We have all seen it happen. I don’t
think a day goes by when you don’t see a motorist chatting away on a cellphone
or texting while driving. Distracted driving is a serious problem in South
Africa and around the world and will contribute to more deaths on our roads
going forward.
As car technology improves by the
day, more and more people are tempted to use this technology while driving,
dramatically increasing the chances of a serious accident due to negligence on
behalf of the driver. Navigation systems, internet connectivity and access to
social sites such as Facebook and Twitter while driving all culminate into a
deadly mix. In 2010 in the US, 3092 (9.4% of road deaths) people died as a
result of distracted driving with 24% of these deaths were related to cellphone use
while driving. I can only imagine what the figures are in South Africa?
Motorists are urged to refrain
from using cellphones while driving and should rather pull off the road to make
a call or send a text message. Drivers are also urged to set navigation systems
prior to departure to avoid fiddling while driving. Distracted driving can kill
you and those around you. Drive safely, please.
No comments:
Post a Comment