Craig Scott

Craig Scott
Mike Vitelli and Craig Scott

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Distracted Driving

From discussing this topic in class and watching clips from the Oprah Winfrey Show you learned about the dangers of distracted driving. Has your opinion about how distracted you may be as a driver or how distracted the person driving you may be changed as a result of what you learned? What can you do to help prevent distracted driving accidents from happening in the future? Why is distracted driving more dangerous than even drunk driving? Share a personal story if you so chose.

95 comments:

Anonymous said...

My opinion has not really changed that much, largely because I have always been against distrations in the car while driving, and when my parents are driving, I tell them to not use the phone if possible.
To prevent distracted driving accidents from happening in the future, I can not use distracting items like cell phones or radio or TV's.
Distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because it simply takes away your awareness of your surroundings and it is not completely illegal, which means that cops cannot arrest you for it.
-Dan Sugar

Anonymous said...

George Jung E period

Based on what we learned in class, and from the one and only Oprah, i learned a lot on how to be not only a safe driver by a defensive driver. I learned that doing, pretty much anything and driving increases the chance of you getting into a car accident and also increasing the percent of you hitting someone. This topic struck me hard in class due to many reasons that i really do not want to discuss. Texting and driving, when first hearing it, it honestly sounded like a joke. But when watching an episode on Oprah where that little girl died because of it i felt bad. I felt bad because it's sad this girl didn't even reach her teens and didn't even get to experience what i get to experience every day at Norton High School. Truly i feel lucky. This subject was a good subject to discuss in class due to the one book one school book all students at Norton High have to read. Everything you do, everything you say effects everyone whether you like it or not.

nortonwellness said...

George, awesome feedback...thanks for sharing those thoughts. I am sure you will be true to your word.

Pete D said...

I am definitely more aware of the dangers of texting and driving now than I was before the class that we discussed distracted driving. It's still hard for me to completely stop texting while driving but Im definitely not doing it as much as I used to. Hopefully I will be able to stop texting or calling on the road in the near future. As for other drivers on the road, I'm not sure what can be done to prevent texting and other forms of distracted driving because those outside of our school most likely do not have a class in which distracted driving is covered.

Julia Ariola said...

I first saw videos like these and more graphic ones in drivers ed and thats what has shaped my habits for driving. The videos we saw in class showed more recent tragedies that have occured, and that unfortunetly they will continue happening.
Before I start driving I make sure my cell phone is in my bag so I can't hear it vibrate and that my iPod is preset and out of reach. A lot of times having passengers in the car is unavoidable and they're almost always distractions, but I just remember that my safe driving is more important and I tune them out if I have to. As far as eating/drinking I am way too uncoordinated to attempt that.
I think distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because it's not against the law, at least in ma, so people don't think they are doing anything wrong. People also tend to think that they are good enough at texting or driving to multi-task, and that is almost never true.

Anonymous said...

Based on what we learned in classs from the talks and the online website it made me think twice about getting behind the wheel of a car texting or being being in the car wth a person that is texting on there phone. The calss made me think about what would happen if i was driving and hit a kid of got hit by another drive and died. Killing another person would but a huge mark on my concious that i would have to live with for the rest of my life and when ever i would pick up the phone i would think abotu what had been caused by such a small device. Also if i died from texting on my phone it greatly affect friends and family, parents especially. Like the guy said in the video, ' kids are not suppose to die before their parents'. It would just ruin the peoples lives that you came in contact with everyday. Thats what i learned today.

Anonymous said...

I'm not gonna lie, I always thought I was a good driver. But after seeing these videos from class my opinion totally changed. I think twice about sending a text message, or playing with my ipod. I never really thought about anything else while driving, I trusted myself, but I never thought about other people. My opinion changed because of that class.
~ c-mcd period B

Anonymous said...

My opinion on distracted driving has changed somewhat after watching the videos in wellness from Oprah. I always knew about the dangers of driving distracted and I understood how dangerous it is because of some of the videos that I saw in driver’s ed. The videos that I saw during wellness had more of an impact on me than those during driver’s ed because I have been driving for 5 months now and the instances that I saw in the video I could relate to real life because of this. Some of the people said that when they where texting they would notice themselves swerving off of the road and into the other lane. There was one time that I was driving and I noticed myself doing the same thing and thought that it could have been fatal if there was someone driving in the other lane. I still text and drive after this but I have cut down on it and would like to just stop completely because I understand the dangers that are involved.

-Michael Costa

Anonymous said...

Dan Freedman A period

The distracted driving lesson was a little bit of a wake up call. I knew that it was a bad idea before but I never really thought about how badly it can change your life in a moment just because a couple of a single moment of being unlucky. I hope that I try and not drive distracted as much, but I know that I will still answer a text or a phone call every once in a while when I should not. This is more dangerous than driving drunk because atleast when your driving drunk you know the amount of danger you are in and try to pay a lot more attention to the road. Driving distracted you think that you are okay because you are not under the influence, but you are not looking at the road which is a lot worse than staring at the road drunk.

Samantha Walsh said...

My opinion about distracted driving has stayed the same because I feel that I knew it was such a dangerous thing in the beginning. I am a person who gets very nervous when driving with other people, especially if they are not being safe. I tend to say something if I feel uncomfortable and I think others should do that as well. If you are with a friend, make sure they know how you feel about their driving. And as for yourself, you should put your cell phone or other things that may distract you in the back of your car so that you cannot see or reach them, or locked in your glove compartment if you are to be tempted to use them. I do not think people realize how dangerous distracted driving is. It is more dangereous than drunk driving because when driving distracted your attention is directed somewhere else. When drunk, your attention is on the road but you are not fully capable of doing your best at driving.

Anonymous said...

My veiw on distracted driving is that its 100% preventable and a serious hazzard. When on the highway i shut off evrything electronic becuz of 3 recent accidents ive been in. im luky im not dead and thats how i see distracted driving.

