S NOT THE JOB OF THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM FALLING INTO ERROR, ITS THE JOB OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP GOVERNMENT FROM FALLING INTO ERROR. WELCOME TO NEW GERMANY, BY THE WAY LOOK UP "OPERATION PAPERCLIP" THAT WILL WAKE YOU UP.