Please put down the phone. I mean device. Yes, I am old.
My 30 years as a lawyer helping victims of motor vehicle accidents informs me that distracted drivers cause most motor vehicle accidents, and motor vehicle accidents can devastate the lives of the victims and their families. I recently reviewed a report by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), showing pedestrian fatalities steadily decreased from 1970 to 2009. Since 2009, pedestrian deaths have continued their sad, sad rise. Each of those deaths represents some devastated survivors.
What happened in 2009? Cell phones arrived in the 1990s and were hitting pretty big numbers after 2000. I remember reading some articles while preparing for an injury case in the mid-2000s about the mental disconnect drivers had while they were talking on phones as they were driving down the road. It was becoming a problem then on the roads, but was about to become way worse. I asked my phone when the cell phone became a smartphone: 2007. By 2009 use of phones (now handheld computers with apps of all varieties) had arrived to stay. The level of distractions had never been higher. There are still the hamburgers and music adjustments that have been distracting drivers for generations, but the phone is the king distractor with all of its uses. (“The phone is just a seldom-used app on my phone” — Gary Gulman).
The current technology provides wonderful access to information and to connect with others. However, time away from devices is great advice to build true friendships and enhance family relationships. Driving time away from devices (and away from the chimes and vibrations of devices) will save lives.
Please, please, please hang up the phone.