-Anthony Tucceri

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed after watching the videos in class today. When watching the videos you cant help but to remember the quote "is it really worth it" during the video when the lady lost her daughter. This has stuck with me. Since watching the video I havent talked on my phone when driving, and I do not plan to do so in the future. I was amazed when I saw the differences in a persons perifial vision when on a phone. To eliminate distractions, you should put your phone on silent. Also, you should not put your radio on too loud. Finally, distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because you do not realize your sourroudings, and people believe that they will be fine texting or talking because they are "masters" at it.

- Brian Gannon

Anonymous said...

My opinion about the dangers of distracted driving is that i really never thought it was a big deal. But after seeing how a person can not be able to see a huge truck coming toward them becasue they were texting. Is going to make me not want to text and drive, even at stop signs. Im going to be able to prevent this form happing is not have my phone close to be and be more aware of other people and them driving.Texting and driving is more dangereous than drunk driving because when your driving distracted your attention is directed on something else and not the road, but when your drunk your still paying attention to the road.
- Elizabeth Seetaram Period A

Anonymous said...

My opinion about the dangers of distracted driving is that i really never thought it was a big deal. But after seeing how a person can not be able to see a huge truck coming toward them becasue they were texting. Is going to make me not want to text and drive, even at stop signs. Im going to be able to prevent this form happing is not have my phone close to be and be more aware of other people and them driving.Texting and driving is more dangereous than drunk driving because when your driving distracted your attention is directed on something else and not the road, but when your drunk your still paying attention to the road.
Elizabeth Seetaram class A

Anonymous said...

my opinion about distracted driving is I think its wrong. we learned about how you can get distracted and how incocent people can get hurt.My friend's are always distracted by there friends in the car and I never think about how easily we can crash until someone makes me think about it.I'm going to try to make it so my friends are more careful on the road. I think distracted driving can be worse than drunk driving because atleast you can concentrate on the road but when you're distracted you're completely not concentrated on the road which makes it completely easier to crash.

Danielle said...

I was always aware of distracted driving, but I never really thought about it too much. I knew texting and driving was bad, but the thing that really changed my opinion was how much you miss just by talking on a hands-free cell phone. I don’t do that because I am still learning to drive, and will not do that in the future. However, my parents do do it, so I will try to make them cut down on it, by offering to answer for them or telling them not to answer. (I already do that some of the time and for texts.) I think distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because it is much more common. People don’t realize how dangerous it is. Also, people can spot a drunk driver many times just by the way they are driving, but it is probably harder to spot a distracted driver, especially if you are distracted yourself. It was actually really weird because the same day we discussed distracted driving in class, I saw that my aunt posted on Facebook that she was officially making her car a no phone zone after almost being hit by someone who was talking on a cell phone while driving.
Danielle Golden

Anonymous said...

yesterday while learning about distracted driving in wellness, i realized that it can be life threatning and that it is not okay to be behind the wheel unless your focused enough to know whats going on around you. I believe that everyone needs to put the cell phones down, pay attention to the road and be able to get where they need to go without any problems, because all it takes is two seconds. Would you rather answer a text or a call or take someones life because you just had to see it at that moment? Distractions just take away your awareness which is never good i believe the law should enforce rules for distracted driving because some people just do not know how serious it truly is. When i get my license and get behind the wheel i'll pay attention because i know that it will make a difference and maybe even save a life.
-Felicia McKinney

Anonymous said...

My opinion against distracted driving has changed a great deal. I think in todays society it happens so much that it really isn't even questioned anymore. I never really saw it as a big deal until today when i saw some possible situations that could occur. I am totally guilty of texting while driving amd i have seen first hand how distracted I can get from such obvious things. I one hundred percent am going to give up texting while driving because in the end its really not that important, and i owe it to everyone else on the road, not just myself.
- Stephen Gilmore

Tbrown said...

I really enjoyed the lesson on Monday about driving distractions. I first want to say I know I am going to make changes by shutting my phone off once I get in my car when I drive around and go places. I will just tell my parents that I will call them when I get to my destination. It really made me scared watching the videos we watched in class, especially the videos where the parents had to talk about their child getting killed from an accident having to do with a cell phone. I pictured my parents on there, talking about me, that is how the videos impacted me. Also I agree with how new drivers have to be more defensive. I was lucky to be familiar with how cars handle and other things like that from my stock car racing. I don't know if you know but when I was 11 I started racing go karts at Seekonk speedway and then I moved up to a stock car at the age of 14. When I first started in the stock car all I cared about was me and trying to have complete controll of the car and not paying attention to the other race cars around me. This is exactly how people are when they get there license. Racing is nothing like driving on the road but I do believe that it has helped me become more comfortable with driving on the street. When I first got my license I didn't have to worry about not knowing how a car handles and I could be more defensive and worry about what other people are going to do on the road around me. I just hope everyone who has their license and who is going to get their license in the future makes good decisions, and become safer drivers with less distractions.

annieledbetter said...

After our discussion in class and watching the Oprah clips my opinion has really changed about driving distractions. Its a scary thought but these things do happen, sometimes not as severe as death, but they happen. I will admit to using my cell phone a lot when I drive. But after the women made the point is that cell phone call really worth your life or someone elses? It made me realize I dont drive that far so the person calling me or texting me can wait 5-10 minutes because I dont want to live a lifetime of regret or end my life because of one phone call or text message that probably isn't that important. The things I can do to prevent distracted driving is when I am driving put my phone on silent so when it goes off I can't hear it and be temped to answer.

Anonymous said...

My views on driving have changed a little. I try not do text and drive. I now put my phone in the glove compartment so im not temped to text if i see that i get a message or a phone call. I more attention when coming to a stop sign or a traffic light to make sure some idiot isnt going to speed though it and kill me.

Chris Lenihan

nortonwellness said...

Chris, I'll take "a little". That little change could be the difference in somebody's life.

Joe Cacaccio said...

