Distracted driving dangers are real
Monday’s Daily Herald letter from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, addresses the dangers inherent in distracted driving. As an emergency physician and father, the issue of distracted driving has been a key component of my professional and parenting practice. I have seen countless preventable teenage driving tragedies in the Emergency Department.
The problem is multi-factorial involving drug and alcohol impairment, aggressive driving behaviors and distracted driving. Driving in today’s world is a much more aggressive endeavor, faster driving, more traffic, and lack of “common courtesy” make driving increasingly challenging especially for the inexperienced driver.
Recent studies have demonstrated that distracted driving is as dangerous as driving intoxicated. A recent study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that people who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash or near-crash than non-distracted drivers.
Mr. White’s letter discusses a new statewide campaign aimed at raising the awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. I urge all drivers (and parents of new drivers) to visit www.Illinoistollway.com to learn about the “Drive Now. Text Later. You Can’t Do Both “program. It will save lives.
Our society cannot continue to accept that 6000 of our teens die driving each year nationally with tens of thousands more being severely injured. We must adopt a no tolerance attitude regarding this issue of impaired and distracted driving — we must view and confront the issue as a national epidemic.
Dr. Charles Nozicka
Advocate Condell Medical Center
Libertyville