Healthy Living: Distracted driving
The cause of a particular car wreck is unknown, but chances are someone was texting or talking on their cell phone. According to recent reports, 17 percent of fatal accidents nationally were caused by a distracted driver.
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"We were hit by a woman in an SUV going about 60 MPH, she didn't stop. She didn't swerve or slow down," said Pattie Rakvica.
It's been four months since Rakvica and her 12-year-old son David were hit by a driver who was distracted. The rear impact caused her to fall forward and hit the steering wheel and broke her nose, and then her head snapped back and broke the headrest. Her son was fine, but she wasn't.
"After the accident my speech was getting slurred stuttering and pausing. They gave an MRI and a cat scan and found traumatic brain injury," Rakvica said.
According to Sgt. Daniel Larkin, State Police Traffic Coordinator, in New York driver inattention and distraction, which is often a cell phone, was the leading cause of motor vehicle crashes in 2008 and with expanding technology, he expects things to get worse.
"Some driving simulator research indicates that driving while using a cell phone, otherwise it about equivalent to driving while impaired with alcohol. It increases your risk to being involved in a crash to about four times," Larkin said.
The new texting law, which went into effect November 1, bans the use of any electronic device while driving. Get caught, the penalty is stiff, $150 fine and two points on your license.
The statistics are compelling. In 2008 nearly 6,000 people were killed, nationally, by distracted drivers one of the main factors that seem to be driving Pattie. She has started a non-profit foundation called, "Just Drive" to spread her message.
"Just Drive is a kind of a reminder to all of us that when we are our cars, it's our job to just drive. Nothing can be worth my life my son's life and your life. If we just pay attention to what we are doing we might just save a life," said Rakvica.
"Imagine being on the phone and you hit somebody and you kill them how important was that call? You can't compare that to a human life," Larkin said.