There is logic and reason behind the laws governing the rules of the road. While everyone has to obey them, the responsibility is really on the driver. The driver will be held responsible if anyone is injured in a crash involving his or her vehicle, and it is the driver who will have to live with the consequences if someone is injured or killed.
Stopping distance/reaction time
The normal reaction time of a driver can vary between half a second to two seconds. This might be due to tiredness, alcohol or other drug consumption, or simply being distracted while driving. The traction of the tires on the road and the condition of the road can increase the time and distance it takes to stop a moving vehicle. The speed and weight of the vehicle can be used to find out how long it would take to come to a complete stop. For example, a normal car speeding at 70 mph would take about 400 feet. That doesn”t seem too bad unless, of course, you have a person, or worse yet, a child, standing at 300 feet.
Children
Children are, because of their shorter height, difficult for drivers to see. Children can also easily move into the vehicle”s blind spots. Blind spots are areas that are not visible to the driver from the use of mirrors and sometimes, even from turning to look.
Directly behind an SUV, a child of 5 cannot be seen through the back window or in the rearview mirror. The speed limit of 25 mph in a residential area was designed for a very good reason. A pedestrian”s chance of being killed being hit by a car traveling at 20 mph is 5 percent, at 30 mph it”s 45 percent and at 40 mph it”s 85 percent.
Distracted driving
Texting while driving is becoming a source for an increasing amount of crashes around the country. Studies have shown that the attention and focus of the driver while texting is the same as the driver closing his or her eyes for three or more seconds. Texting is certainly not the only form of distracted driving; eating is a close second, but people also shave and read while driving as well. Talking on a cell phone, even hands free, can reduce the brain”s ability to focus on driving by more than a third. While “windshield time” equates in the business world to “down time,” in reality, it should be used to focus on driving.
Driving etiquette
Change lanes for bicyclists as if they were a car. In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law requiring that drivers in California give bikes a buffer zone of at least 3 feet while passing. And, always look for pedestrians, particularly children. Slow down and make eye contact with them if possible to ensure their safety on the road. While we are not able to control everything in life, we can be vigilant for our safety as well as the safety of others. We can stay focused while driving and wait to text or eat until we are finished with the task of driving. We can make a positive impact if we simply choose to be mindful.
Dora Briley is with the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Prevention and Planning Unit (PAPU) of Public Health.
