3 Causes of Distracted Driving & How Those Drivers Almost Hit Me

So I left work during peak driving time in Southwest Lubbock. And as I am sure most of you know the corner of 82^nd and Quaker is one of the more accident prone intersections in Lubbock.

I am sitting in the westbound lane, far left turn lane waiting to turn onto Quaker. And that is where it all begins.

• Outside person, object or event – I had a guy turning from northbound Quaker onto westbound 82^nd Street. He was distracted by the coffee shop on the corner and came within a couple of inches of hitting me. Sheesh!
• Cellphone use – Now traffic shifted. A black BMW being driving by a young girl was heading westbound on 82^nd Street almost hit me because she was on the phone. (Sidenote: She honked at me for her stupidity! I should have saluted her!)
• Generally distracted or “lost in thought” – Finally I thought I was going to be able to turn, I had a green arrow, but an elderly man in a white mini-van was obviously lost in thought and it took a horn from me to perk him back to life. (Sidenote: He gave me the ole one finger salute! Same to you buddy!)

According to the US Department of Transportation: “After you’ve been driving for a while you get comfortable and can forget just how dangerous it can be—because you’re complacent to the risks of driving. As a result, you’re more likely to feel like you can send a quick text or daydream without putting yourself in danger.”

In a span of 4 minutes, I could have been in an accident because people were not paying attention to what they were doing. Pay attention, it could cost someone’s life, or worse, your own!