Distracted Driving: Five Seconds Is All It Takes

Five seconds is the average amount time your eyes are off the road while texting. At 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.

Every year, about 421,000 people are injured in crashes that involve some form of distracted driving.

Distracted driving is all around us. Though we don’t like to admit it, we are all distracted in one way or another while behind the wheel. Whether it’s texting, changing radio stations, or looking at the next direction on Google Maps, we are putting ourselves and others in danger. The Talon set out to see how some members of the Christian Brothers community limit their distractions on the road.

Morgan Price (’17) finds that putting her phone in her backpack helps her to focus on driving.

“I always make sure to put my phone somewhere I can’t reach it while I’m driving,” she says.

Driving is a huge responsibility, especially if you have a passenger in the car. Jonathan Claridad (’17) spoke about what he would do if his friend was texting and driving while he was in the car.

“I would take that phone,” he says. “I’d rather write out some texts for that friend than get terribly injured in an accident.”

I took Drivers Education at CB, and one of the very first things instructor Ms. Tracy Chadbourne told us was to put our phones in the back of the car. Out of sight, out of mind.

For drivers, there is also the debate of police being too lenient about catching drivers that are texting on the road.

“I think [drivers] wouldn’t go on their phones as much if they knew there was a higher chance of them being pulled over,” Morgan says.

Sean Baker (’17) agrees, saying that “some people are just not obvious about it while others are.”

“I think, as time goes on, law enforcement officers will exploit that.”

There is even a new law, signed by Governor Jerry Brown on September 26, that expands already written laws about texting and driving. The law not only attacks texting and talking on the phone, but it also aims to stop people from taking photos and streaming videos while driving.

For all of you driving Falcons out there, please limit your distractions on the road. You are all valuable members of society. Your lives and the lives of people around you matter. Please be a smart and safe driver.

Remember, it only takes five seconds.