[Mpls]Cell phone stats

[Allen]

Dorie Rae Gallagher wrote:

>FYI
>*Cell phone creates not just a momentary distraction but a period of
>"cognitive inattention" that acts as a perceptual disability....according to
>Richmond Journal of Law and Technology.
>
>One out of 20 crashes or  10 percent of all car accidents are due to cell
>phones.
>
>42,000 people die a year, 3 million are injured...10% of that is due to cell
>phones 20% due to drunk driving.
>
>I did not see any stats about the slippery little gut wenching french fry
>from the local drive-in which due to zoning... you can drive in and get your
>food but it does not mean you go out into traffic eating it. Conversation
>with the dogs ...that would be hard to give up..priceless!
>
>dorie gallagher
>nokomis
>
>  
>

These are some good points.  I don't think this means talking on the 
cell phone is good so much as a means to keep it in perspective.  Cell 
phones haven't brought anything new to people being distracted while 
they're driving.  That doesn't mean that nothing should be done about 
them.  The perspective is needed to help best prioritize things for the 
city.


There are a few other twists to keep in mind.  For example, by the time 
a drunk is arrested, booked, tested, etc. it can take an officer 3 - 5 
hours.  That's 3 - 5 hours they're not on the street.  Giving out a 
speeding ticket or a ticket for inattentive driving (or whatever the 
cell phone things falls under) only takes 10 - 15 minutes.  And the city 
does have a dedicated traffic unit.  The city of Minneapolis could make 
a point of handing out a few more tickets for doing this.  The question 
is does it mean other areas of traffic enforcement or even other 
policing suffer.  At a time when the force is struggling to hold onto 
the number of officers they have, they dono't have the luxury of a lot 
of time on their hands.

Allen Graetz
Lowry Hill