I was always one of those drivers that didn’t understand the big deal about talking on a cell phone and driving. One hand driving is one hand driving; Bluetooth Headset or cell phone made no difference. My whole outlook changed when I lost control of my car on a snowy road while talking on my cell phone to my sister. I was heading to my mother’s house for a holiday get together while it was snowing. I didn’t think much of the storm. When you live in Vermont you drive in the snow during the winter. It wasn’t white out conditions or freezing rain; nothing extreme like that. It was simply snowing and the roads were covered. I wasn’t speeding or passing slower vehicles. I stayed in my lane, had my headlights on even though it was noon, and followed the car in front of me at a safe distance. My sister had called to see if I was on the road yet and to let me know the roads were starting to get slick. I told her I was on my way, the roads weren’t too bad and her big brother could deal with a little snow. The next couple minutes changed my life.
I took my eyes off the road long enough to push the end button and put my phone back in my center console. That’s all it took. By the time I looked back at the road I had already started to slide on a patch of ice into oncoming traffic. I could see a semi heading straight for me and I had no control over my car. I tried hitting the gas to get moving and just managed to make the car spin worse. The semi smashed the entire rear of my car and pulled me with it down the road until it was able to stop. Luckily no one, including me, was seriously injured. The car was totaled and the gifts and food I brought ruined, but I was alive.
Although I will never know for sure, I honestly believe had I not been messing with my phone the accident never would’ve happened. I bought myself a Cobra Bluetooth headset the next day. The craziest part of it all is that Bluetooth Headsets aren’t even expensive. I was just stubborn and thought I was the best driver out there. I didn’t care about laws or bans on hand held devices. Now I turn on and connect my wireless headset before every trip. I don’t have to miss calls just because I’m driving, I can just answer them in a safe way.
