Don\’t get into distracted riding.

Hello! Do you know where are you riding? We hear so much about distracted driving, and its sometimes tragic consequences.

Many years ago, when portable phones were first coming into use, I saw a car with a bumper sticker that read, \”Hang up and drive!\”

I agree with that. I\’m also all for cyclists not trying to text/talk on a cell phone/take selfies, etc. while riding.

Several years ago I saw a young man who was riding alongside traffic, one-handed; and texting with the other hand as he rode. He didn\’t appear to be paying much, if any, attention to where he was going. I have to wonder how long he\’ll continue that behavior before disaster strikes; if it hasn\’t done so by now.

Driving a car also demands constant vigilance. It\’s nearly 16 years since I last drove a car; but I remember that I had to constantly be checking the rearview mirror and outside mirror.  In addition, I had to keep alert to what I saw through the windshield; and I constantly glanced behind me in case another vehicle were there. I know you can\’t rely on the outside mirror alone, because you never know when somebody might be hanging in your blind spot!

Why, with all the attention required to drive a motor vehicle safely, would anybody try to divide attention between driving and trying to text/talk on a phone? Please, folks, give some though to other road users, motorists and bicyclists alike. Oh, and cyclists: don\’t give in to the temptation of distracted riding.