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Distracted driving entails much more than just cell phones
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I made a big mistake Friday.

I was driving down Spreckels Avenue in the right hand lane when I noticed an elderly lady waiting to cross the intersection at Norman Drive.

I quickly glanced in my rear view mirror. There was a sizable distance - perhaps 20 car lengths - between myself and the nearest vehicle. So I stopped.

The lady stepped off the curb. She wasn’t nimble to say the least.

I glanced in the rear view mirror again. Much to my horror there were two cars barreling down on the crosswalk in the adjoining lane. It was clear that I had come to a stop in the travel lane at the crosswalk. Either it didn’t register or they didn’t care. They kept going and seemed to actually pick up speed. Meanwhile, the lady was dead center in front of my car.

They kept coming and she kept walking. I didn’t know what else to do, so I lightly tapped my horn. It startled her. She stopped, and then looked quizzically toward me just a yard or so away from the first car that zipped by.

Her startled look turned to a smile. But it wouldn’t last long. The second car zipped by as well.

Another step or two and what I thought was a display of common courtesy that could be safely made given the distance between myself and other cars almost turned into a tragedy.

Motorists in the opposite direction had started slowing down and came to a stop. She continued on her way to reach the safety of the far sidewalk.

I could not tell whether the other drivers were texting, talking on a cell phone, eating, or head banging to music. For all I know they could simply have been in their own little world or else focusing on what was ahead of them.

Whatever the case, it was distracted driving.

I know we like to think of distracted driving as chatting on a cell phone or such. But in reality it happens whenever we are not giving full attention to whatever is ahead of us on the road.

When you’re piloting a ton or of metal on the road at 35 mph or 70 mph you need to give it your undivided attention. We are all guilty of not doing so including me.

The reason why highway deaths have dropped during the past 10 years has everything to do with safer vehicles where crumple zones are engineered to absorb the shock of a crash working in tandem with air bags and seat belts.

While those incased in cars have seen their chances of dying in an accident drop, the same is not true of pedestrians.

We all need to pay more attention when we drive.



This column is the opinion of managing editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Bulletin or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA.  He can be contacted at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com or 209-249-3519.