rachelbreen-blog1

[rachelbreen-blog1]

What’s Next?

Hello readers, 

I’m sure many of you are wondering what to expect from my blog in the following months. Unfortunately, as my school schedule, daughter and work hours grow I find myself consumed with other things I must do. While I hope I answered questions or provoked thoughts, I will no longer be posting once my semester ends. Daily I see little things Utah is doing to encourage better driving habits including signs on the highway stating statistics on accidents and prevention of said accidents, continue to be a positive influence on the road ladies and gentlemen. You can continue to look for more information on highway safety's website or even the local newspapers as often they will report road and driving statistics. Through all my research, I think it’s safe to say Utah roads do need improvement but most importantly, I learned we can ALL be better drivers. Strive each day to make safer decisions on the road. 

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Some brainstorming for my upcoming paper!

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Helpful Resources

As I’ve conducted more research on my topic I have found many sources to be a huge help to me. Listed below are sources that have proven the dangers of distracted driving and how to avoid it at all costs:

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1dfccbad-9080-4f16-b997-19b63f400c9e%40sessionmgr4009&vid=7&hid=4213 

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/detail/detail?sid=1dfccbad-9080-4f16-b997-19b63f400c9e%40sessionmgr4009&vid=11&hid=4213&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=AP9eee96c5f8bd4c36bb8eae2de9f754fc&db=pwh

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1dfccbad-9080-4f16-b997-19b63f400c9e%40sessionmgr4009&vid=14&hid=4213

http://resolver.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/openurl?sid=EBSCO%3apsyh&genre=article&issn=22113681&ISBN=&volume=5&issue=4&date=20161201&spage=445&pages=445-453&title=Journal+of+Applied+Research+in+Memory+and+Cognition&atitle=On+working+memory+and+a+productivity+illusion+in+distracted+driving.&aulast=Watson%2c+Jason+M.&id=DOI%3a10.1016%2fj.jarmac.2016.06.008&site=ftf-live

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1dfccbad-9080-4f16-b997-19b63f400c9e%40sessionmgr4009&vid=17&hid=4213

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/eds/detail/detail?sid=f46fefdb-7e92-458e-aa1b-66ed7f6a3d39%40sessionmgr103&vid=8&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=2W6526574158&db=pwh

http://www.utahbusiness.com/utah-home-to-worst-drivers-study-claims/

http://www.sltrib.com/home/4654990-155/nations-worst-drivers-utahns

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/utah/worst-drivers-ut/

https://archive.unews.utah.edu/news_releases/drivers-on-cell-phones-are-as-bad-as-drunks/

I have linked the following journals and articles so it’s easy to see the evidence of Utah’s bad drivers and the issues with distracted driving.

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Utah Drivers

According to Keith McCord, when he spoke with online driving critic Chris Longhurst he spoke of Utah seems to be in a never ending speed race. No one knows where it ends or what’s the prize of wining this metaphorical race but everyone in Utah is determined to win.  He describes our drivers as almost in a trance to which no one seems to know they’re driving a vehicle. He goes on to speak of the Utah written road test. He said being from England, he was shocked they hand you the book of answers when you begin the test. He complains in the form of a tip for new Utah drivers “Traffic lights aren't so much to control the traffic as they are a suggestion of what might be an appropriate action for the driver," he said. "Green means go, but not too fast. A nice, gentle, slow, ambling start is what's called for here. Orange means keep going. And red means you might want to stop — note that it's definitely an option." Later in the article he speaks with a retired police officer, Don McNair, who teaches a class that lessens punishment on drivers with tickets. He talks about some of the biggest offenses he sees. McNair says a big pet peeve of his is when drivers run red lights. I think this source is credible. Normally, I’d be weary of an “online driving critic”, he has driven in Utah and he was a licensed driver in Utah. The next source of information is gathered from a retired Salt Lake police officer. It doesn’t get more knowledgeable than that. Even though this article lacks statistical data, it’s made up for in the opinions from credible sources opinions. I agree with this article. I’ve seen first hand the terrifying mistakes drivers make.

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=20160411

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Distracted Driving Began Long Before Cell Phones

While reading “Texting Isn’t the Only Form of Distracted Driving” written by Carli Leavitt, she discuses different forms of distracted driving. She states anything that takes your mind off the road, eyes off the road and hands off the steering wheel is distracted driving. Cell phones do all three and that’s why most associate texting as the only form of distracted driving. People forget about pets, food, friends, radio, temperature controls, makeup and exhaustion. Some positives to this blog post are the statistical data backing up her ideas. A sentence that caught my attention was “62% of all distracted driving accidents were caused by a driver simply daydreaming.” All to often I find myself wandering off to thought land while driving. I love the way she backs up each claim she makes. Data is important when making such a strong statement. A weakness this post has is the mention of social media. This blog entry is geared towards people who enjoy their smart phones so by bashing their media outlet, she loses respect and credibility from some. Some of her tips to avoid distracted driving are not plausible. For busy people constantly on-the-go, some must eat in the car. Sometimes limiting passengers isn’t an option. Also, pulling over to the side of the road can be just as bad if not more dangerous than just talking on the phone while driving. Although, I thoroughly enjoyed this post, her suggestions seem impractical.

http://distracteddriveraccidents.com/texting-isnt-the-only-form-of-distracted-driving/

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Discourteous Driving

In Utah I have found myself leaning towards driving more defensively than I’ve ever had to in the previous years. It seems like rational rules on the road are being ignored. Turn signals, traffic lights, seat belts, and looking before you change lanes are very important “courtesies” for you and everyone else on the road. Distracted driving seems to be a major factor in this. Cell phones, music, friends, weather, or just lost in your thoughts can create a unsafe surrounding for everyone. Another issue we face is drivers not pulling over for emergency vehicles, driving drowsy, weather, animals, and lack of concern for school zones.  Now more than ever drivers are faced with more obstacles to reach their final destination. Now more than ever we have to fear fellow drivers and protect ourselves from them, animals, weather, and cell phones. I don’t know how to resolve all these issues but there has to be a solution to provide safer driving conditions now and for future drivers. 

https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/other-focus-areas/distracteddriving/

https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/other-focus-areas/slow-down-move-over/

https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/other-focus-areas/drowsy-driving/

https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/pedestrian-and-bicycle-safety/school-bus-safety/

https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/other-focus-areas/watch-for-deer/

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Weather/q1_roadimpact.htm

http://ut.zerofatalities.com/statistics/

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=20160411

http://www.sltrib.com/home/4654990-155/nations-worst-drivers-utahns

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