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>> >>PEGGY: 3,000 DEATHS AND 400,000 INJURIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY RESEARCHERS OF THE ADULT
CELL PHONE SURVEY LOOKED AT THE HABITS OF LOCAL DRIVERS WHO USE CELL PHONES BEHIND THE
WHEEL. THE RESULTS, MORE THAN HALF OR 56% REPORT
DRIVING WITH A HAND HELD P PHONE WHILE 92% SAY THEY DRIVE WITH A HANDS FREE PHONE.
HERE WITH MORE ON WHAT EVERY SAN DIEGO DRIVER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT DISTRACTED DRIVING, ARE
DR.ÊLINDA HILL, LEAD RESEARCHER OF THE SURVEY, AND CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER MARY
BAILEY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
I WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THERE WERE MORE THAN 700 SAN DIEGANS WHO TOOK PART IN THIS
SURVEY, MOSTLY MARRIED WOMEN, I UNDERSTAND, AND THERE WERE SOME RATHER STARTLING RESULTS
OF THE 261 RESPONDENTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER AGE 11, 65% SAID THEY TALK ON THE CELL PHONE
WHILE DRIVING. AND MORE THAN A THIRD, 36%, SAID THEY TEXT
WHILE DRIVING. DR.ÊHILL, HOW DO THESE NUMBERS TRANSLATE
INTO REAL LIFE CONSEQUENCES? >> >>DR. LINDA HILL: WELL, WE WERE REALLY
STARTLED AND WORRIED ABOUT THESE NUMBERS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS PEOPLE ARE PUTTING BOTH
THEMSELVES AND THEIR KIDS AT RISK, AND TALK DISTRACTED IS THE SAME AS DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, SO THEY'RE INCREASING THEIR CRASH RISK BY USING A PHONE FOUR TIMES
AND TEXTING 16 TIMES. THAT'S TRANSLATING INTO MORE INJURIES THAN
DEATHS. >> >>PEGGY: ARE THE ERS SEEING MORE ACCIDENTS
THAN BEFORE, MORE I SHOULD SAY INJURIES THAN BEFORE?
>> >>DR. LINDA HILL: WE KNOW THAT INJURIES ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AT AGE 45,
AND MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURIES IN THAT CATEGORY.
>> >>PEGGY: SO ALREADY A BAD SITUATION MAKING IT WORSE.
OFFICER BAILEY DISTRACTED DRIVING, IT'S NOT JUST CELL PHONE USE.
>> >>: IT IS NOT T.IT'S ANYTHING FROM USING YOUR GPS IN YOUR VEHICLE, TO EATING, DRINKING,
PUTTING ON YOUR MAKE UP, CHANGING THE RADIO STATION, TAKING CARE OF YOUR KIDS IN THE BACK
SEAT AND PICKING UP THEIR TOYS THAT MAY HAVE DROPPED.
>> >>PEGGY: I'M GOING TO PLAY DRIVERS DEVIL ADVOCATE.
SAN DIEGANS SPEND AT LEAST ONE TO TWO HOURS ON AVERAGE IN THE CAR.
SURELY, THEY'RE NOT EXPECTED TO NEVER EAT, TALK TO THEIR KIDS, LISTEN TO THE RADIO, SING
TO THE RADIO. WHAT SO SORT OF PARAMETERS ARE THERE DETERMINING
WHEN AN OFFICER'S OUT THERE, WHO'S DRIVING DISTRACTED AND WHO'S JUST TAKING A SIP OF
THEIR COKE. >> >>: WE NOTICE YOU'RE DISTRACTED BECAUSE
THERE'S SOMETHING THAT BROUGHT OUR EYE TO YOUR VEHICLE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING
SLOWER THAN THE REST OF TRAFFIC, WEAVING, CUTTING PEOPLE OFF.
WE NOTICE THOSE THINGS NOT STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, SIT AT A STOP SIGN AND WATCH PEOPLE
THAT RUN IT, MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR CELL PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.
>> >>: >> >>PEGGY: YOU'RE WATCHING THE VEHICLE, NOT
NECESSARILY WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE THE CAR. DO YOU FIND ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE
WHO ARE HANDS FREE OR PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY USING THE CELL?
>> >>: PEOPLE ARE STILL JUST AS DISTRACTED WITH A HANDS FREE DEVICE BECAUSE THEY GET
INVOLVED IN THEIR CONVERSATION AND OFTENTIMES FORGET TO EXIT THE FREEWAY, OR THEY FORGET
TO CHANGE LANES WHEN THEY NEED TO. >> >>PEGGY: IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER IN THIS
SURVEY, RIGHT, DR.ÊHILL? >> >>DR. LINDA HILL: THE CONCERN IS THAT HANDS
FREE AND HANDS HELD, IT'S THE SAME RISK. SO EVEN IF PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY'RE BEING
SAFER, IN FACT THEY'RE NOT. THE MESSAGE IS IT'S LIKE DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. YOU DON'T WANT TO DRIVE EVEN WITH A LOW AMOUNT
OF ALCOHOL. YOU DON'T WANT TO DRIVE DISTRACTED.
IT'S THE SAME. >> >>PEGGY: ONE OF THE SURPRISING THINGS I'VE
FOUND IN THAT SURVEY WERE THAT PEOPLE FELT OBLIGATED ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS A PHONE WHEN
IT WAS THEIR EMPLOYER. >> >>DR. LINDA HILL: SOMETHING'S CHANGED IN
OUR SOCIETY WHERE WE FEEL WE HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME.
ABOUT A THIRD OF PEOPLE FELT THEY HAD TO TAKE THESE CALLS.
THIS IS A MESSAGE TO BOTH EMPLOYEES, AND EMPLOYERS. WE WANT TO KEEP OUR WORK FORCE SAFE, HAVE
A POLICY AND ENFORCE IT. >> >>PEGGY: YEAH, AND ABSOLUTELY KEEP IT SAFE.
YOU DON'T WANT ANY LIABILITY EITHER IF YOU'RE THE PERSON DOING THE CALLING.
I'M GOING TO ASK THIS OF BOTH OF YOU, BUT I WANT TO START WITH YOU, OFFICER BAILEY,
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP ADVICE FOR PEOPLE IN DRIVING?
LET'S SAY YOU HAVE KIDS OR A DOG AND TRYING TO STAY DISTRACTION FREE.
>> >>: GOOD DRIVERS JUST DRIVE. THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE.
YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE INSIDE YOUR CAR, YOU WORRY ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE
DOING IN OTHER VEHICLES AROUND YOU. >> >>PEGGY: HOW ABOUT YOU, DR.ÊHILL, AFTER
SEEING THIS DATA, WHAT WOULD YOUR TOP ADVICE BE?
>> >>DR. LINDA HILL: I VIEW THIS LIKE ANY OTHER ADDICTION.
NINETY TWO% OF PEOPLE TOLD US THEY KNEW THAT TEXTING WASN'T A GOOD THING.
WHEN I TALKED TO THE SMOKERS IN MY CLINIC, THEY KNOW SMOKING'S NOT A GOOD THING.
THEY'RE STILL ENGAGED IN THE BEHAVIOR. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK ON WHAT CAN YOU
DO IT OVERCOME THAT. >> >>PEGGY: I WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY
CAN ABSOLUTELY FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS, THE TIPS, THE SURVEY, ON OUR WEBSITE KPBS.ORG.
DR.ÊHILL, AND OFFICER BAILEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.