Why former politician’s sordid act spurs a deadlier debate

By now, most will have heard how the former Vice-Mayor of Tennessee, William Blakely, took the pleasure of driving to a whole new level, in what stands as the most disturbingly weird story since Britney Spears shaved her head.

We reported last week how distractions such as phones – or in this case, alternate personal objects – are not diminishing, despite the various campaigns and state legislations imposed to prevent such acts.

We are all being distracted while driving: whether it’s the temptation to reply to that text message, gawking at the pretty river to the left, observing the idiot adjacent who’s playing Tetris, or witnessing a politician playing with himself.

Distractions are everywhere, and it remains difficult to create a solution.

Travis Okulski of Jalopnik makes a valid point, stating that as cars become easier to drive, problems only get worse. And he’s right. As we approach the boundaries of autonomous vehicles, human input becomes less important. Even today, as Okulski points out, vehicle safety devices, such as radar cruise control and active lane assist, allow for driver irrelevance, making distractions more prevalent.

It was only a couple of months back I was driving during morning rush hour and witnessed a strangely bearded man in a rusty Ford pickup truck, breakfast burrito slathered down his chin, with a wry smile glued to his face. On further inspection, I noticed a portable DVD player on the dashboard. Let’s just say he wasn’t watching last night’s recording of American Idol.