The nemesis of distracted driving is apparent and pronounced.
We all know that from anecdotal evidence alone, scarcely needing additional confirmation from empirically derived data.
Motorists who seem to be attuned to just about everything other than driving are seemingly all around us, especially in the crowded metro environment of New York City and surrounding boroughs.
And their number is clearly growing, underscored by progressively higher numbers of motorists whizzing by with one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped around a smartphone.
The ramifications of that are significant and dire. A recent article duly notes the ever-growing dangers posed by distracted drivers. The national publication Claims Journal stresses that, "The advent, adoption and obsession with smartphones have led to a serious epidemic" on America's roadways, leading predictably to carnage and growing public alarm.
The concern is obviously heightened among the general driving public, but it is equally present in the commercial sphere (read big trucks) and in the municipal transportation realm. As frightening as a driver interacting with a smartphone in a passenger vehicle can be, the fear factor ratchets up exponentially when he or she is sitting behind the wheel of a city bus or operating a commuter train.
The Claims Journal rightly stresses that greater efforts need to be undertaken collectively by safety regulators, law enforcers, insurers and technology companies to curb distracted driving.
The general public would seem to readily agree with that. Reportedly, drunk driving has been supplanted by distracted driving as the biggest roadway safety concern across the United States.