Texting Driver Quickly Regrets It When They Lose Control And Veer Off Road
We’re constantly seeing more and more promotional material to make us put own our phones when we’re driving. Governments have been increasing penalties if you’re caught with a phone in hand and some are even shoveling funds into cameras that can detect it with no human input. So when you see a driver that has a device glued to their ear, maybe try and give them a look to put it down. If not, it’s highly likely that something like this is going to happen…
The driver of this Chevrolet Malibu was texting while on a freeway, and very obviously veering from one side to the other while weaving in and out of traffic. The road isn’t overly busy, but it only takes one hit to change someone’s life. Despite rolling into the wrong lane multiple times, the driver didn’t put the phone down and instead, continued to use their phone.
The road then splits to an exit, and without looking up, the driver drifts towards a road sign and suddenly changes direction to avoid it. Thanks to this weight transfer and overcorrection, the car starts to oversteer in the opposite direction with the car eventually ending up in the grass by the roadside.
It’s difficult to see from the video if the driver is texting or not, but it certainly looks like it from the way they’re driving. It looks almost as though they’re drunk.
Many drivers admit to using a mobile phone while driving using the excuse that they’re only looking at the phone for several seconds. But it’s important to realise that even with your eyes off the road for five seconds, at 70mph (national speed limit in the UK), you will travel over 500 feet.
I agree on the not texting and driving, but I take issue with the suggestion to stare down drivers who are simply talking on the phone. Talking on the phone while holding it to one’s ear is no more distracting than talking on a hands free device. The distracting part is clearly the talking, not the holding. Should we also leer at people with their hand on the windowsill or the armrest?