My parents have always taught me to aviod destractions but now and again i am distacted. As i see it, distractions happen, they just need to be minmized. For example, when possible I keep my ipod out of reach so while driving i am not looking for a song, or even keeping my phone off or on silent while driving.

Anonymous said...

my opinion changed a little because when i would drive i used to think it was ok to text while driving if i was at a red light or a stop sign. But after class i learned that you still dont notice as much, like the biker in the picture. A kid close to my age died and he was trying to be safe by texting at stop sign, and he missed a garbage truck. I still find it hard to believe that even on devices like blue tooths, youre vision is still impaired. I'm definately more cautious when im driving and now i put other people in charge of my phone

--Kayla Bessette :) A period

Anonymous said...

Kris Tangen

I have been swayed by what we have learned in class. I now make a habit of putting my phone on silent when i drive so i'm not tempted to check for texts. I never really use my phone when i drive but sometimes i do like to use it at a stoplight or in traffic. The videos definitely made me think deeply about how my texting affects driving.

Anonymous said...

My opinion on distracted driving hasnt changed that much. I've always been the passenger in the car who tells the driver to put their phone away and pay attention. But I never realized how dangerous just talking on the phone was, I didnt know that you dont see as much as you normally would. That scared me a little bit, and i'll definatly be a lot more careful.

Emma Jackson

Anonymous said...

My opinion on driving while texting is pretty much the same. Now much like before, I realized it was wrong and dangerous. I would still try to text at stop signs or clear roads. After watching the video where the kid gets hit at a stop sign that changed my view. Now I either will not use my cell phone or have the passanger deal with my cell phone. When I am by myself I will send all my texts before I leave my house and put my phone away for the ride.

-Alicia Perry
Period A

seanworrall said...

i never really think about whats going to happen if i text and drive or change the song on my ipod, mainly because i try to watch the road rather than my phone. even though im not an impressionable person the videos did slightly change my veiws after seeing kids that are like me who have accidents... no one expects it and thats why its an accident.. and lately ive been trying to not text and drive or talk on the phone

Anonymous said...

Shelbi Rushia

On what i have watched from the Oprah show is that we should not talk on the phone while driving and not text while driving. There has been many death involving the use of the phone. I hate when my parents talk on the phone while driving but that don't do it much. I will not be of those kids that talks on the phone or text and drive.

Anonymous said...

I think, don't get me wrong, that distracted driving is bad but it happens all the time. I am though going to try to prevent it from happening while I am in the car. I think it is very scary and think its messed up that it happens all the time. I can prevent it from happening by making sure that no one goofs off in the car and controlling the music and making sure its low when it needs to be.I think distracted driving is worse than drunk driving because atleast when you're drunk and driving you're still trying but when you're distracted you're not concentrated on the road at all. Over the summer, I went on a road trip to another state with my friend and while I passed over The George Washington Bridge in New York, The driver was trying to concentrate on taking a picture while there was traffic and we got into an accident and it was wicked scary. Which means in the end everyone should be concentrated on the road, driving or not, because it's one of the most dangerous places.

-Jimmy Connaughton

Anonymous said...

Yes my opinion has changed a lot after talking about distracted driving, before I really didn’t think it was a big deal if my mom talked or texted while driving but now it really freaks me out and I get really nervous and look for little kids and other cars coming. I can prevent distracted driving accidents from happening by telling my parents not to use their phone while driving, and once I get my license to not use my phone while driving, and not to mess with the radio or anything else while driving. Distracted Driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because at least when your drunk you are looking at the road, but if your texting you are looking down at your phone and not at the road and while talking on the phone you get tunnel vision.
-Stephanie Belcher c period

Anonymous said...

My opinion about distractive driving has gotten much more serious. To prevent distracted driving accidents from happening in the future I can answer the phone for the driver and have control of the radio. Distracted driving is even more dangerous than drunk driving because while drunk driving the driver is somewhat focused and paying attention. If the driver is texting, they are not paying attention to the road at all and are looking down at their phone screen, not the road. Distracted driving is also even more dangerous than drunk driving because you get tunnel vision and do not see certain details on the road.

-Danielle Puopolo
Period C

Anonymous said...

I think that the class period that we spent talking about distracted driving really opened my eyes to the issue. I'm not yet driving age, but I will be soon. The things that I saw in class make me nervous about taking to the road myself. I know that I would never try texting and driving and that even talking or playing with the radio while trying to focus on the road is a bad idea. I know that these distractions are very dangerous to myself and that it's just not worth the risk of crashing and hurting myself. However, the thing that I really didn't think about as much was how dangerous my actions can be to others and how their carelessness can be so dangerous to me! In the end, I am responsible for me, but even if I am being as safe as possible behind the wheel there will always be people out there who are not. When I drive around with my parents or friends I see these people on the roads. It should be my job to make sure the car that I am in is as safe as possible and hope that everyone else will do the same. I can do that by picking up the driver's phone, handeling the radio, and making sure that I and the other passengers are behaving in a way that will not distract the driver. It's clear that drunk driving is dangerous and people know that it's bad. I think that people don't really recognize how dangerous a simple thing like talking or texting is in a car. As we saw on the Oprah clips they thought they could handle the everyday and, to them, no-big-deal distraction when clearly they couldn't. I think this makes distracted driving more dangerous than drunk driving becasue it happens more and the dangers are underestimated. It's a serious issue and drivers and passengers need to be proactive, recognize the danger here, and avoid it.
~Bry Dague C block

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed about being distracted while driving since learning about it in Wellness. I knew before that you shouldnt drive and text or talk on the phone while driving. But, i didnt know that talking on the phone is more dangerous than texting and that its equivalent to drinking and driving a certain amount. I knew that talking on the phone while driving was bad, but i never knew that it was that bad. I'm glad we got to see those videos, because it shows that it not only affects the driver, but also their families and friends. For example, the kid whose dad called him and thats the main reason why he crashed is probably going to feel horrible for the rest of his life. Mistakes that people think will never happen becuase they are so uncommon can really happen becuase people are so distracted while driving. And not only are there physcial distractions, but also mental ones. Thats why distracted driving is such a major issue. When i drive, i admit i text and talk on the phone, so do my friends, and parents. I try to be more careful now and put my phone someplace i cant reach when im driving so i wont be temped to look at it.

