To the editor:

On June 28, Lt. David K. Dillon, a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy, was tragically killed when an automobile hit him from behind, throwing him into a ditch. We don’t know the cause, but the offending driver was said to be talking on a cell phone and may have been further distracted by other electronic devices. Maybe this tragedy and thousands like it across the country could have been prevented. How? Hanging up your cell phone while you drive.

Neuroscience and common sense suggest that engaging in a conversation on a phone while you drive seriously impairs your ability to be aware of and respond to the many stimuli that you must react to as you drive. Some researchers, like David Strayer at the University of Utah, who have accumulated hard data on the subject, say that drivers talking on cell phones are four times more likely to get into an accident – about the same rate as drivers who are impaired by drugs and alcohol.

Let’s say you are on I-35 North going home from work. Your spouse calls you and tells you that your son just got expelled from school. Given that, are you going to notice and effectively deal with that semi careening unexpectedly over to your lane?

Neuroscientists from the University of Michigan also tell us that almost anything (e.g., eating, grooming, smoking, talking to a passenger) compromises the attention you need to drive safely. The brain is remarkable, but it cannot stay focused when seriously competing demands impinge upon it. In the name of safety, please hang up.

Dennis Saleebey,
Lawrence