There should be no debate that mobile phones are both addictive and distracting when driving a vehicle.
A car on average weighs 3,500 pounds, and the consequences of distracted operation go on unabated.
Many people suffer from this addiction, as most polls show that almost 50 percent of drivers admit to texting while driving.
It is not possible to concentrate on a driver’s primary obligation on the road – keeping their vehicle safe – while removing their hands from the wheel and their eyes off the road to operate a phone.
I have seen the results of horrific injury and sometimes death to cyclists as a consequence of these distractions. The only way to make drivers accountable is to heft heavy fines as a punitive reminder, because the data shows drivers keep holding their phones even though they know they should not. This is the textbook definition of addiction, and it could kill a pedestrian or someone behind the wheel.
Tracy Floyd
Cape Elizabeth
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.