Emma Marcotte A period

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed because I normally text and talk on the phone while driving. I thought it was no big deal but watching those videos made me think what if that was me who hit that little girl. I now try to leave my cell phone as far away from me. Getting distracted while driving is very easy because you have so many items in the car that can cause you to take your eyes off the road. Just by taking your eyes off the road for one second you can put anyone at risk. I now have changed my ways and i pay way more attention because I dont wanna have that chance.
-Sam Dixon Class E

Anonymous said...

My opinion on useing your cell phone while driving has changed completely. When I drive i usually dont think about what could happen if i answer the text on my phone or the phone call. I never thought it was that big of a deal to take my eyes off the road. After seeing the videos i thought what if that was me and i killed that poor little girl? How could i live with what i did just because i decided to answer one simple text message. By taking your eyes off the road for one second you put everyone at risk. I dont text while driving anymore because i have noticed how distracted you can get.
-Sam Dixon
Period E

Jeremy Wright said...

Honestly, these videos provide a strong point towards distracted driving, and make people realize that what they are doing is dangerous, not only to themselves, but to others. From what we learned in class, i'm definitely more cautious whenever i go to text while driving, but i am still very inclined to answering that phone call. I think that todays society is just too accustomed to the right now, in the moment way of things, that they feel the need to check their phone right when it goes off, so it won't make a difference to most people.
-Jeremy Wright

Anonymous said...

For one, I totally believe your statement that at this age we are bad drivers, even if we passed the road test and haven't gotten en an accident. Driving is one of those things that I think comes from experience and a few months with your license and some road lessons thrown in aren't exactly experience yet. I really do hope they pass some sort of law on the use of cell phones while driving because they can be just as distracting, if not more, than others like people and the radio. I know I have texted while driving, even though from day one I've been told how bad it can be. Now that Ive seen it more I do second guess myself, most of the time its mindless conversation, so it can wait. I think this was a really important lesson at school because its something everyone can now relate to, or will when they start driving in the next few years.
-Ali Lynch, B Period :)

Anonymous said...

My opinion on distracted driving has changed a lot. I have texted and drove before and i felt that i was actually good at it. After seeing the clips on Oprah and all the lives that were lost texting and driving is no longer an option. I've realized that the text can wait 10 minutes.
I think something that really can help is a bluetooth or to connect the phone to the radio. I also agree that distracted driving is worse than drunk driving because when your distracted your eyes aren't on the road. When your impaired at least your looking at the road and have some sort of reaction time.
Tom Munger B

Anonymous said...

My opinion on texting while driving has completely changed. I use to think no big deal to driving while either answering a text message or answering calls. Just taking my eyes off the road for one second I have realized that my driving is not the best. I have noticed that i drift off to the side, or my passengers have told me to pay attention. So I have decided not to text while driving because I dont wanna be that person that would be held responcible for the death of a young kid. Being destracted while driving is so easy because they have so many things in a car that we can use.
-Sam Dixon
Period E

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed a lot on texting and driving. That one "quick look" you take at a text message, can turn into one "quick" week in the hospital. I recently had a personal experience where i was focusing more on my GPS then i was on the driver in front of me and hit them, not bad, but i know it could've been way worse. I'm not going to say i'll completely stop texting and driving forever, but it has made me more aware but i'm deffinitley going to be cutting down.

-Alyssa Galpin Period E

Ashley said...

My view on distracted driving hasn't changed much because I always have been against distractions such as cell phones while driving. I know from experience that it is really easy to get into an accident and even the slightest distraction can direct your focus elsewhere. To prevent accidents from happening in the future, I can tell make sure that my friends aren't texting or talking on their phone's while driving, because if I'm in their car, then I'm responsible as well. I can also eliminate all distractions while I'm driving. Distracted driving can be more dangerous than drunk driving because it happens more often (probably multiple times in one car ride) and because there are so many distractions.

-Ashley Greco

Anonymous said...

I think that my opinion after watching the Distracted Driving videos did change. I always knew that texting while driving was dangerous but I never realized quite how bad talking on the phone while driving can be. I never would have thought that it was the equivalence of driving drunk. I was surprised to see how much a driver didn't see while on the phone, even the hands free phones. I think after watching these videos I think about looking down at my phone and really consider whether picking up my phone is worth my life or someone else's and it never is. I was surprised by how many accidents could have been prevented by simply not responding to a call or text. The Distracted Driving videos definitely had a positive impact on the way i think about my phone and driving.
Holly Mello

marier said...

After learning more about distracted driving, my opinion has changed greatly. I have been in the car with a distracted driver but did not understand the gravity of what they were doing. Distracted driving is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than drunk driving because people do not think that it is as big of an issue, therefore more people feel okay with texting while driving. I now know from watching the Oprah video clips from her campaign against distracted driving that it is potentially fatal, and people have died from something as simple as a text message. By identifying distracted driving and telling whoever is driving that texting while driving makes you feel uncomfortable, future accidents can be prevented. These actions will also create a snowball effect and hopefully in the future distracted driving will not be as big an issue as it is today.

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed slightly on driving distractions. Prior to the class I did not realize just talking can make a person's vision become so much worse. I already noticed how other distractions can make you a horrible driver,but I didn't notice how bad talking was before the class. I thought it was obvious that texting can have a negative effect on a person's driving due to they may not be looking at the road at all while they are in the act of texting. So for now on when I'm with other people in a vehicle I will answer there phone or take care of any distractions for safety.
- Dr. Stephen Boudreau

Anonymous said...

