"Crash scene photographs showing dark red polish splattered over the dashboard, air bag and passenger door of a car were displayed during the trial of a motorist who allegedly was painting her nails before she slammed into a motorcyclist.
Lora Hunt is on trial for reckless homicide in the death of Anita Zaffke of Lake Zurich, who was struck from behind as she sat on her motorcycle at a red light near Lake Zurich on May 2, 2009."
The Tribune later reported:
"Had Lora Hunt been eating a sandwich or dialing her cell phone instead of polishing her nails when she struck and killed a motorcyclist, she would not now stand convicted of reckless homicide, her lawyer contends.
But prosecutor Mike Mermel said there's a big difference between polishing nails and other forms of distracted driving."
But you know what? I'm wondering. Is polishing your nails while driving a whole lot different from people who text while they drive? Or eat fast food while they drive? Or any number of things I hear about.
I'm just amazed at the stupid and reckless things people do while driving. I still see too many people driving and talking on cellphones. They are not paying attention and as soon as you see someone with that cellphone at their ear, you have to really watch out because they're apt not to be paying complete attention to their driving. Painting her nails was a dumb thing for Lora Hunt to do, but it's not the only dumb thing people do while driving. I hope this incident will wake people up to the dangers so we don't have another tragic death that devastates so many loved ones.
No kidding. If I have to eat while driving I make certain I am eating bite sized food. No holding it in my hand, and it has to positioned and reached without my needing to look at it before the car rolls. Usually I just take the few extra minutes it takes to eat in my car before I leave the parking lot. I can't even imagine attempting to put on makeup or paint my nails -- or text!
ReplyDeleteI once passed a woman who had an open magazine on her steering wheel. I can't imagine what she was reading that it was more important then getting wherever she was going safely. As for cell phone -- I have a blue tooth and I don't even much like to use it. I don't care what anyone says, talking on the phone is distracting. Sometimes talking to someone in the car is distracting and I just tell them, please be quiet for a few minutes, I need to pay attention!
Quilly: Someone told me that talking on a cellphone is even more distracting than talking to someone in the car because your passenger will be looking out the window too and will stop talking when there's something dangerous happening. They will also provide another pair of eyes to warn you of something happening. I've done that for Art when he doesn't see something in a blind spot.
ReplyDeleteIt's just scary to think of all those drivers out their in their killing machines not paying attention. I just hope this incident will make others think.
Thankfully, it's now illegal to use a mobile phone while you're driving here in the UK, unless you have a hands free kit. It's also illegal to smoke if you have anyone else in your vehicle. And the police will stop you and warn you of the dangers if they spot you eating while you're driving. We may have a bit of a 'nanny' state, but at least we're becoming safer drivers, though there will always be people who flout the laws and cause accidents.
ReplyDeleteyes, my hubby was in an accident because the other driver was yakking on her cell phone.
ReplyDeleteI'm usually very careful as other lives r in my hands when they travel with me.
ReplyDeleteDriving should NOT be a multi-task activity. People need to think of a vehicle as a deadly weapon - because it is. How can someone honestly think painting her fingernails while driving is a SMART thing to do? Was it really THAT important for her nails to be done right then? Was it worth taking a human life?
ReplyDeleteYou should link your post to Oprah's No Phone Zone Pledge:
http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4
Sorry I haven't been around - between taking care of hubby and BAD internet service, it's been impossible... Happy belated Mother's Day!
I once saw a man eating a bowl of porridge while driving...couldn't believe it!
ReplyDeleteDriving while using your cell is just like driving and drinking. You can watch them on the freeways and always guess right that the one driving badly is on their cell.
ReplyDeleteTalking on a cellphone while driving is illegal here in Ireland -- so you know what people do? When their phone rings, they stop the car. There's no place to pull over on most rural Irish roads, no shoulder or anything, so they just stop in the middle of the road and blah blah blah on the phone. Quite a few times we've come around a bend and nearly went right up the back end of a stopped car -- it's incredibly stupid. Driving's such a dangerous thing for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThe poor girl on the motorcycle -- her poor family! What a useless way to go. If she were my daughter, every time I saw nail polish on anyone I'd probably fall apart.
Amanda: It's illegal to use a cellphone in Hawaii now, too. However, I STILL see people using one and driving. I guess they figure the law only applies to everybody else.
ReplyDeleteGigi: Doesn't it makes you nuts?
Wenn: Good for you! I wish everybody was.
Susie: I sure hope you had a great Mother's Day because you really, really deserve it.
Christine: Porridge? Porridge? Good grief!!! Dark chocolate I could understand but porridge?
Maggie: I agree with you 100%.
Susan: You've got to be kidding? Stopping in the middle of the road? Sigh... it's amazing what people do. I sure hope you don't run into any crazy people at this hectic time in your life.
I see people doing all of this stuff all the time and it just makes me so angry as they are endangering so many lives including their own. I have my phone in my purse but as long as I'm driving I have it turned off, it's just there in case of an emergency. What are people thinking??? Or is that the problem, they aren't thinking or they just plain don't give a damn about other people.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Kay! Hope you and Art and KC are having a great time!!
Sylvia
What people will do while driving! In our state they passed a law last week that you can talk on a cell phone but you can't text. Is this crazy or what. You are right about some people. Thank you for coming by.
ReplyDeleteRYN: And delightful to meet you too. Yes, also, it took me a while to find a design that worked well with my early morning thinking. On the right, a box with what we are doing. In the middle, mutterings and a picture. :) I can cope with that layout without a lot of intelligence.
ReplyDeleteSylvia: Oh yes! We sure are having a great time but time is a-flying! I looked at the calendar and saw that our trip is almost half over already.
ReplyDeleteMargaret: If I'm ever out your way driving, I'll have to be extra careful.
Maggie: I still haven't found the format I like best.
the most dangerous place around...inside a car or near one
ReplyDeleteIt really is unbelievable what distracting behaviors occur while driving. That woman will spend the rest of her life knowing that someone lost a life because of her painting her nails. What a horrible thought.
ReplyDeleteIts scary wondering what the heck drivers are doing while on the roads...I once passed a man reading the newspaper while driving!!
ReplyDeleteI guess it´s the same all over the world. It´s illegal to use your cell phone while driving here too, but it´s not enforced. So, of course everyone still does it. What is even more scarier to me is a motorcycle driver texting while driving!! Very common here!
ReplyDeleteRemember when driving was serious business?
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki, Kay
Comfort Spiral