Seconds and Inches

It happened in nano-seconds. I didn’t think accidents really happened like this until it happened to me. The on-coming car was on his side of the road one second and then I saw the driver look down, his head went under the dashboard and the car started coming directly at me in my lane. There was a car beside me and I had nowhere to go. In an instant, I decided to veer toward the car beside me just when the driver’s head came back up with a cell phone in one hand and swerved to avoid me. Seconds and inches, that was all the difference to a head-on crash. You read about this stuff in the paper and don’t think much of it- until it happens to you!

The hard statistics of car accidents with people using their cell phones while driving are startling. Just last month, there were results of a U.S. study that said drivers distracted by talking or texting on cell phones killed an estimated 16,000 people from 2001 to 2007.The study was one of the first scientific attempts to quantify how many people have died in accidents caused specifically by mobile telephone distractions. Just talking on a cell phone can distract a driver, and there have been several studies to support this, even with a hands-free device. Research highlights that texting and using so-called smart phones that provide e-mail access and other distracting applications take the problem to a new level.

These are good reasons to obey the law and limit communication while driving. This blog is not an advertisement for hereiam™, but I want to highlight that our service was created with safety as a top priority while driving (with single button access for business services such as being able to listen to emails by voice and composing emails by voice without touching the cell). hereiam™ also uses voice commands for dialling as do many in-car systems and some smartphones. We are finding that some of subscribers, even with these capabilities, limit their communication while driving to focus on the road- and good for them. I’m hoping anyone reading this blog will take communicating while driving serious. Here are a few really simple suggestions:

· When first getting into the car, turn on your Bluetooth to enable hands-free. If you have an in-car system, ensure you have set up your contact list properly so you can use it.

· When driving, remember this is the priority. You can set limits for yourself as to what communication you need to do and what can be saved until later. For example, listening to emails and voice messages and doing only high-priority calls.

· Call using voice commands including your contact list or calling out numbers.

· Never look at your text or email messages on your cell screen when driving. We’ve all been tempted, but make it a rule. It’s also against the law.

This is very simple communication etiquette when you’re in the car. Yet, I’m still amazed at the number of drivers I see that still have their hand and cell phone to their ear while driving. Thanks to seconds and inches in my favour, I’m a lucky guy!