After seeing the clips my opinion has changed as well as my view on distracted driving. I always thought alcohol was the biggest concern. In driving school I learned that sleepyness while driving was also a big concern. I also remember hearing in a commercial that multitasking while driving can double your chances of getting into an accident. I think drivers should not multitask in any way during driving. In order to multitask less steps such as turing down the radio, turning off the phone, and concentrating on the road will help reduce the chance of getting into an accident. I think there should be a penalty for talking on cell phones while driving to help make the roads safer.

Robert Callahan
Period A

Anonymous said...

my opinion on driving is that you really shouldnt tempt fate. its bad enough that people talk on the phone while driving but now people text too. its just stupid, you can wait until you get to your destination to text. otherwise, you'll probably not make it at all

Anonymous said...

my opinion has always been that calling and especially texting while driving is both dangerous and stupid. im just starting to drive myself and its hard to just ignore the radio sometimes, so i dont use my phone when im driving.

john keay

Anonymous said...

my opinion has always been that calling and especially texting while driving is both dangerous and stupid. im just starting to drive myself and its hard to just ignore the radio sometimes, so i dont use my phone when im driving.

john keay

Rachel Douglass said...

i have been in two accidents so i know that there are so many distractions that you may not even think about. i wasn't on my phone in either accident but phones, i would say, are one of the biggest distractions. the Oprah videos we watched in class touched me a lot. i felt horrible for the people that have died due to distracted driving. i am definitely paying more attention when i drive and if i don't use my phone when driving, i always pull over.

Anonymous said...

I noticed that i never thought listening to the radio or using your cell phone-to talk or text-while driving was really dangerous until i started driving. After i got my permit, i started worrying about it because everything was so new and i wanted to be aware of everything all at once. I realized that driving wasn't just about what i was doing, but that i have to pay attention to the other cars, pedestrians, lights, and signs. Being aware of all that stuff is hard enough without adding distractions to it so i was always anti-cell phone while driving. Oprah just reinforced those ideas for me.

eanderson said...

My opinion of distracted driving hasn't really changed, it's just become more apparent to me how much little things like a phone or the radio can endanger yours/someone else's life. I can prevent myself from causing a distracted driving accident in the future by simply not getting distracted; anything that isn't urgent can wait, like a text or a commercial on the radio. I think the fact that distracted driving is more detrimental than drunk driving is pathetic because if your driving skills are that impaired when your sober from just talking on the phone then you obviously shouldn't do anything while driving except drive; people need to find patience because a stupid phone call isn't worth getting into an accident. Like I once got pulled over for just goofing around and honestly if I had gotten my license taken away I would've hated myself for being so stupid. Luckily, I was only given a warning, but I have certainly learned my lesson and drive so much more carefully because of it.

Anonymous said...

my opinion did not really change beacuse i do not approve of distracted driving. I always yell at my family members for texting or talking on the phone in the car. I do not have my licence yet, but i already have rules for my car: no yelling, my phone will be put on silent while driving. i feel as if i am afraid to drive, just because i am not texting or talking on the phone, doesnt mean someone else is not. this isserious, and i will not take it lightly. my life is precious, and i do not want to screw it up by doing something completely stupid.

C block gym

Anonymous said...

My opinion has stayed the same. i do not believe distracted driving is worse drunk driving. thats just how i feel i drive cautiously when im distracted more so than i think i would driving drunk. I disagree driving while drunk and also distracted though cause it does cause accidents its not rite.

Anonymous said...

Over the last 2 years, i have realized how many distractions there can be while driving your car. Whether it is your friends, your cell phone, the radio/ipod..etc. Cell phones are are the cause of most accidents; probably even more than drunk driving. When i first got my license, i was driving on 123, and the car in front of me was drifting out into the middle of the road (WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC!!) and then back to his side...and back again. I got so nervous and didnt know if he was drunk, or maybe a new driver..a couple miles later, they took a turn and their head was down...they were texting. When you text and drive, you zone everything out around you, besides the text message you are typing, and you lose control of your vehicle. I keep my cell phone on my dashboard and if my mom/friends call or text me, i wait till im in a parking lot or home to answer them. Being safe is wayy more important than answering a text message.

~Chelsie Corbeil, wellness F

Anonymous said...

My opinion of distracted driving has changed greatly after watching the videos of the Oprah show. I never realized that even taking your eyes off of the road for 2 seconds was bad. As a driver i would look at construction sites and car accidents as I would drive by and not think it was a big deal. But learning that even not paying attention for that short period of time could be fatal was a reality check.
My opinions on talking on the phone and texting while driving however has not changed. I have never been for using your phone while driving because I believe it is extremely dangerous. It is one of the most dangerous past times you can do while driving and puts many lives at risk even your own. This class was a serious wake up call and will think twice while im driving.
-Cassie Scanlan period F.

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed alot because ive always thought of texting while driving wasnt that big of a deal. To prevent drunk driving you should wait until your out of the car to text or call someone, if you drop something just wait until you can stop to pick it up and to just stay as focused as possible to the road. I think distracted driving is more dangerous because its not illegal so everyone can do it and not get in as much trouble and it can happen at anytime.
Tyana James

Anonymous said...

At the point in history we're in now, especially in countries like the US, cellphones have definitely become so popular, so massively produced, and relatively cheap enough for nearly everyone to own one. Because of this, I think that once every US state agrees to ban texting/talking while driving, each state gov't should take this issue to the federal level, where the penalty for getting caught will make everyone want to think twice before sending that message. I mean, I don't ever want to hear about a family member getting hit by a distracted driver because he/she thought they had enough "texting skills" to worry about getting in an accident. If you need to send a text THAT BAD, then pull over and finish your conversation... otherwise, throw your phone in the trunk, let a friend hold it for you, or just leave it at home! Getting your text fix isn't worth getting yourself injured, getting others injured, or taking a huge hit to your wallet. Ok I'm done.

- Big Austin, wellness B

Anonymous said...

my blog is the one above emily andersons's from feb. 26

Kerryn C.

Keegan C said...

