Driving while talking is selfish, dangerous

In a desperate attempt to make it to my class on time the other day, I pulled into the fast lane on the freeway behind one of those rolling examples of American intemperance: the sport utility vehicle.

The SUV was swerving in and out of the lane, while randomly speeding up and slowing down. I thought I might be behind a drunk driver or someone on drugs or, worse yet, someone having a heart attack.

As I pulled around to get out of harm's way, I looked over and saw a man talking on a cell phone.

Cell phone use in the car has become a threat to driver safety on freeways and city streets around the world. Everyday I see people talking on cell phones and driving in a manner that not only causes me to shake my head, but scares the hell out of me.

John Caldwell
How I see it

Several studies have shown that talking on a cell phone while driving a car is similar to being legally drunk. One study concluded that a driver is four to five times more likely to get in an accident when talking on a phone.

The cities of Hilltown and Conshohocken, Pa., and Brooklyn, Ohio, have all instituted bans on cell phones while driving. Patricia Penn pushed for the bans in Pennsylvania after a driver talking on a cell phone ran a stop sign, killing her 2-year-old daughter.

Why must we wait until someone dies before we take action against a visible threat or change a misguided behavior?

When we perform non-critical tasks in a way that poses a threat to the safety of others, we are being profoundly selfish. There are plenty of examples of this everyday on our freeways: We eat, comb our hair, shave, put on lipstick, read, hold heated arguments and even watch television while driving.

A car is like a loaded gun pointed at other people. And when we do not pay adequate attention to our driving, it is like squeezing the trigger.

John Caldwell is a print journalism major.