Teen Was Texting at Time of Accident

It happened in Lewiston, Idaho this week. A teen was texting while driving in a car full of passengers. A VERY dangerous combination. I see two things wrong with this picture - one - that she tried to text message while driving which we know takes our eyes off the road and two - that other teens were in the car with her. What was so important that whoever was on the other end of her text message needed to know right then and there? We will never know. She lost control of her vehicle on the highway. One passenger is in critical condition after experiencing a ruptured spleen and the other suffered a concussion.

Two states mentioned in the article have already implemented a ban on cell phone usage while driving...Washington and Utah. Idaho hasn't favored this restriction and come to think of it, neither has Arizona.

I'm not saying that teens are completely at fault for talking on cell phones or texting while driving. We are all guilty of doing it at one point or another and we need to stop. After all, what's more important? Putting you and others on the road in danger to have a conversation or getting to your destination alive? You be the judge.

Yield to Bicyclists

Time and time again stories appear in the news of bicyclists enjoying a leisurely, scenic ride only to have to swerve far right for cars to avoid hitting them. Some make it home safely while others are not so lucky.

In a recent newsletter, I told the story of Bob. Bob was part of a team of bicyclists out on a Sunday morning ride in Phoenix when a young man struck him and continued driving. Bob was transported to the hospital, put on life support and died shortly after. He left behind his wife and children. In a split second, life had changed for both Bob and this young man. It could have easily been avoided had this young driver known that bicyclists do in fact have the right of way.

The driver failed to stop, drove home immediately and his parents advised him to "cover up" his truck. With the help of witnesses who were able to identify the truck's license plate, this is now deemed a criminal case.

If you don't know the rules when it comes to sharing the road with bicyclists, please remember that they have just as much right to be there as you do. DrivingMBA has a wealth of information on bicycle safety as do the AZ Coalition of Bicyclists. In fact, it'd be wise for all of us to revisit bicycle safety both as a driver or a bicyclist enjoying a scenic ride...

Governor Napolitano Approves GDL for Arizona

Last month, we learned that Governor Napolitano approved the bill to strengthen the graduated drivers' licenses(GDLs) in Arizona. This piece of legislation is referred to as the Teenage Driver Safety Act. Since its inception, DrivingMBA has supported efforts to change legislation and adopt a stronger GDL in Arizona. It has finally come to fruition. Stats show a significant decrease in teen deaths among states that have adopted GDLs. When Arizona signed the bill, there were already 44 states that had beat us to it.

Some argue that it's not the legislator's or law enforcement's responsibility to track teens' driving...it's the parents. While I don't disagree, parents are ABSOLUTELY the first line of defense. Parents need to set rules for teens to follow, however, this issue requires effort from many different angles. Parents, strong legislation, and better education and training are all necessary components. Parents, legislation, law enforcement, educators working together enforcing the passenger and night time restrictions will stop the devastating trend happening in this country. It is my strong belief that together we can truly make a difference.

I'm anxiously waiting to hear what other parents such as myself have to say. Feel free to comment back.