I tend to agree with Dan on this, I am completely against distractions in my car. I am not saying I don't have any, but I try to limit them. I only realy use my phone when my parents are calling me to ask where I am or when I am at a red light or stop sign. It will be hard to stop using my phone completely but I am trying to stop it because it is very dangerous and can lead to serious injury or even death.

tim colpritt said...

All i can really say here is that people need to use their brains. i understand we live in a fast paced world where time is always an issue. everything is go go go, but we also need to take the time to actually think things through. this can be applied to everything, even just walking down the street. stop checking your watch, cell phone, or whatever distraction is at hand and pay attention to your surroundings. how do you expect to get from one place to another if your not watching what you and others are doing at that moment. you could be walking down the street texting and it could be urgent so your typing like you life depends on it. in between texts you look up and your coming up to a cross walk and the sign signals "walk" you think its safe so you keep walking and texting. because your in a completely different state of mind, you dont realize that car thats flying around the corner until your already in the middle of the road. This of course is just a worst case scenario but common sense needs to be used more often. put down wutever your doing for five minutes and give whatever your doing undivided attention. your life could depend on it. its better to be safe than sorry. that person your texting im sure will understand. They like most everyone you know, would be devestated if you died for a stupid reason like being impatient or relentlessly texting. be aware

Anonymous said...

I dont drive so I do not have a very strong opinion about distracted driving, but I can think of a few times that people I know could have died due to other distracted drivers on the road. Luckily none of them did. I dont think that distracted driving is that much worst than drunk driving.

-Bekah Sargent

Anonymous said...

Distracted Driving is a huge issue. Many things such as cell phones, the radio, friends, and others are major factors. I know that when I am in the car I do not want to be distracted. I have been in a car accadent once before and I know that I never want that to happen again, weather it is because of distracted driving or not. Before the videos we saw in class, I didn't think much about the harm of texting while driving The videos we saw in class really had a huge impact on my perspective on this issue. I hope that after seeing these videos, other people will agree as well.

Alyssa LaFlamme.
B Block Wellness.

chris schatvet said...

Driving distracted is just as bad as driving drunk. In one way you are impaired and the other you are unfocused. They both lead to the same consequences though. You struggle to drive straight, are not paying attention to the road, and ultimatley are a much worse driver. I think people really just need to wise up and realize that driving is dangerous becuase no matter how catious you yourself are there can always be someone else to make the accident. You must be alert and focused while driving.

Anonymous said...

Distracted driving has been a lesson we have talked about in school for awhile now, and everytime it is discussed I feel more strongly about it. After the lesson in class I was more aware of my actions while driving, and how other people are affected. I notice that a quick text or phone call can be a huge risk and could become a really bad situation. If I'm driving with someone else in the car, I would rather give my phone to them so I can focus on the road. Overall, the lesson in class made me think more about what I do when I drive.
Elise Stafford, period B

Kate Baird said...

I have always been aware of the dangers of distracted driving, but probably not the extremes of how much texting can affect driving. Since the video, I have made it a habit to keep my cell phone in my purse in the backseat so I won't even be tempted to use it. I know how quick accidents can happen even when you have your full attention on the road, so the last thing I want to do is add a distraction that takes even a little bit of my attention away from the road. Seeing how others drived while trying to text in one of the videos opened my eyes to just how dangerous it really is. I am glad a law will soon be in place to ban texting and driving becuse I cannot imagine the guilt one would suffer from causing an accident and possible injuring or killing others just because they had to send a text message. No text is worth your life or someone else's life.

Anonymous said...

Dave Fillingim left this comment:

My opinion on texting and other forms of distracted driving haven't changed. I will always be against texting while driving. Which is why whenever I have someone riding shotgun I give them my phone and make them my "designated texter". I also just put my ipod on shuffle after I plug it into the radio and just listen to whatever, usually I end up listening to the best of ABBA. No one should ever text while driving, talking on the phone I still think is ok as long as you pay attention.

P.S. I hope using the word "shotgun" is school appropriate.

Brian Feeney said...

There is no question that distracted driving is a very dangerous thing that has been becoming more and more popular amongst drivers everywhere. Cell phone use is usally the number one way a driver gets distracted. I know a lot of kids that text and drive and make calls as well; I am sometimes one of those people. However, after seeing how dangerous it really is through awful stories in the news and wellness, I am doing my best to stop all together. I definitely don't want to die because of a stupid reason like texting, especially if it is the most pointless text imaginable. People need to learn that whatever the text is, it can wait. If the person you are texting gets frustrated, oh well. They are simply too impatient and they need to chill out. Your life is what is most important.-Brian Feeney

Anonymous said...

My opinions have changed after watching the video in class, I never really thought much about cell phones and drivers too much before. But I see it as a huge problem especially in our society today, no one is without a cell phone these days and it's really tempting to use it while driving, and not only are cell phones are a distraction, radios, GPS systems and even so much as opening a water bottle while driving is dangerous. I know when I'm in the car with my parents, I answer the phone for them most of the time and open the water for them so they always have at least one hand on the road and are paying attention to what they are doing and not being distracted.

- Colleen Burke
Period C Wellness

Anonymous said...

My opinion didn't really change at all. I already knew that texting and driving was bad due to an accident my sister and I were almost in. It was an icey night and my sister was texting while driving, she wasen't looking at the road and we hit a patch of black ice and spun out of control into the opposite lane at the Industrial park. Thankkfully two oncoming drivers were paying attention and got out of the way in time. This was all about two years ago and my opinion on texting while driving was forever changed since then. Obviously, to prevent future accidents people just need to focus on the important things other than texting. If the texts are important they should be phone calls, not texts, and even so.. it doesn't hurt to pull over for 20 seconds if it really IS important.

-Jason Oliva

Victoria Miller (C Block) said...

