Frightening Fiction: Distracted Nightmares

By Mallory Goeke
Communications Specialist
KDOT HQ

On Halloween night, the glow of a smartphone shone through the window of a fiery red sedan as it raced down the highway. The mindless chatter of friends as they listen to their favorite band and play air guitar in unison filled the car’s cabin.  

“I love this song!” Melissa screamed over the music while she sent a quick text and slid her phone back in her pocket and returned her hands to the wheel. The teenager was relishing in her newfound freedom.  Just days before she had received her first car, along with permission to drive it to the big Halloween party at school. Melissa’s outfit was what she wore every Friday, a cheerleading outfit, but her make up was smeared and her hair was tousled. She was a zombie-fighting cheerleader. She couldn’t wait to show off her new look, even if it meant texting while driving. 

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Her best friend, Lidia laughed. “If I did that, my parents would take my keys and phone away for sure.” Lidia’s costume of choice was an art student who used her tools to fight the aforementioned zombies.

“That’s because your parents worry too much,” Kyle leaned forward from the back seat and turned up the music even louder. “Melissa totally knows what she is doing.” Kyle was dressed up as one of the zombies the dynamic duo would have been fighting.

“Yah, see? I’m paying attention now. No harm done.” Melissa replied, but then reached down and picked up her phone again when she felt the familiar buzz. “I just need to post that I’m driving in my new car real quick! Lidia, take the wheel.”

Lidia bit her lip nervously, this sounded like a really bad idea, but what could she say? Her friends would totally make fun of her. She reached over and held the steering wheel while Melissa snapped a selfie.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure with glowing eyes leapt onto the road in front of them. Lidia screamed and turn the wheel sharply. Melissa jumped and stomped her foot on the brakes while her phone flew into the backseat. Kyle’s forehead stopped the phone from flying out the windows. He gasped in pain and held his hand over his eyes.

The passenger side tires hit loose gravel and the car slid down the ditch and launched into the air.

Melissa remembers rolling five times. Lidia lost count and Kyle hardly remembered anything from that night.

While they may have survived the crash, they didn’t make it to their Halloween party. Melissa never used her phone while driving again. Lidia learned to speak up for herself, and Kyle learned to keep his mouth shut and listen to reason.

While this story may be a work of fiction, the scary part is that scenario can happen every single day.

No one should be driving distracted, anything can happen. Are you willing to take the risk?

Don’t drive scary.

The End.

Class is in Session: Pedestrian and bicycle safety

Many students will be walking and biking to school as they head back to calls this fall.  Both are fun, healthy ways for children to get to school every day, especially when children understand their responsibilities as pedestrians and bicyclists.  Here are some simple tips to keep them safe as they head out:

•  Be aware of your surroundings.
• Always walk on the sidewalk if one is available; if a child must walk on the street, he or she should face oncoming traffic.  Bicyclist should use the sidewalk when appropriate and ride with traffic.
• Cross only at crosswalks and intersections.
• Look left, right, then left again before crossing the street.
• Always walk with a responsible adult or in a group.  If bicycling in a group, ride single file.
• Students should practice walking or bicycling the route to school with an adult until they are comfortable with the route.

While walking and bicycling are fun and healthy, pedestrian/bicycle crashes are on the rise.  This is due in part to distracted drivers, as well as distracted pedestrians and bicyclists.  When walking or bicycling it is important for pedestrians and bicyclists to take responsibility for their safety.  That begins with being aware of your surroundings and ditching the distractions:

• Never walk or ride your bike while texting or talking on the phone.
• If texting, move out of the way of others and stop on the sidewalk.
• Never cross the street while using an electronic device.
• Do not walk or ride your bike with headphones on.

Distracted driving on the rise: It can wait

The telephone has come a long way since it was first invented in 1876. Today, those telephones are portable mini-computers that help us navigate this fast-paced world.  We may even feel the constant pull to multi-task and gather more information while we travel.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as multi-tasking. If your mind is focused on your cell phone, the radio, eating, or even talking with passengers while you drive, there could be deadly consequences. 

There were 432 traffic fatalities in Kansas last year and The National Safety Council said that 40,200 people died in crashes across the United States. 

Many of those fatalities could be attributed to distracted driving, including the use of mobile phones.

The Federal Communications Commission has some sobering distracted driving statistics:

- Over 8 people are killed and 1,161 are injured daily in incidents reported as distraction

affected crashes in the United States.

- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2015, there were 3,477

people killed and an estimated additional 391,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes  

involving distracted drivers.

- At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell

phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since

2010.

- In 2015, the National Occupant Protection Use Survey reported that handheld cell phone

use continued to be highest among 16-24 year old drivers.

For as often as we discuss the dangers of distracted driving, the numbers continue to rise. We need your help to get the message out to friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors that lives are on the line every time they use a phone while driving.

Be an example- You know that it is not safe to text and drive. You may know that no message, snapchat, social media post or Tweet is worth risking lives over. So act on that knowledge and teach others to do the same.  If you are teaching a new driver how to operate a vehicle, educate them on the importance of putting your phone away.

If you need to make a phone call, or check your phone, pull over to a safe place and answer or text before you return to the roadway.

Speak up- If you see a driver you are riding with texting or using social media, tell them to put their phone away while they are driving. It may seem hard to speak up, but be brave - it could save lives. 

Check out this powerful video from NHTSA and see how sending a message while driving could be the last words someone will ever say.

Are you addicted?

