By Jack Allen
Opinion Editor
With recent California Appellate Division court case findings regarding cell phone use under the current distracted driving law, California legislators should take this opportunity to outlaw more driving distractions to ensure road safety.
While legislators have the largest impact on the future safety of California roads, automobile companies also need to produce cars with fewer visual distractions, such as touch screen-related GPS and navigation systems that require drivers’ eyes to be taken off the road.
After California driver Steven Spriggs was cited for using his phone as a GPS mechanism, the Appellate Division of the Fresno County Superior Court found him guilty of violating the California vehicle code regarding the use of handheld devices.
The court argued that using a handheld device as a “telephone, GPS navigator, clock or device for sending and receiving text messages” all cause distractions. The current distracted driving law minimally address the use of technological devices while in an automobile and fails to be clear.
According to a Harvard University study, since 2002, there have been approximately 51,818 cell phone distraction-related crashes resulting in minor or serious injuries per year, with 2,600 turning fatal. After the Spriggs case decision, California legislators should clearly define a stringent policy against operating any mobile device while driving in order provide safer streets.
Although the new advancements in touch screen GPS and entertainment systems that car companies have implemented are technologically beneficial, they themselves cause hazardous distractions. Automobile manufacturers need to implement voice-activated navigation and communication to keep drivers eyes on the task at hand.
Not only are cell phones a major cause of car accidents, but other distractions like eating are just as hazardous. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, “If you are eating in your vehicle, you are focusing on your food and not your driving.” While proving to be a major driving distraction, cell phones are, not the only thing taking drivers minds and eyes off of the road.
While the illegalization of eating and driving would inconvenience many, the state should seek safer roads rather than public luxury. Food and drink driving distractions are as dangerous, if not more dangerous, as digital distractions and should be judged and reviewed equally. Since the court system has taken the time to review digital driving distractions, all other areas of distraction need equal evaluation.
In order to keep the roads of California safer, the state needs a rigid piece of legislation addressing all aspects of distracted driving, along with an improvement in the production of less distractive cars. While driving with a digital device is tempting, the safety of California citizens needs to be prioritized over public comfort and luxury.
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