Ever since driver's ed, and the gruesome "Red Asphalt" videos, I've learned that distracted driving is not the solution to any problem, and you should not be multi-tasking while you are behind the wheel. But there's only so much those horridly graphic tapes can teach you until you feel the need to be running from the room. I feel that the Oprah video we watched in class is so much more powerful than any "Red Asphalt" video can be. She showed the emotional trauma that is not shown within driver's ed. She showed how much it hurts a family, a friend, when they loose someone due to a mistake. No one should have to go through that kind of pain, and I know that because of that I will not ever be a distracted driver. I never want to put my family and friends, or anyone else's family and friends, through that kind of suffering.

Anonymous said...

Based on what we learned in class today, I have a new outlook on what i do when i am behind the wheel. You dont realize that the text you are about to send when driving isnt that important until you look up and see break lights. This has happened to me several times and it scares me but i have been lucky enough to have enough time and room to slam on my breaks. I really need to put my phone in my purse when i drive and i am going to start doing that. I dont ever really eat or play with anything else other than my phone when i am driving. All in all i learned alot from those videos and what we talked about in class.


Caitlyn McManus--period E

Anonymous said...

I don't drive but i have a boyfriend who loves to text and drive and talk on the phone. when i watched that clip of that little girl getting killed i was thinking about my own little sisters so everytime im in a car with someone on the phone or texting i take it right away and i tell them the dangerous things that could happen.

Anonymous said...

Recently my family and I have taken the oath to not use a cellphone in the car. Everytime that I drive now since the oath, I feel much more in control and safe. People don't realize how quickly they can lose focus and cause and accident. I think their should be a law that makes cars "Hands free". It would make the world much safer and keep crash levels down.

Connor O'Sullivan
B block

Anonymous said...

My opinion on distracted driving was not changed much, although i did learn some facts behind the dangers of distractions such as texting while driving. It was already clear to me that texting while driving took away a large portion of your ability to focus on the road. To help prevent distracted driving accidents I can tell whoever I am driving with not to use there phone while driving. While I am driving I should be sure to pull over or hand my phone to someone else to answer a text message. Distracted driving is considerably dangerous because in addition to looking at your phone and taking your eyes of the road, you are required to think about what you are typing and take your mind of the situation in front of you. I do not feel that the dangers of drunk driving and distracted driving can be compared as more or less dangerous, for although they both hold a high risk of accidents and crashes, distracted driving effects ones ability to concentrate while drunk driving affects the ability to handle the vehicle. Regardless, the potential for danger created by distracted driving is great as your focus is taken from the road and your surroundings to other activities inside the car.
-Jeff Kitchen

Anonymous said...

Before watching the videos in class i never really gave too much thought to distracted driving, it has never effected me personally. After viewing the videos i realized how important this topic really is. So many people lose their lives to people who text and drive, yet it seems like America isn't learning from all of accidents. Both distracted driving and drunk driving are bad but when you text and drive you aren't paying attention to the road fully and you can't see the things that are right in front of you. I think it's great that Oprah is committed to making a change in distracted driving.

-cassie eagerman

Anonymous said...

Ever since we talked about this in class, I have realized some of my bad habits and made moves to stop them. I realized one night driving home from work that my mind always wanders about aimlessly as I listen to the radio on the way home. I wasn't really focusing on driving at all, I mean I knew where I was going and what was around me for the most part, how fast I was going, etc. but I found that you still need to really pay attention even when there's only a couple cars on the road at most. Ever since then I try to drive with the radio off when I'm tired because it really does distract me enough to effect my driving. I usually don't have music playing during the day while I'm driving either. And if I do drive with the radio on then I always make sure to pay extra attention to the road and my surroundings because I know that my mind will drift off otherwise and I could make a mistake that gets someone hurt or killed. I love my music, and have the something playing almost all the time when I'm home, but I don't love it enough to trade it for a human life. -Scott Allen

Anonymous said...

Distracted Driving in a big situation in the world today and it has effected my life recently. one day after school i was getting a ride home from a friend. He was driving me, my sister, another friend and that friends sister. My friend was driving when a right light appeared and there were a row of cars ahead of us who had stopped. my friend knew there was a red light so he hit the brake lightly, then he look down at his phone and began to text, but we were still rolling at a good speed. i had to tell him to brake harder so that we would not hit the van in font of us, so he slammed the brake and we just stopped in time. If i had not told him to brake harder he would of hit that car. hitting the car could have not only injured the people in our car, but i could have injured the people in the other car. Now when i go with friends who are driving i ask for their phone and they give it to me.

Brian Ahern
Block:B

Melissa said...

My opinion on using the phone and driving has definately changed. I dont use my phone when i drive. Using the phone is like driving drunk because your mind is concentrated on the conversation and not the things going on around you.

melissa cash

Sarah Burgess said...

Watching the videos in class has definatley opened my eyes to how even small distractions can lead to accidents. I never text and drive and always have whoever is in the car with me be the designated texter but I never realized how distracted you can be from talking on the phone until this lesson. Now when I'm driving I try to talk on the phone as little as possible and think more about the consequences of what could happen if I wasn't paying attention. Watching the extreme cases in class made me more aware of how distracted I can get and has helped me become a more cautious driver. - Sarah Burgess

Anonymous said...

From what we learned during class and the video we saw I really think twice before texting while driving now. I cant say that I have completely stopped because sometimes I slip up and its just natural reaction to text as I am driving because I have done it since I got my license. One thing that shocked me is texting is equivlent to having 4 beers. This kind of hit me when I was texting about 2 months ago and almost smashed into the car in front of me. I took my eye off the road for two seconds your life can be over that fast.
-Craig Woodworth

Ryan Flemnig said...

I am constantly being distracted when driving. I find it amazing that i haven't got my self into trouble because of these distractions. My cell phone and radio are both definatly the worst. I try really hard not to be this distracted but with all the new technology out now its hard to not be using it all the time. This is why i think people are now more distracted then ever as drivers. Now thinknig about it i can clearly see that it is a horrible mistake not only for my own saftey but for others too, which is why i will strive to be less distracted while driving and use these distractions only when necessary.

