SHHHHH, I'm Staying Focused on the Road

Yesterday my teenage son, who acquired his permit about a month ago, drove my husband and I to and from his ice hockey game. The trip to the rink was relatively unneventful.  Our chauffeur navigated the 20 minute trip via Routes 46, 80 and 10 with care being mindful of the changing speed limit and the traffic around him.  But the trip home took on a decidedly different flavor when he attempted to drive and provide post-game analysis.   

While I’ve got to admit the game was exciting -- his team rallied back from a one goal deficit to tie and nearly win the game with just under six seconds on the clock -- he needed to focus all of his attention on the road.  We did manage to get home unscathed, but I have to confess that my heart was in my throat the entire return trip.

I know that I have to chill out when I’m in the passenger seat.  My novice driver -- just like others who came before him (yours truly included) --  is going to make mistakes... a lot of them!  Driver training professionals have told me that not only are teens learning how to operate and control the vehicle, but process what is happening all around them. That’s a lot to take in.  In fact, my teen pointed out to me just the other day that he never really paid attention to where we were going or what was happening when I was driving. Now that he’s in the driver’s seat, it’s a whole different ball game.  You bet!

So while I have to remain calm and refrain from yelling “stop, stop, stop” when I think my son doesn’t see the car braking in front of him, he must keep his mind, as well as his eyes, focused on the road. (And his animated hands on the wheel!) Recapping a hockey game, talking about what he has to do for homework or discussing what we should have for dinner are all off limits.  Instead, the conversation should focus only on driving, which means there are apt to be moments of (gulp) silence.

That’s okay.  Silence means he’s more likely to be focused on the task at hand -- driving.  And that begs the question, shouldn’t we all be?  Isn’t it time to turn off or at least turn down the volume on our satellite radios and iPods, put down our smart phones and Blackberries, refrain from dashboard dining and grooming, and give the road our undivided attention?  Now, I know what you’re thinking, you’ve been driving for years and, unlike my teenage son, have the experience to handle these devices and/or activities with ease.  But I would argue that these devices and activities are distracting and not only put you, but everyone you’re sharing the road with at risk.  And I for one don’t want to have to worry about you... I’ve got my hands full supervising my son.

This Tuesday night (September 27) distracted and inattentive driving will be the topic of a town hall meeting at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.  I’ve been asked to speak about the subject and will hone in not only on the dangers for teens (it is the number one cause of crashes involving 16-20 year olds in New Jersey), but everyone on the road.  During my presentation, I’m going to propose that we take a cue from the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program -- that’s the three-phase licensing system that helps novice drivers build skill while minimizing risk  -- and refrain from using any electronic devices while driving.

Yes, even GPS.  How many times have you found yourself arguing with that bodiless voice emanating from your dashboard or portable device?  I’ve told mine (Maggie) countless times that she’s out of her mind.  And when that voice tells you to prepare to turn, do you glance over at the screen to make sure you’re heading in the right direction?  Oh, come on, admit it.  I’ve done it and I bet you have, too.

Here’s the thing, according to research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds preceding the event.  That should be enough to convince all of us that being distracted while behind the wheel is dangerous, even deadly.  But according to a survey conducted by Australian researchers (a country that has a much better safety record than the U.S.), most motorists consider driver inattention to be a major contributor to minor rather than serious crashes.  That perception, however, isn’t consistent with Australian crash statistics which found that distraction contributed more to not only the number of fatal crashes than fatigue, but also several times more to the number of serious injury crashes than speed, alcohol or fatigue.

Scary statistics that I hope will prompt each and every one of us to make the interior of our vehicles a distraction free-environment where silence (or at least an occasional moment of quiet) is golden.  I’d go so far as to suggest that we take a cue from Nike and “just drive.”