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Matthew Loxton of Arvada writes:

To the lady that was driving a silver-grey SUV westbound on C470 and nearly got her ticket to heaven punched by an eighteen-wheeler at around 7:20 pm on Tuesday, here’s a driving tip.
When it starts getting dark out, you need to put on your headlights and you also need to stay off the cellphone.
That truck didn’t see you there until he was almost on top of you because you were almost invisible.
Unless you want to get to the hereafter in a hurry, put your lights on so other people can see that sky-grey SUV.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Sharon B, do you drive a silver-gray SUV?

Sounds like Darwinism at work. Cellphone-talking SUV drivers sharpen the defensive driving skills of the rest of us and probably cull some of them from the gene pool.

How dare you restrict the SUV driver's right to drive while chatting (DWC)? It is her constitutional right to persue (sic) happiness.

If everyone else on the road would just slow down, and keep extra watch for her, she would be fine. Don't you know her conversation too important to pull over, and she just has to drive while conducting her vital discussion.

I contacted my state representative after two near accidents with people on cell phones and she said that she has co-sponsored a bill to make talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving a punishable traffic offense, but that many in the legislature refuse to support it and it dies in committe.

In the course of two weeks I had two different women in two different locations cross lanes of traffic and come to a full stop in front of me at a green light, in a through lane...because they were too busy talking on their cell phones to notice that they weren't in the turn lane with the red arrow.

In early May, I was turning into Cherry Creek mall parking garage when a girl talking on her cell phone came flying out the garage at at least 30 mph (twice the speed limit) and slammed into me.

She claimed she didn't see me. Hmm..I was driving a pretty large vehicle - a truck. Imagine if it had been just a pedestrian she had been too preoccupied to see.

I watched a guy the other day talking on his cell phone make an illegal left hand turn, on a red light, from a two way street onto a one way street...and he was nearly in a collision with a car that was making a legal right hand turn from the opposite direction. He didn't put his cell phone down but was honking and screaming obscenities at the other driver when he would have been the one getting the ticket and paying for the repairs.

A friend of mine was slightly side-swiped on his bike on 16th Avenue near downtown when a car turned in front of him. The driver was using his right hand to hold the cell phone to his right ear...this created a blind spot for vehicles, bikers, pedestrians on the right side of his vehicle. He turned in front of my friend's bike without using his signal and my friend was pushed off the street to avoid a full collision with his vehicle.

Unfortunately, it's going to take someone getting killed by a cell-phone driver before the legislature does anything about this. Obviously, they need a victim's name to tag to the bill so they prove how reactionary they are.

Elected officials would not pass a law restricting cell phone use while driving because they are probably more guilty of doing this than any other group out there.

Unfortunately, some people are not able to think and talk at the same time. Heck, I see tons of people doing the most ridiculous things behind the wheel without being on a cell phone. It could be that some of those who do stupid things with their car while on a cell phone would probably be just as stupid without the phone.

Then there are those who think that if they are on their cell phone they are being safer by driving slower. So, they will get in the middle lane and go about 50 mph in a 65 mph zone. Yeah, real safe.

Unfortunately, people who drive and talk on cellphones, do their makeup, shave, do their hair, eat, drink, read a book or whatever is a common occurance. While driving to Cheyenne I observed a woman reading a romance novel while driving on I-25 at 75 mph. People just do not take seriously the responsibility of being behind the wheel. They just don't realize that the SUV or car they are driving can easily become a weapon if not treated or handled correctly. My husband drives a semi for a living and he has observed people passing him on the median during rush hour and people in SUV's have actually tried to run him off the road despite the fact that he is driving a much larger and heavier vehicle. The only thing responsible drivers can do is to drive offensively in order to prevent an accident.

Studies have shown talking on the cell phone while driving is the equivalant of driving at .10 blood alcohol content and arguing on the cell phone equivalant to .15. There is no question that there have been traffic deaths related to cell phone usage. I'll bet the reason the issue has not found it's poster child is the same reason the bill dies in commitee.

Cell phones and alcohol, two things the elite of this country will never give up no matter how many lives are wrecked. Might be a stretch comparing the two, but alcohol will never be regulated because of the upper class, they won't give it up, just like cell phones.

J,

So, the 'elites' (did you mean elitists?) are the only ones who consume alcohol and use cell phones?

"Might be a stretch comparing the two"

Might be?

"but alcohol will never be regulated because of the upper class, they won't give it up, just like cell phones."

Regulated how?

We need stricter penalties for anyone who causes an accident or breaks a traffic law while driving distracted. I'm sure we are all guilty of it at one time or another, but the fastest way to get peoples' attention is by throwing the book at them.

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