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Cool Mom Tech--Curb Your Distracted Driving

Ideally, we should make a commitment to a zero-distraction zone in our automobiles. However, just like yesterday when my co-worker was calling and texting me over and over, there are times where we have to let people know we are driving and cannot communicate with them at that moment. I follow a Blog called Cool Mom Tech who sends me a tech savvy e-mail each morning. This morning, they shared the following fun and helpful fact about iPhones:

"Text and Email: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard and create shortcuts for yourself so you'll never have to type that same phrase over and over again. Just type the phrase and then enter the shortcut. The next time you type the shortcut, the previously-entered phrase will be typed out for you."

I tried it out attaching the following Text to the short cut "qw" (first two letters on the keyboard; easily accessed from a red light stop): "I'm driving. I'll call you when I'm stopped. This is a short cut that I set up in the settings so I wouldn't have to text and drive. DRIVE DISTRACTION FREE!"

Texas Speed Limit Increase...Dieing to Get There!

PHOTO SOURCE

"Uh...Jaimee, why is everyone passing us like we are sitting still?" questioned my 15-year-old from the passenger side of my car. "I mean, I know you drive slow (stink eye given), I mean the speed limit, but this is ridiculous!"


I looked around and was flabbergasted...Holy! Moly! I was stunned to see the speed limit on Interstate 30 between Greenville and Texarkana had increased to 75 m.p.h. The shock continued that the night time speed limit sign of 65 m.p.h. was gone as well. I was scared stiff watching Tractor Trailers speeding by me at sometimes more than 75 m.p.h.


Hubby Dearest's response to my concern was laughter. It really had been a long time since I adventured out on my own. Since my sister's death in March 2011, the panic attacks and uneasiness behind the wheel have kept me to only making treks to and from work with an occasional visit with near-by friends. This would be the first time for me to be "on-my-own" in more than a year. I was forcing myself to start living again, which is ironic because it seemed the likelihood of being killed in a car accident had just increased. It made me want to dart back into my hole and hide some more.


According to a story from August 2011, which I found on the Huntsville Item, "In Texas, speed limits are set by a method known as the 85th percentile, which considers the speed the majority of drivers are traveling."


So for all of you, like me, whose mothers used to say, "If all of your friends jumped off a cliff, would you join them?" I guess the answer is "YES" if you live in Texas because, apparently, out of 100 drivers, 85 or more of them always drive more than 70 m.p.h. on Texas highways.


TxDOT Traffic Operations Division Director Carol Rawson said, on NewsTalk 1290 back in January, "Posting new speed limits on 1,500 miles of interstate highway is a major milestone in implementing the new law. Texas’ economic strength depends on the efficient and safe movement of people and goods. These new speed limits increase highway efficiency while maintaining the safety of the transportation system.” Ummm...economic strength...safety??? You can't get money out of dead people, Texas!
With a little more research today (Thank You, Star-Telegram), I also found out "... Texas is famous (safety advocates might say infamous) for its 80-mph limit on 521 miles of I-10 and I-20 in far West Texas." Are you kidding!!!!!! No way, thank you very much!

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/26/3691627/many-texas-highways-will-soon.html#storylink=cpy

The conspiracy theorist that I keep hidden in my bonnet most of the time says this is the petroleum industry's way of selling more gas. I was averaging 30.3 m.p.g. in my Altima at the time I spotted the speed limit change. I tried out the new speed limit for about an hour of white knuckle anxiety and the mileage dropped to 28.6 m.p.g. Ha! I slowed back down to 70 and used financial excuses to put off my daughter's huffing complaints.


All joking aside, Texas is leading the country in distracted driving deaths and injuries. And, yes, Darling Daughter counted and pointed out which speeding bullets were zooming past us where the driver was distracted by a cellular device (not counting wrangling kiddos, dashboard dining or playing with your controls). Out of 100 cars...65. Twenty more percent and maybe we will pass a law okaying distracted driving! I think I will investigate telecommuting soon!

Stay Alive Just Drive--Go Vote

DD Advocate Smith Writes Back

Remember back in May when I wrote to Jennifer Smith, distracted driving advocate and my personal hero? The realistic side of my brain said people are too busy to read and respond to every piece of mail they receive. That left brain says, "It's good therapy for you to keep trying to reach everyone though." Well guess what, Lefty! Jennifer wrote me back! She also agreed to be a guest blogger for this site soon. Here's some of her response to my outreach...

Jennifer Smith at her mother's
crash site (photo source)

Hello Jaimee,

...I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your sister. I, all too well, understand the unexpected loss of a loved one so senselessly. I would be more than happy to write a guest blog for you. As you know, this type of work is what keeps me going and talking about the loss and fighting to make a change is my therapy. I have been fortunate enough to have met some of the most amazing families in this journey and the losses we have suffered are the common bond we all wish we did not have. I am sorry you could not make it to the summit but very soon we will have the videos available form the event and you can watch the whole thing. The panels provided a lot of education and information, and they are meant to be shared with anyone and every one to educate them and bring about a change in behaviors so others do not have to suffer our same losses.

We have so many families in Texas that have joined together to comfort each other and to ensure the much needed changes occur in laws and behaviors. From the summit we are putting together an event to be held at the Capitol in Austin sometime in January with Representative Craddick and Senator Zaffarini's offices as they will be re-introducing more legislation during the next session.  We want to get all of the families there and speak to the legislators about our losses and why the state must do something to stop these tragedies from occurring.  I will make sure and let you know when we have more details on the event, and I would be more than happy to connect you with some of the other families in the state so you can work with them as well.

Please feel free to contact me anytime for anything.  I am traveling a lot but I will always find time to connect. I consider people like you my new family and together we can help each other get through the most horrific experiences in our lives.  Please offer the rest of your family my condolences and keep up your great work...

Jennifer Smith

I pledge not to text and drive because...

Check out the video on Parkview Hospital's Don't Text and Drive Page...then tell us why you pledge to not text and drive. Who/what do you love more than texting and driving?

I pledge not to text and drive because I love...

Where Do We Draw the Line?

It never fails that when someone is wronged in some way, they want justice. We all (even if only secretly) want those who hurt us to be punished. If you hurt or kill someone because you are driving under the influence, you receive jail time. In Texas, it's called Intoxication Assault or Intoxication Manslaughter and is punishable with a fine not more than $10,000, 2 to 20 years in prison, and from 160 to 800 hours of community service.

We've heard about it since we were in grade school, DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE! It is a willful act to drink alcohol or use drugs and then operate your vehicle. It is also a willful act to operate your cellular device (texting/calling/updating) while also operating your vehicle. Studies show that distracted driving is comparable to drinking and driving with regard to accidents. So why are there no legal consequences for those drivers who hurt or kill someone while they are driving distracted? Should there be? How do you draw the line? Where do you draw the line?

Read these stories and weigh in:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/14/distracted-driving-death.html
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2436225.shtml
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-mct-harrodsburg-man-avoids-jail-must-discuss-20120504,0,6544388.story