Stop reading this if you're driving
By Mike Leidemann
Whether it's reading, eating, using a cell phone or yielding to a romantic impulse, drivers are engaging in unsafe practices more than ever before, according to a new national survey.
And Hawai'i drivers admit they're part of the trend — especially when it comes to cell phones.
Altogether, more than 90 percent of drivers surveyed across the country in a new Drive for Life poll said they multitasked at least once in the last six months. The figures were even higher for men and all drivers between the ages of 16 and 25.
The numbers mirror a Hawai'i poll last year that found many local drivers admitted speeding, running yellow lights or using a cell phone even while they said they were concerned about the driving behavior of others.
"I see people speeding, driving aggressively and running red lights sometimes, but mostly I see them driving while on the phone. I guess I'm guilty of that myself sometimes," said David Parente, a retired Honolulu firefighter.
National experts say the trend toward multitasking drivers is sure to grow and lead to more accidents, in part because the youngest drivers are the ones most likely to drive while sending or reading a text message, talking on a cell phone or watching a video.
"Attention is a zero sum game. If you shift from one area of perception, you will pay a price in another," said Steven Yantis, a professor or psychology and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. "Behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, that price may be extremely high if attention is diverted at the split second that driving conditions change."
The great irony in the national poll is that while most drivers say they value traffic safety over all other factors, most still admit doing dangerous things themselves.
Topping the list of dangerous behaviors were speeding (68 percent), eating (52 percent), using a cell phone (43 percent), not coming to a full stop at an intersection (36 percent) and driving while emotionally upset (35 percent). Seventeen percent said they have read a newspaper or text message at the wheel and at least 10 percent of the drivers admitted having a "romantic moment" while driving.
More than half the drivers surveyed said they felt less safe on the road than five years ago and more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle collision. They're most annoyed by the driving behavior of others, especially those who use a cell phone, tailgate or don't use their turn signals.
In the survey conducted by the University of Hawai'i last year, similar complaints were voiced.
Local drivers said their three top worries were the use of cell phones, a lack of respect for pedestrians and a suspicion that Hawai'i's driving test is too easy.
Even so, the local poll found:
In interviews last week, however, several Hawai'i drivers would admit to using a cell phone in the car, but then said they otherwise try to drive safely.
"I sometimes speed conservatively, come to a safe rolling stop and talk on the cell phone but not that much," said Paul Williams, a Kahalu'u farmer and fisherman. "But it's the aggressive and arrogant drivers and those running the red lights who are the real dangerous ones."
Others, though, said they consider distracted driving — particularly the use of cell phones — one of the great dangers of Hawai'i roads.
"Cell phone use is definitely a safety issue with me," said attorney Paul Sklansky. "I'm disappointed that the Legislature didn't pass a law this year dealing with the problem."
The national poll was conducted by Drive for Life, a coalition that includes the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Sheriffs Association, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Volvo Cars of North America.
Advertiser Transportation Writer
