Throughout Utah, distracted driving causes countless car accidents to occur. Most commonly, it seems, we hear about cell phone use or text messaging. On November 13, 2008, according to the Deseret News, another such distracted driving accident happened in Salt Lake City near 1700 South and 600 East. It happened when a woman driving her car down the road, turned around to deal with her children in the back seat. With her eyes off the road, her car then drifted into oncoming traffic, crashing into the front of an oncoming school bus. Luckily, the bus was going relatively slow, around 20 mph. No one on board the bus was reported to have been injured and the driver’s two children in the back seat were unharmed. The woman driver, however, was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. She is reported to be in fair condition.
This crash is another good (or bad) reminder that we as motorists must not allow ourselves to be distracted and take our eyes off the road as we drive. No matter how unruly our kids may get in the back seat, our main priority is to drive safely. If the kids are acting up, parents should do as I have done on many occasions: pull over to the side of the road and deal with the situation. The kids know anyway that a parent is not terribly effective dealing with them while the car is in motion. They have mastered the art of avoiding the parent’s swinging arm as it sweeps through the back of the car. Coming to a safe stop on the side of the road allows the parent to focus their full attention on their children and the pressing issues that might be going on in the back seat. I wish the woman in this story a speedy recovery.
Ron Kramer is a personal injury attorney practicing in Salt Lake County and is a frequent chauffeur to small children and knows first hand how distracting kids can be in the car.
Published by: Ron Kramer
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