Mr. Barry,

Wouldn’t it be interesting to learn whether the unfortunate death of Road Ranger Donald Bradshaw involved a person talking on a cell phone? And could talking on a cell phone have been the cause of some of the other strange fatal motor vehicle accidents we have had in the area recently?

More and more studies are showing that talking a cell phone while driving is a very dangerous habit. It take so long to transition from auditory stimulus to visual stimulus, to perceive and then react, that more and more motor vehicle accidents are happening for no apparent reason. There is no physical evidence, no evidence of a malfunction and no evidence of physiological impairment, yet suddenly more vehicles are colliding with each other, leaving the road or running into things.

MacDill recently forbade the use of cell phones without hands-free features. Yet even hands-free capabilities do not reduce or eliminate the finite amount of time we humans need to make the transition from talking to seeing.

There is also the tendency for folks to “zone out” or enter another “dimension” when talking on any phone. And what happens when they are on the phone and get angry? Wow, then they are really transported to another place. This can be fatal if they also happen to be driving.

Consider the hazards of driving and talking on a cell phone, any kind of cell phone, even those with Bluetooth or hands free features. I’d suggest Tampa enact an ordinance to forbid talking on cell phone while driving.

Richard Formica,
Retired USAF Safety Officer
Tampa

Well, there’s no indication a cell phone was involved in Bradshaw’s death, and there is no talk of a city ordinance banning their use, but the Florida Highway Patrol and Verizon Wireless have teamed up to push hands-free products and services for those who feel they must converse on the telephone while driving.

And their joint campaign passes on a few newsy tidbits, and a list of safety tips.

One tidbit:

Wireless telephones have proved to be invaluable safety devices, with more than 120,000 wireless 911 calls made each day nationally to police, fire and other emergency services. Many of those potentially life-saving calls are from motorists reporting auto accidents, drunk drivers, medical emergencies, hazardous road conditions, criminal activity and more.

The tips:

* When behind the wheel, driving is the first priority;
* Place calls when stopped or before pulling into traffic. If your phone rings, pull over to a safe area or let passengers or voice mail take calls;
* Use speaker phones, voice-activated dialing services or hands-free devices to keep your eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel;
* Suspend conversations when driving conditions are dangerous or traffic is heavy;
* Never look up phone numbers or take notes while driving;
* Pre-program important and frequently dialed numbers so they can be dialed with a single button; and,
* Dial 911 on your wireless phone in case of traffic accidents, road hazards or other emergencies.