Drunk Drivers or Texters: Who Is the Most Dangerous?

Several years ago while traveling south on I-75, I noticed a pickup truck moving about the lanes in an erratic manner.  I told the deputy that was with me that it appeared that we may have a driver that was "UI," short for under the influence. 

In order to build the case, I flipped on my dashcam and continued following as traffic conditions were very light for the interstate. It was soon apparent that the driver of the pickup truck had no idea that I was back there, nor did they seem to care. 

As soon as the driver left the roadway on the left side and hit the emergency lane, I said to my partner, "That's it," and turned on the blue lights. The vehicle continued on for about another mile until a short blast from the siren finally got his attention. 

Once stopped, I approached and asked for his driver's license. He produced it without any problem, which is a bit unusual for an intoxicated driver, and I noticed that the vehicle had no smell of alcohol within the passenger compartment, nor were there any other signs of problems normally associated with intoxicated drivers. 

I asked him to step out of the vehicle and he immediately complied. No unsteadiness, no slurred speech, nothing to indicate to me that this was what I was initially convinced was a DUI driver. 

After explaining why I had stopped him, he said to me, "I guess I wasn't paying attention because I was texting on my cell phone." Now keep in mind that this was my first encounter with this new and dangerous activity, so I wasn't yet buying it. When I asked if he had anything to drink, he told me no, he didn't consume alcohol at all. Drugs I thought, but that didn't ring true either. This man exhibited no behavior that was consistent with what I had seen and been trained to observe over a long time. 

After further investigation and consultation with my partner (he was scratching his head as well) I wrote the man a warning and sent him on his way with a stern suggestion that he pay more attention to his driving. I actually wrote up a contact report and submitted it, still unsure of what I had seen and recorded on camera. I had the opportunity to show this video to several other deputies, a couple of state troopers and some Cartersville police officers over the next few weeks. It was a new and very disturbing  incident  to them as well. 

As we all know now, texting and driving is against the law and it became a law about a year or so after my contact with this texting driver. 

This man, driving this 2-ton missile down the interstate was a danger to himself and others. And now I will make this statement, which is sure to be unpopular with some. I believe that the texting driver is far more dangerous to themselves and others than the DUI driver. 

We have for many years now had very substantial penalties for those who drink too much and drive. We arrest them, put them in jail, take their licenses, make them attend alcohol awareness and rehab courses, and generally make their lives miserable for a long period of time.

Most of us have a hard time even considering arresting a person, otherwise completely in control of their faculties, for texting while driving. Yet, and again in my opinion based on many years of knowledge, training and experience, these texters present a greater danger to property and human life. While never excusing DUI driving, I at least understand that once alcohol gets someone in its grasp, an originally well-intentioned person loses the ability to think and act with common sense. 

I am having a hard time finding any excuse, even a poor one for those who text and drive.