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Get off the cell phone while driving!! You almost hit a boy on a bike!

By Barbara Tubridy Lombardi

Get off the cell phone while driving!! You almost hit a boy on a bike!

As I was exiting Interstate 235 in West Des Moines at approximately 2:45 p.m. today (June 18, 2009), I was waiting to turn right onto Valley West Dr. (35^th Street). In front of me was an SUV, a silver Saturn VUE driven by a woman who was talking on her cell phone. As most of these exits do not allow right turns on red, we sat and waited for a couple of minutes….me waiting to get back to the office from delivering documents to another office, and her still talking on her cell phone, we were in the center lane, the one that turns right and left, and there was a cab to our right.

The light turned green…..she is still on the phone….and she starts to pull out, but wait! There is a boy around 14 years of age directly in front of her car as she begins to pull forward. She slammed on the brakes, the boy turned slightly to his right but kept coming across and thankfully made it to the other side. What does this woman proceed to do?? STAY ON THE PHONE OF COURSE! She was driving north on Valley West Dr., and I was turning left onto Westown Pkwy so I pulled up next to her while we waited at another red light. SHE IS STILL TALKING ON THE PHONE! I beeped at her twice because I was going to ask her if she even realized that she almost hit a young boy on the bike. I sat there beeping…..she didn't even look, SHE WAS STILL ON THE PHONE!

The State of Iowa does not restrict cell phone use while driving yet….a bill was introduced by Representative Ako Abdul-Samad on January 14, 2009 and has received a lukewarm reception in the Iowa Senate. The bill is still pending. Interesting to note that as of January 2009 the State of Iowa is at the bottom of a website grouping those states that have no restrictions on cell phone use.

As I write this I am thankful that I did not have to be a witness to what could have been a terrible accident. An accident that at the very least would have meant beginning the summer for this young boy with a ride in an ambulance to the ER.

Wake up people and get off the phone….you are not as capable at multi-tasking as you think.

Good drivers just drive.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPlnNaHGZY8

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Barbara Tubridy Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on June 18, 2009 (boomark / email).