The Consequences of Distracted Driving

Car Talk recently received this letter from listener Jennifer Smith. We wanted to share it with you.

My name is Jennifer Smith and I am a Grapevine resident. I am also the mother of two girls who are 13 and 1 1/2 . On September 3, 2008, my mother, Linda Doyle, a 61-year-old woman who was full of life, energy, and love was involved in a car accident at the intersection of her neighborhood, my old neighborhood in Oklahoma City, Ok. Her stop light turned green and she began to proceed through the intersection and a 20-year-old man ran a red light resulting in him T-boning her car at 45 - 50 miles per hour. He was not speeding, not on any drugs or alcohol, and the conditions were clear. He had actually just left the Goodwill store which was less than 1/4 mile from this intersection. He never saw my mother's car, never saw the red light, and never saw the other cars already stopped at the light. He was, as the news reported, "engrossed in a cell phone conversation." He also admitted this on the scene immediately when the accident happened. The accident happened at 4:43pm, my mother was pronounced dead at 7:05pm. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and chest. I call it death by cell phone.

Read Jennifer's complete story of her mom Linda

Check out Jennifer's research

What Jennifer Is Doing Now
I am currently in the beginning stages of putting together a website and plan for an awareness campaign to educate the public on the real dangers of cell phone use while driving. I continue to research and investigate this issue, and vow to prove with real scientific data that the growing numbers of people using cells when driving, and the availability of the technology, are endangering lives. I want the public to be advised with adequate safety warnings of the danger of cell phone use and driving and not just 10 Tips on "safe" ways to talk and drive. There is no safe way and my mother's accident shows that. The Wireless Association reports 270 million cell phone subscribers. A Nationwide Insurance public opinion poll showed 81 percent of the public admit to talking on a cell phone while driving, which translates to estimates of more than 200 million people using cell phones while driving. That equates to 200 million people driving with a disorder called "inattention blindness." I don't want to drive with 200 million drunk drivers either but this could be even worse because "inattention blindness" means they're blind... they don't see anything, so they don't even try to stop their cars when something is in the road. Please contact me to help or for more information and whatever you do, just hang up when you drive, before it's too late.

Email Jennifer Smith