New technology in vehicles makes it easier to drive distracted, PSB member says
Distracted driving isn’t something that’s new –
Coun. Larry Wight, a retired truck driver, was commenting during discussion about distracted driving at their recent meeting last month, saying the main emphasis - and it’s a legitimate one - of use of cellular phones while driving is made easier with new technology in all types of vehicles these days, from cars to trucks to four-wheelers and tractors.
“Technology is a great tool, but we’re going a little overboard with it in the wrong places,” he said, agreeing that cell phone use is troubling but having touch tone screens for navigation in newer vehicles “is 10-times worse.”
“As a previous truck driver and still out on the road, my lifeline was being able to see what the driver ahead of me was doing,” Wight continued. “If I can’t see him I don’t know what’s going on. We’re letting this stuff run rampant and not taking any initiative at all to curb it.
“It’s got to be scary not to be able to see drivers with tinted window in vehicles when you walk up to a car,” he continued, asking Perth County OPP Inspector Rob Scott what the police feel about tinted windows these days.
Inspector Scott agreed that scenario is dangerous, but police also need to hammer home how serious a problem distracted driving is.
“We go down the road, and all you see is people with their heads down on their phones,” he said. “You just do what we can. We’ve saturated corporately – not sure what else we can do. It’ll have to come to disabling phones in cars or something.”
Insp. Scott added that years ago, when drivers were asked for the reason they were in an accident, they admitted to simply reaching over to turn up the radio or set down their coffee.