It’s a common message: “Don’t Text and Drive.” The dangers of texting and driving are real and yet; lives are still forever changed when that split-second glance behind the wheel turns that smart phone into a dangerous weapon.

With all the warnings and advisories filling our airwaves why is it so hard for us to drive distraction free?
Scientists and psychologists may have an answer to that. 

The Science:
Inside our brains lives a little compound called “Dopamine.” It is what gives us the drive to pursue the things we love such as eating, hobbies, and romance. According to Psychology  Today, Dopamine is also responsible for various addictions that we deal with on a daily basis. For some of us, if our bodies were like vehicles, Dopamine would be the pilot.

The Psychology:
Over 100 years ago a Russian Physiologist, Ivan Pavlov, made a huge behavioral discovery: classical conditioning.  Using dogs and food he was able to deduce that they would start drooling anytime he or his assistants entered the room, even if they didn’t have food. The dogs’ brains were hardwired to expect a reward, (food)  when they saw lab coats. Pavlov further tested this process when he struck a bell at meal times. Eventually, he struck the bell without food and the dogs still salivated.

Mixing it together:

Dopamine, the reward center of our brains, mixed with the classical conditioning combines to what we deal with on an everyday basis: Technology addiction. When the message alert goes off on our cell phones, we immediately respond. Dopamine levels rise, and we get a “reward” when we pick up our phones. Remarkably, there are times when we want to be rewarded so much that we look at our phones without the alert, and expect something to happen. 

Studies have shown that when the alerts go off anxiety levels rise if they can’t be answered right away. If cell phones are left at home or lost, withdrawal symptoms are reported. Some would even say that they couldn’t live without their phones and for many, this is a reality. These tiny devices hold our schedules, our contacts, important information and there are even apps that save lives. As a society, our phones connect us to the world around us, and for many, that connection is just too strong to ignore.

All of these things combine to make texting and driving a serious habit that is hard to break.  Even with all these behavioral and scientific answers, it is still wise to turn your phone off or on silent, tuck them away, watch the road, and drive.  It can wait. 

When's the time to play?

Think before you throw: 

The unforeseen challenges of 'Pokemon Go!'

KDOT would like to remind all Pokemon trainers to stay alert and safe. Always be aware of your surroundings. 

Illustration by Mallory Goeke

Fans of the Pokemon franchise have heard the phrase “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” for nearly 20 years and now, they too, can begin their journey to catch and train over 100 different types of this animated monsters. For the past week, Pokemon trainers of all ages have been playing a brand new game released by Niantic and The Pokemon Company called “Pokemon Go.”

Using GPS on a smart phone, the game leads players on a journey around their communities to actually search for and find these powerful creatures. The game creators encourage taking long walks and interacting with others to catch, train and eventually battle on their quest.

While this game has brought many benefits to its players, such as encouraging them to get off the couch and go outside, exercise and explore. It has also created a new cause of distracted driving. 

Law enforcement across the country are cautioning players to wait to play the game when they are not behind a wheel. They are also encouraging players to not walk and play at the same time, as this can result in unsafe situations.

As exciting as this game is for many players, we would like to remind you to play it smart and safe. Your Pokemon will thank you for it.

On my way

As we near the end of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we want to leave you with one more thought.  Click on the 57-second video to find out what it is.

U Drive. U Text. U Pay.

Distracted driving killed 3,328 people and injured more than 421,000 on American roadways in 2012 alone.  To put that in perspective, that's about the same amount of people that live in the Kansas towns of Hugoton or Lindsborg.  It's a growing epidemic. 

 In response to this issue, the U.S. DOT has launched its first-ever national advertising campaign.  The chilling ads, which uses the phrase, "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." have already generated media interest.  These ads combined with a nationwide law enforcement crackdown in states with distracted driving bans are part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Check out the 30-second-ad below.

The Parent App: Technology may reduce cell phone use while driving

Every day in the United States, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,060 people are injured in crashes that involve a distracted driver.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 21 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were distracted by cell phones.

For parents concerned about their teen texting and driving, technology may be the answer.  Several new apps offer the ability to monitor driving behavior or even eliminate cell phone usage while driving.

Auto insurer Esurance is allowing policyholders to install an in-car device (free of charge) in their teen’s car that in conjunction with the Esurance app installed on the teen’s phone, can limit the use of text, email, app usage and phone calls while driving—with the exception of 911.

For those with a different insurance provider, there are other options available.

The Canary app is installed on a teen’s phone and parents will be alerted whenever their teens are texting, tweeting, or using Facebook while driving.  It can also send an alert when teens are driving over the speed limit.

For parents wanting to know everything, the mSpy software app will “run in an invisible mode providing you with across-the board logging features so that you can remotely track all activity that takes place on the monitored phone.”

The MamaBear Child Tracker app alerts parents when their teen is speeding.

Rapid Protect offers a variety of safety tools. “If a user is driving over certain preset speed, their ability to send and receive a text message is blocked.”  

  

Mobiflock  "allows parents to block the use of certain apps and even shut down cell-phone functionality remotely." Parents can also put mobile apps on a timetable for when they can be used.

Those recommending apps recommend that parents talk to their teens about the apps rather than simply installing them without prior warning—perhaps making it a condition of getting a smartphone.  And parents may want to consider using the apps themselves.

"Parents can be some of the worst offenders. My vision is that an entire family can use this,” said Jani Spede, chief executive of the Canary Project.  “It's a way for everyone to have more awareness. You measure behavior and then you can change it and improve it.”