Cell Phones and Seatbelts

[kittytech]

The short version. Talking on a cell phone while driving should be illegal,
and wearing a seatbelt truly can be of benefit.

So, what's up with this? Two real entries from me in one day? The world must
truly be coming to an end! GRIN! But, I wanted to write about something else
that happened to me this afternoon. And no, this time this isn't a rant.

After the morning I'd had, things did improve. But, I decided to take a
couple of hours off kind of as a mental health afternoon, so I canceled my
Para-transit and scheduled a time-order cab. The cab came right on time, and
we started toward home. A couple of blocks from work, we stopped at a light.
The light changed and the driver started forward, only to slam on the breaks
almost immediately. I heard our tires squeal, followed by another set of
tires just outside my window. The force of the quick stop forced me forward
in my seat, and the safety kicked in on my seatbelt. I'm already feeling
rather sore in my neck and upper back from the force.

We just kind of sat there for a couple of seconds, and then my driver
started moving again. He told me that a couple of young girls were talking
on a cell phone and weren't watching the road. We came extremely close to
being broadsided, and I would have been the one to take the hit. This is the
closest I've ever come to any sort of collision-type accident, and I saw
firsthand how the seatbelt can really be a good thing. It was also brought
home to me just how dangerous it truly can be to drive while talking on a
cell phone. Things turned out fine, but things don't always end this way.

Comments

[johnmill79.livejournal.com]

That is really scary. People really do need to put the phone down when behind the wheel. I almost got hit by a car while crossing the lot; lady said the driver was talking on his phone. Also, the bus driver answered a call while driving. That makes me very uncomfortable.