About 12 years ago I was driving northbound from the Everett Mall on I-5 while talking on my cellphone. After turning off on to the eastbound trestle I realized that I had no memory of the prior five miles of freeway driving! This was a sort of revelation which led me to decide to not use the cellphone while driving again. I have been true to that decision.
However, just a couple of weeks ago I was driving from Everett north on the old highway toward Marysville. This trip involved talking to a passenger and answering a series of questions of his that required a fair amount of thought and concentration. The merge on to I-5 in Marysvile is a point that I am “always” very aware of and watch closely for traffic that is either continuing north or leaving the freeway as I join the freeway traffic. After several miles further north on the freeway, I realized that while talking I did not recall this at all!
In the past years we have watched the development of hands-free cell phones, GPS units, etc. All of which can be and really are a distraction to safe driving. Just because we made it to our destination does not mean that it was as safe as it could be … considering driving at freeway speeds and heavy traffic. If anyone feels that they are different or better, they are kidding themselves. I would like to see all drivers honestly evaluate themselves and realize the potential hazard and act responsibility.
Wayne Johnson
Lake Stevens
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