I'm not sure where to begin--yesterday's Distracted Driving Summit proceedings were packed full of information; it was exciting to be in a room full of people putting their heads together so intently on this dangerous epidemic.
I was particularly moved by the stories of family members who have survived the death of a loved one due to distracted driving. Their words and experiences are such an important part of this discussion. And the strong response in the room and on the web to their stories tells me others think so as well.
Briefly, what conclusions do I draw from yesterday's panelists?
- The widespread nature of texting and talking on cell phones while driving indicates we need change the culture in America just as we did with drunk driving and seat belts.
- Adults need to lead by example and end the disconnect between our knowledge that texting or calling while driving is indeed risky while persisting in that same risky behavior.
- The technological picture is less than clear--many people yesterday got hung up in the weeds of the hand-held versus hands-free contest. That begs the question: Why can't we simply put these devices aside for short periods of time just as we do when we board airplanes?
That's enough to think about for now; I look forward to some guidance from today's panels.
And I'm particularly looking forward to our youth panel.
We've got something good going here, and I hope readers of this blog will tune in.