“Savage: Safe driving requires more than hands-free cell phone use”

Savage: Safe driving requires more than hands-free cell phone use

Posted: 07 Oct 2010 01:45 AM PDT

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010

by Liz Fixsen | Special to The Gazette

It was official Friday — no more cell phone calls while driving, unless with a speaker phone or Bluetooth. For many of us with busy lives, this is going to be a major lifestyle change. Time driving always seemed like "dead time" that could be put to better use, such as catching up on phone calls that needed to be made.

But according to an article published on the website of the National Safety Council, "cell phone use [is estimated to be] a factor in six percent of all crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. Studies also show that cell phone-using drivers are four times more likely to be involved in personal injury crashes than other drivers, and that most crashes are caused by driver inattention, with cell phone use being the number-one distraction."

There are other driving distractions, and we're all guilty of at least one of them. Retrieving a dropped item from the floor of the car. Turning around to glare at a misbehaving child. Trying to maneuver a Big Mac into your mouth when the lettuce and sauce are threatening to plop into your lap. Searching for your favorite station on the radio. For me, a serious distraction is singing. There I am on the freeway, warbling away, "I've Got You Under My Ski-i-i-i-n," and then, "Oh, shoot! That was my exit!"

So we all need to focus our attention on the driving — and slow down. For me, the irony is that driving is really a pretty boring activity. If I'm driving at 60 mph with both hands on the wheel and on a clear road in good weather, boredom is likely to make me start to nod off. Listening to audio books seems like a solution, but isn't that one of those distractions that leads to accidents? I couldn't find any statistics on that.

The key to a golden life

The Savage United Methodist Church presents a drama, "The Golden Key — To Live Forever, You Must Have It" at 7 p.m. on Friday and at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. For more information call the church at 301-725-7630. The church is located at the corner of Foundry and Baltimore Streets in Savage.

Upcoming events to promote healthier lifestyles

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, residents are invited to the 2nd Annual Men's Health Fair at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Road in Columbia. The goal is to increase health awareness while addressing ongoing health topics related to men. The event features free health screenings, fitness demonstrations, resources on creating and managing a healthy lifestyle, snack ideas and more.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 15, the 50+EXPO happens at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road in Columbia. This event is for adults age 50 and older as well as younger adults with disabilities, their caregivers and family members and will feature more than 140 exhibitors, workshops, a health fair, food, all-day entertainment and free shuttle service from the Mall in Columbia. In addition, there will be healthy aging seminars, an educational series and re-careering workshops. Admission is free. A full schedule of events can be found at http://www.co.ho.md.us/OA/OAdocs/2010EXPOSchedule.pdf.

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