Texting, Drunk Driving Can End in Same Crash

COURT HOUSE — According to Capt. John Edwards, Middle Township Police Department, the loss of a family member to a traffic fatality reaches far into the family and community.
“No one ever realizes how far those ripples will reach,” said Edwards. Unfortunately, such ripples affected six families since the beginning of 2012 as six people lost their lives in Middle Township due to traffic fatalities.
Those ripples even touch police officers assigned to inform family members that they have lost a loved one.
Edwards said there is a protocol that officers follow, however informing families can be “very difficult.”
“We send a uniformed officer, along with an officer who is not in uniform,” said Edwards. “We’ll also find out of there is a pastor or a chaplain.”
As part of the Oct. 10 observance of “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day,” Edwards said police hope drivers put their full attention on the road, not on cell phone texting or drinking and driving.
Edwards said dubbing Oct. 10 “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day” is a national program that aims to bring awareness to safe driving.
Middle Township police hope drivers will take a cue that day and observe good driving habits.
While one obvious reason for traffic fatalities is speed, “One of the major issues today is the cell phone,” said Edwards. “Texting and driving is probably the worst behavior you can possibly do.”
Edwards ranks the danger of texting with drinking and driving. “The only difference between drunk driving and texting is that you can just put the phone away and that distraction goes away. With drunk driving, obviously you’re impaired and you shouldn’t be behind the wheel.”
The effects of texting and driving drunk are the same, said Edwards, and maybe even worse. “Number one, it’s divided attention. You’re taking your eyes off the road and your attention is not on driving, it’s on what you’re typing.”
Even a driver who believes they are at texting and driving is sorely mistaken, said the captain. “Some people will say I can text without looking at the phone. I don’t care how good they say they are they’re not.”
Edwards said even when he’s not at work and is driving his personal vehicle he sees drivers drifting off the side of the road as they text and then steering back into traffic.
“You can tell. They’re heads are down and you know exactly what they are doing – they are looking at a message, reading an email or sending a text.”
According to him, “We’re all experienced drivers. But that one moment where the pedestrian is on the road and you swerve or the person in front of you hits the brakes and you didn’t see it at that moment because you were looking down…that’s how accidents happen.”
Edwards said police are beginning to see more accidents where vehicles leave the side of the road with no braking. “They’re going off the road, there’s no braking, it’s a rolling tire and they’re striking an object or a tree. I’ve seen an increase in those types of accidents.”
“There could be many reasons for it,” he said. “Drinking is one, a medical issue is another, and the third is texting.”
Edwards hopes today, Oct. 10, will find drivers more aware of highway traffic safety. “It’s just one day to get people to think about it and start a conversation,” he said. “Obviously we’re not going to stop fatalities in one day, but it’s something to get the conversation started so people will make the better choice.
“Don’t drink, don’t text, buckle up and be safe,” said Edwards