Two on-coming cars swerved into my lane right in front of me on Saturday. One was on a mountain road and my reciprocal swerving took me dangerously close to a rock face. I don’t know that a ringing cell phone was the reason for each but I do know cell phones, hot coffee, small children, and a general lack of attention to driving are constant, common, and horrific causes of car accidents daily.

How will you feel if you are talking with someone who is driving and you hear the crash? How will you feel when your call goes unanswered but you learn later that your friend or loved one died in an accident just then, maybe because they were trying to answer your call? 

Honestly now, how many times have you found yourself over the center line recently? How many mailboxes are lucky to be standing?

And what are the chances you would have avoided the car that came at me if you had been dialing or texting just then?

Count the cars you see with drivers talking on the phone. Every one is either about to cause an accident or unable to avoid one.

Death is only a few feet away when driving. Distractions like cell phones eliminate that steady and tiny buffer, transforming driving from dangerous to deadly. Drivers should drive. How about turning those gadgets off and leaving them in the trunk or the back seat?