Do as I Say; Not as I Do!

According the the Governors Highway Safety Association, thirty-nine states have distracted driving laws. Michigan just became the most recent. Some localities have additional regulations. (FYI: South Dakota is not on the list though several of our larger cities are.) So that means you are safe on the roads as there is no texting and driving in those states - right?

I doubt that is the case. Though we live in a culture that acts as if all we have to do is pass another law and we have changed the behavior, I think we all realize that is not the case. I am not big on passing "feel good" laws.

Perhaps distracted driving laws help us drive home the point but it will take much more than passing laws. This is both an education issue and a behavioral issue.

We need to educate people, not just young people, (that does not necessarily mean spend more money) on the dangers of distracted driving. Who's responsibility is this and how do we do it?

I believe it is everyone's responsibility. We need an effort like the one that caused young people to tell their parents to "buckle up". It starts in the schools but does not end there. There are various efforts afoot now. But there is no education effort like the one that happens at the dinner table!

While there are ideas for how parents can control their children's behavior, there is no substitute for talking to your kids! Don't know what to say or how to say it? Here are some ideas.

We car dealers have a responsibility in the education process. It is our customers that put themselves at risk using our products.

Teens get a bad rap on this issue. While plenty of teens are guilty of texting while driving, there are many parents and other adults who set a bad example and who need to "look in the mirror" when it comes to how they act behind the wheel. .

I have never done much texting while driving and I tend to be a hands-free phone user. But I have, in the past, tried to read and answer emails while behind the wheel. What's the difference? NONE! So while I'm telling my two daughters and son not to text while driving, I am guilty of it my self.

"I can't hear what you are saying because you actions speak so much louder than your words!!"

So my New Year's resolution is to not be distracted while driving. No texting! No email! No dialing! No eating! (that one coincides with another of my 2013 resolutions!)

As Jim Morrison and the Doors sung, "Keep your eyes on the road and your hand upon the wheel!" (Don't forget to buckle up too!)