Dialed Into a Potential Accident

We all have pet peeves in this world. I’m probably a pet peeve to some people I’ve worked and socialized with in my nearly 40 years on this planet.

As I was sitting at an intersection recently, I noticed a sign by the traffic light that noted a $181 fine for tying up the intersection. Driving down a local highway, another sign warned of a $1,000 fine for littering.

The one fine that you won’t find in most places across the country is a fine for using a cell phone in a non-emergency situation while driving.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org), the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association reported this spring that in this country in 2003, approximately 148 million people used cell phones compared to 4.3 million 13 years earlier. Added reliance on cell phones has led to a jump in the number of people who use the devices while driving. Meantime, studies continue to look at the link between cell phone usage and accidents that, you guessed it, drive up insurance premiums.

Now before you label me out of touch with today’s fast-paced world, I ask you, is that call really necessary?

I’m all for cell phone usage for emergencies like a car breaking down, medical illness or an individual being harassed on the roads while driving and needing to reach police.

I think where I draw the line is folks having to check with honey to see what they need in the frozen food aisle at the store on the drive home, which soccer field to pick up Timmy on the drive home, completing that business deal that may end in more than just a fender-bender or the need to call one’s love several times of the day while out on the road to see how their day is going.

Lets just take a few minutes out of our day to plan our schedules a little better and then we’ll all get to the store in one piece, Timmy will get picked up by a parent whose car just didn’t cause an accident, the deal will get completed, and we’ll actually have something to talk about around the dinner table at night.

We hope you enjoy your latest issue, and we’ll talk to you soon.

P.S. If you take issue with my take on cell phones and driving, e-mail me a note. I’m not answering the phone on the drive home.