July 2010 Issue - Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County

Recently after running a line of shooters on a new proposedqualification course I was standing in front of an officertalking to him about how to improve his shooting when hegrabbed his smart-phone off his belt read a text someone had senthim and then with both thumbs, began clicking out a response.I said, "I hope that text is telling you how to shoot better," andwalked away to another shooter who had more interest inimproving his skill at arms than a non work related text.Don't get me wrong, I dig technology. Although I don't havetexting on my cell at the moment, my new phone contract willhave it. I have resisted thus far because of cost and too muchconnectivity issues (getting away from the net is sometimes anice thing). I'm typing this column on a notebook computerthat's connected to Wi-Fi. I have several e-mail accounts andexchange e-mail with other trainers and friends nationwide aswell as having my own website. I keep up with my profession andassociates via Facebook. I check the news daily online. I havea GPS unit in my personal car and have had one for a numberof years. Technology has improved my life, eased my work andhelps keep me in touch with family and friends. But technologyor the overuse of same can hurt you as well.There doesn't seem to be a day that goes by that I don't encounteranother driver that is distracted while they're busy talking onTextingYour LifeAwayDangers of Distracted Policingby Kevin Davis, Tactical Survival Contributor, Officer.comtheir cell phones when they should be focused on their driving.Like each one of you I'm sure, I see that they are completelyoblivious to the other cars around them or have reduced theirperipheral vision on one side. Distraction leads to disaster...Item: The engineer of a commuter train in California was textingsome young train enthusiast friends when he apparently missedthe red light that indicated another train was on the tracksahead. Failing to stop his commuter train impacted with afreight train the result was 25 dead and over 135 injured.Item: A police officer was killed while on an accident scene doingreconstruction work when a texting motorist hit and killed him.Item: Numerous bus and truck drivers have hit cars orpedestrians while they were texting. One internet video shows abus driver texting for six minutes prior to hitting another vehicle.Item: An off-duty sheriff's deputy may have been texting whiledriving on an interstate prior to losing control and impacting aconcrete divider. The collision took her life.According to Jane Stutts, PhD in the AAA report Distractionsin Everyday Driving (2001) an estimated 1.2 million accidentsoccur each year due to distracted drivers."The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reportedin 2008 that driver distraction is the cause of 16% of all fatalcrashes — 5,800 people killed — and 21% of crashes resultingin an injury — 515,000 people wounded. Distracted drivingendangers life and property and the current levels of injuryand loss are unacceptable. There's no way around it — this is anurgent problem that simply must be addressed." (Testimony ofFCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to Congress Nov. 2009.)Over my police career the amount of distractions in terms oftechnology that have been placed in a patrol car interior haveincreased tremendously. From patrol radios with two to fourchannels, one which to turn on the overhead lights and onerotating switch for the siren, we have gone to multiple radiochannels with multiple zones and bands, multiple light and sirensettings and the MDB. All of this can require your attentionas you drive and all can create distraction. Distraction at slowspeeds can result in fender benders. Distraction and multitaskingat high speeds can result in your death or the deaths ofinnocents.TextingAdd to the mix the sending of texts whether on the MDBor on a cell phone and the distraction and potential forcatastrophe increases. Because the attention required to operatea keyboard is higher and requires the operator to take his or hereyes off the road to spell-check, the distraction is greater. Ofcourse receiving texts requires taking the eyes off the road toread the message.Car and Driver magazine conducted a test to see how sendingand receiving texts compared to driving under the influence.Rigging a car with a windshield mounted red light whichsignaled to the driver to brake, the magazine found at 70 mph:that an alcohol impaired driver traveled four feet further beforebraking; a driver reading a message traveled 36 feet further; but adriver that was sending a text traveled 70 feet before they saw thelight and came to a stop. Compare all of the distractions with asober driver who reacts in about half a second. Keep in mind thatthese tests were conducted on a straight section of an abandonedairstrip without any other additional traffic, signal lights orpedestrians.Sure valuable information can be transmitted to you fromdispatchers or other officers in route to a call but the first ruleof emergency response driving is arrive alive and the moredistractions you deal with, the harder that is to do especially atany kind of speed.Even low speed driving on city streets or rural back-roads can beperilous as you try to text with both thumbs on your crackberrywhile steering the car.ConclusionTo sit in a law enforcement training class and text, payingmore attention to the back and forth communication thanyou do to the instructor is disrespectful and stupid (setting youup for missing the class or lecture). Even worse is to read a textin front of a firearms instructor trying to help you shoot better.Reading or sending non-work related texts while driving is justasking for trouble of the vehicle crash kind.Of course the modern police officer is forced to operatethe control, communications, and safety equipment of thepatrol vehicle on a daily basis. Many of these functions canbe distracting to the primary function of driving, but can bemanaged. Engaging in non-work related text messaging whileon the job exposes you and innocent citizens to unacceptablerisk. Technology should aid and assist you in your job and notexpose you to greater risk. Texting while engaging in any callthat requires your attention is reckless and especially so whiledriving—don't do it or pull over and do it safely. Reprinted from Officer.com16 Silver Star July 2010 Silver Star July 2010 17