Deputies see it everyday, drivers talking on their cell phones or texting while driving. What’s the big deal? Well for one thing, it is illegal but, it also distracts you from concentrating on the roadway and traffic ahead of you.
Five seconds to send a quick text is equal to the length of a football field when driving 55 miles per hour. That’s how long your eyes are off the road. The average text conversation lasts about three minutes.
Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous not only to you but, to others as well. Think about the passengers in your vehicle, other motorists and of course pedestrians. If you must use your cell phone, pull off the roadway before making or answering your call.
Should you choose to use a hands free device while driving, take into account that it is the conversation and not the technology that is most distracting. Talking on the phone uses the same brain activity that is used to navigate a car on the roadway.
Your cell phone should not control you and your vehicle. Let it take a message from your friends and you will get back to them when it is safe to do so.
— Carson City Sheriff's Office Sgt. Scott McDaniel writes regular public safety columns.