Harriman Oyofo: Mobile Phones are Safe, it´s People that are not
Long before mobile phones came along people still found ways to make things turn out the way they were supposed to.
Work could still be hazardous or downright perilous provided the right triggers were present. People ate, drank, and smoked behind the wheel. Some even tried reading the morning or evening paper in slow-moving traffic, while not a few lady drivers made a habit of a little makeup every now and again. What with having to beat the rush hour traffic - no time enough at home – so the in the car it will have to be. Some got away with it but many others didn't.
That means many got involved in vehicle collisions that could have been avoided or prevented, which meant spending time and money unforeseen, unplanned and lots of sweat too, not to mention emotions like anger, frustration, etc. But in the end it wasn't 'too bad' because we could generally 'live' with the outcome or so we quietly mused.
Then along came this cute invention called mobile phone. What a marvel! No wires trailing you, can fit in your pocket, purse or wallet, light as a 'feather', plus can do a lot of things like take photos, video/audio recording, send/receive all manner of data, messages, etc. Wonderful, convenient for use anywhere too including while you’re in a vehicle as a driver or passenger, does it matter? Guess what? It's fashionable too. Love it, love it, and love it. Life is good. Really good, huh!
Except that now work has become more hazardous and a lot more downright perilous because drivers not only do all those UNSAFE things they previously did when life was a little less faster, they can now make phone calls, send/read texts, listen to music on iPods or whatever while zipping down the road, street or highway. But they still must safely negotiate bends, navigate traffic lights safely, obey all signs and recognize that they share the road with other road users! Lots of responsibility won't you say? Besides and most importantly, they must get to their destinations safely before embarking on whatever business it was that took them there in the first place. Big, big responsibility!
Yes indeed, lots. Any wonder why collision numbers have climbed astronomically. Any wonder why more people are being killed on the road when drivers are doing a lot more than driving every day, everywhere? Any wonder why some now refer to mobile phones as WMDs....Weapons of Mass Distraction? Any wonder therefore why some are saying: Your Phone Is Safe....It's You They're Worried About? Remember that the phone itself is quite harmless. It is the use we put it to that can lead to harm to us or others.
Suddenly DISTRACTED DRIVING has popped up as a major motoring hazard around the world. Recent studies of fatal road collisions in some countries show that DISTRACTED DRIVING is now one of the leading causes of death on the road and highways with young adults being the most affected. It is of such magnitude that safety experts are having sleepless nights trying to figure out how to bring this worrisome situation under control using enforcement, education, engineering and out-of-the box approaches. Some States in the United States of America have enacted new legislation prohibiting the use of mobile phones while driving hands-free or not, in a bid to wrestle the problem to the ground and save more lives on the road.
Here in Nigeria, it is doubtful if distracted driving has yet hit home with the various tiers of government as a problem that requires urgent and special attention or if indeed any concrete plans are afoot anywhere to address it. With our already appallingly high road traffic fatality record, distracted driving may yet be one problem too many for our struggling and overstretched road transportation safety management agencies.
So in the meantime, the best advice to the individual motorist young or old is to recognize distracted driving as a clear and present danger to every road user because the unsafe act of one behind the wheel affects all in the vicinity. Avoid the use of mobile phones while driving for when the phone rings, you first take a look to see who is calling and that’s as much as two seconds off the road and then you answer it. In that time you’re simply not in control of what is happening around you or the vehicle as your attention is elsewhere. That is why it is an extremely dangerous thing to do.
Above all, please note that distracted that DISTRACTED DRIVING refers to anything you do behind the wheel other than the business of driving. Things like chatting, texting, tweeting, reading, searching for your favourite music track, smoking, eating, drinking, grooming, operating GPS systems, strayed thinking, etc. The list is endless.
Remember that driving is serious business. Do not mix it with any other activity because it is most unsafe and least advisable to do so. Have a safe trip.
Harriman Oyofo is CEO, Mann Associates Ltd., Nigeria.
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