Anonymous said...

I never text while I am driving but a lot of the time I am distracted by other things. I always play with the radio and have expierenced some close encounters because of it. I have found a way to fix this situation because of the wellness class. Some one had said that they plug their ipod in and have a playlist already set up so they dont have to worry about changing the song. I thought it was a great idea and have adopted it. I think tht distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving cause it happen to anyone at anytime.

Liz Faxon B period

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed a lot on texting and driving has changed. I really didnt think that it was a big deal if a person was texting and while in the car but at the a red light or something. But now i think thats people shouldnt be texting and driving at all in the car. I think that people should just not text and drive if they want to get hurt or hurt someone else.Distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because it takes away your awareness of your surroundings.
Elizabet Seetaram

torie allen said...

To be honest, my actions have slightly changed. I experienced a close call not too long after the subject was discussed in class that had left me practicly traumatized :( i had drifted on the left side of the road and almost hit a mail box trying to find my phone in my purse. Now when i cant find it or i need to send a long, detailed text message i will actually pull over somewhere and type it.. i would never ever do that before. like people always say.. it can never happen to me, or you never realize the seriousness of something until it does happen to you or someone close to you.
torie allen

Anonymous said...

My opinion of distracted driving has drastically changed. I have cut down a lot with texting, putting make up on, and other things like that. I still do from time to time because i forget about the specific incidents that have happened to people. I think it would be helpful to be reminded about the dangers of distracted driving; maybe more billboards or radio advertisments. I think insurance companies should make it manditory to go through a class where you text and drive in unison; like the program we saw on Oprah. Distracted driving is the same if not worse as drunk driving. At least when people are drunk driving they pay attention to the road and try to drive careful. When you text and drive you take your eyes off the road and anything could happen in a split second. Someone in the morning last week, when I was on my way home from my dads house was texting and driving. He was coming over into my lane, and to avoid an accident I had to pull close to the curb. When I did I slammed the curb and blew out my tire. The man texting had no idea that it had happened. This was dangerous and could have hurt him or myself. Texting and driving is not a safe practice. My friends say they're "good" at texting and driving, which is stupid to say. You can not be a good driver if you are not looking at the road. Texting and driving is simply not a good idea at all.

MEGGIE G!

cantinmax said...

Max Cantin
F block

I think that distracted driving is a huge issue. My cousin actually dated one of the people on the Oprah episode so I know how dangerous it can be. Also, I was driving with my dad a couple days ago and he was checking his e-mail on his phone and we ended up in the other lane. I had to remind him to pay attention to the road. I have seen distracted driving and when I get my license, I will try to put my phone down until the car is parked.

Anonymous said...

My opinoin about distracted has changed. I did not realize talking on the phone was that much of a distraction. I knew texting was bad and ill admit i still do text while driving. it is a habit im trying to break. When i am able to drive other people i will probably have them text for me instead. Distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving because either way the driver is not fully focused on driving the car. that should be th main focus of the driver at all times.
-chris ruta

Anonymous said...

My opinion has changed, i am a very disctracted driver and after the things we have learned it made me more aware of what is going on

Anonymous said...

Why is distracted driving more dangerous than even drunk driving? Share a personal story if you so chose. No the videos really havnt changed my perspective on distracted driving, its just unfortunate situations that had happened maybe because their status mentally was not in the right state of mind vs the physical choice of their decision but either way i could see how it works. To prevent future accidents you should just be aware of your surroundings and dont make risky choices over something that can be held off till a later time. I agree that distracted driving is much more dangerous than drunk driving because most people dont think anything will happen to them so their just thinking of other things that may be happening in their lives. Drunk driving on the other hand seems to be less dangerous because you pay attention to the road 100% of the time unless your absolutly hammered. usually risks arnt involved because you obviously dont want to be pulled over or even kill someone, and with all the media people know drunk driving is something that can be easily spotted so you try your best not to get caught, vs distracted driving in which again you dont think anything will hapen because thats just not what the normal person would think about as they drive down the road.

-George Gillis

Anonymous said...

I have always been against distracted driving. I never text while driving and don't not talk on the phone. I used to text while at a stop sign or red light, but after seeing the video where the guy got hit by a trash truck, I've even stopped doing that. I also have tried to convince my parents not to talk on the phone while driving.
I think that distracted driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. Many people do not realize how dangerous it really can be, so they are less likely to stop using the phone while driving, whereas driving while under the influence is obviously dangerous. This is why I agree with the law in Connecticut that makes it illegal to talk on the phone while driving.
-Leah Daniels

Anonymous said...

my opinion has changed becasue I thought I could multitask but after i saw the videos i realized on one second you take your eyes off the road you could kill someone or be killed

kerri vongrassamy

Ashley Anzuoni said...

I am against people texting and or talking on the phone while driving. I feel that if what your texting or talking about is so important then pull over safely and talk or text that person. If it isnt that important then wait until you are home. When ever i drive i always put my phone away so im not even tempted to text somone back when im driving. i feel everyone else should too.

Anonymous said...

Distracted driving is a major issue in our world today. My opinio on the subject has changed greatly. I have always known it was dangerous to do, but after learning about it in class i realized exactly how dangerous.
In class we learned that driving while distracted is extremly dangerous, but we also learned that it is, in some cases, worse than driving under the infuence. I feel that if more people were educated on the subject, less accidents would occure because of it.
Brittany Alioto period C

Anonymous said...

After watching the clips about Oprah Winfrey, I am not very much changed by it. I was already taught from my parents and other people to not get so easily distracted by the electronics around us. I may still use a phone when driving, but I will try to hand it over to a side passenger if one is riding with me. (I have a permit and will soon have my license) I will not, and tell others not to, text while driving, and fiddle with the radio to excess. And distracted driving can be even worse than drunk driving as you may not even being looking at the road, nevertheless even without tunnel vision which one may have while being drunk.

-Eric Forman Period C