A recent trend among city legislators across the country has absent-minded drivers paying the price for getting distracted while on the road. Cities in nearly 40 states have explored some kind of legislation to decrease the number of distracted drivers, according to several national traffic-research groups. Now is the time for the city of Eugene to jump on the bandwagon and participate in similar legislation before the accident toll caused by inattentive drivers mounts.
Most recently, the city of North Bend, Wash., passed a distracted driving ordinance to punish inattentive drivers. Effective Jan. 1, drivers within North Bend city limits will be fined an additional $300 for violating traffic laws while failing to pay attention to driving. The law notes smoking, shaving, talking with passengers and using electronic equipment (such as cell phones) as some of the distractions covered by the legislation. The law follows dozens of related measures, including New York state’s outright ban on cell phone use by motorists in June.
Drivers who are sidetracked from paying attention to the road by cell phone conversations, stereo equipment or even fast food have caused a plethora of accidents in recent years, and the numbers keep growing. Creating consequences for drivers lacking common sense is a last-ditch effort to get drivers to pay attention. Being aware of traffic and road hazards used to be a given when on the road, but distractions are easier to find when more time is being spent driving.
Eugene is no stranger to inattentive drivers and the city should consider legislation to combat the problem. Too much attention has been given to discussing the placement of the Sprint PCS cell phone tower on the east end of campus instead of the adverse effects of cell phones on drivers. The tower may increase phone consumption as a whole, which would put more phones in the hands of students driving to school.
The bottom line is Eugene has a commitment to keep roads safe for all drivers. Distractions have reached epidemic proportions in the information age and legislation must be taken to protect responsible drivers from those lacking common sense on the road.