Drivers hold key to stopping death by distraction

Ahh, multi-tasking. What a great world, where you can gab on the phone and grab a Starbucks - all from the convenience of the car.

Problem is, the next time you're engaged in a heated conversation while switching radio stations and switching lanes -- odds are something bad will happen.

We are a nation of distracted drivers and it's costing us lives and property damage.

One local case that's provoked outrage is the death of motorcyclist Anita Zaffke of Lake Zurich, killed May 2 by another driver who was polishing her nails instead of watching the road, police say.

May was a horrific month for motorcyclists in the region. Killed in separate accidents were Zaffke, husband and wife Wade and Denise Thomas of St. Charles, Michael Smith of St. Charles and Michael Lechner of Buffalo Grove.

"This is the ugliest start to riding season in Illinois that we ever have seen," said Dean Akey, a veteran biker and owner of an Allstate Insurance business in St. Charles.

Zaffke's death is adding weight to calls for a law that gives authorities a means of prosecuting distracted drivers.

Currenhtly, charges that could be applied, like reckless homicide, are based on premeditation, which is problematic to prove. Motorists who kill people through carelessness usually end up with a slap on the wrist.

Legislation sponsored by state Rep. William Black, a Danville Republican, would create a misdemeanor category for negligent vehicular homicide. It could result in up to a year in prison and a maximum $2,500 fine.

Although his proposal faltered this session, Black is hopeful an amended version will gain traction in the fall.

He pushed for reform after 25-year-old bicyclist Matt Wilhelm was killed in Urbana by a driver who went off the road while downloading ring tones on her cell phone.

"(Matt's) parents were upset she was only charged with improper lane usage," Black said.

What the stats show

The number of motorcycle accidents and fatalities in Illinois has grown since 2000.

Accidents decreased from 4,483 in 2005 to 4,119 in 2006 but soared to 4,819 in 2007, the most recent year analyzed by the Illinois Department of Transportation. There were 154 motorcycle deaths that year, too.

So how many of these losses are caused by people talking on cells, texting or checking e-mail while going 45 mph?

There's no detailed studies breaking down categories of distracted driving victims, although the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has initiated a study on motorcycles.

What we do know is cell phone use contributes to 6 percent of crashes, which equals 636,000 collisions a year in America and 2,600 deaths, according to a Harvard Center of Risk Analysis report.

A VTTI and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study of 100 cars found that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved a driver not paying attention.

Personal crusades

Anecdotal evidence suggests that texting, talking on the phone and using other electronic devices while at the wheel "is sky-high," said David Teater, senior director of transportation strategic initiatives at the National Safety Council in Itasca.

"One real danger for motorists is that automobile drivers don't see them - they're looking for a car in their mind's eye," Teater said. "If you add a cognitive distraction to the already difficult task of recognizing a biker, it makes it worse."

That's not to say these tragedies are always caused by inattention.

In 2007, "speeding was a factor in 36 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes compared to 24 percent for fatal passenger car crashes," a National Safety Council report states.

And, "27 percent of motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes were intoxicated compared to 23 percent of passenger car drivers."

Akey disputes the stereotype of motorcyclists as irresponsible and says a distracted driving law is desperately needed.

In January, the NSC started lobbying for a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving and has seen some success. In Illinois, the General Assembly passed legislation banning texting while driving and cell phone use in school or construction zones.

These victories like that encourage Teater, whose 12-year-old son died when a driver talking on a cell phone ran a red light and hit the family car.

"It was terrible, but at least I now have the opportunity to do something about it," he said.

Akey also is motivated by personal experience. Five years ago, he cracked his skull when his motorcycle was rammed by a minivan driven by a parent too busy scolding a child to see him.

He has since founded Rescue Riders, a program that trains motorcyclists to offer emergency assistance in accidents.

"There's an epidemic of distracted drivers doing harm to other people," Akey said. "We've become a multi-tasking society that thinks we can eat and listen to music and do whatever while we're driving. I don't believe we can."