Calling all Moms….Keep Your Hands on the Wheel!

Using a cell phone whilst driving has always been a pet hate of mine and I’m relieved to say that as of Jan 1^st 2010 it became illegal in BC. It has been illegal in Britain since 2003, although enforcing the law is proving to be difficult and a report just out suggests more people are using mobile phones while driving than before the penalties where introduced. When we left Vancouver last summer there was no such law. I lost count of the number of times we’d be driving behind someone and they’d suddenly slow to a crawl, start weaving around and making poor judgments at junctions. Sure enough, when we passed them they’d be chatting animatedly on their cell phone. Texting while driving has to be an even more ridiculous idea. I’m not good at concentrating at more than one thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a multitasking woman after all … but when I’m driving it needs all my attention. I have trouble changing a CD and don’t get me started on the GPS. There is no way on earth I’d be able to text someone. The USA’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says “driver inattention is a contributing factor in over 50 percent of all crashes.”

This leads me to bring up an equally dangerously distracted group of drivers: new moms! I’m not talking about that first drive home from the hospital where you sit in the back seat next to the baby cradling the car seat (which he is way too small for) while hubby drives home without exceeding 7mph. I’m talking about when you go solo. 50% of your time is spent looking in the rear view mirror after every application of the brakes to try and see if his wobbly little head has slumped forward, but of course you can’t see anything because he’s rear facing. God forbid he starts crying – then all concentration goes out the window. Your one objective now is to get to your destination as fast as you can so you can feed/change/comfort the baby. This initial nervous phase soon passes as you become more accustomed to your back seat passenger, but mommy’s driving attention is then drawn to driving with one hand on the wheel while the other reaches behind and ferrets blindly around in an attempt to retrieve the dropped toy, shoe, soother, snack that Junior is now screaming for. A “Baby on Board” sticker isn’t to tell others to treat your car and VIP passengers with extra respect; it’s to warn others to expect erratic driving.

All joking aside we have to admit: we moms are often distracted drivers and given that we have the most precious cargo on board it’s far from ideal. It’s tough, because that precious cargo – whether it be a crying infant, a cantankerous toddler or squabbling teens – can be very distracting. A few weeks ago I started following Mom Sends the Message on Twitter. Their campaign is urging drivers to keep their minds on the wheel.  

Their Pledge

• Driving while distracted can be more dangerous than driving drunk.
• As moms, we want safer roads.
• We know the time has come for us all to recognize the risks of distracted driving, to be more responsible and to mind the wheel.

I think it’s a good cause and one we should support. And perhaps we should start by looking at our own driving.

Lorraine is the co-Author of “The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms” Published by John Wiley and Sons and due out in bookstores come April 2010.  Also visit Lorraine on her website at www.survival4moms.com where she provides humorous, yet relevant articles regarding the first year of motherhood.