Focus on this bumper, not on your phone

I read this bumper sticker the other day walking across a parking lot.   Have you ever counted the number of drivers who are driving around you talking on a cell phone?   Try it sometime, it is unnerving.   Distracted driving comes in a lot of different forms and the cell phone is just one of them.   Technology is rapidly being adapted into the vehicle and some model cars today also come with a hard drive, which will allow the driver to surf the web, get directions, make phone calls and play music, all while driving.

There is a fight coming between the automotive industry and their quest to integrate technology into the vehicle and driver safety advocates, including our current Secretary of Transportation, who wants to ban cell phones from the vehicle right now.

The simple point being missed in all of this… is where the focus should be, on driving.  We have all of our focus on distracted driving and texting, but we are not talking about the fundamentals of safe driving.   Two hands on the wheel and actively scanning your surroundings.   These are safe driving behaviors that need to be practiced.   No where in any online driving safety course or Driver’s License handbook will you be instructed to use your phone, call your friends and drive.   It does not make any sense, let alone common sense.

So focus on the bumper in front of you, not on your phone.