Distracted driving is quickly becoming a criminal offense, not only on a state level, but on a national level as well. Politicians have passed several laws in an attempt to combat increasing public outcry as well as the raise in fatalities due to distracted drivers. Many more laws are on the way as driving while distracted continues to make headlines. But driving distractions are nothing new. So why all the fuss about it now?

Similar to drunk driving, it has taken some time to fully understand how dangerous distracted drivers really are. While cell phones have been the main topic of discussion, distractions in our vehicles have existed for over one-hundred years. In fact, the very first fatal car accident in the UK was the result of a distraction. While Mr. Edsell was attempting to locate his "warning bell" to alert pedestrians of his presence, he ran over a woman at a whopping speed of 4mph. Maybe he should have been watching where he was going instead of looking for that warning bell!

From eating in the car to chatting with passengers, distracted driving has always been an issue. But now that mobile technology is finding its way into our vehicles, the problem has become much more serious and much more tempting. Horrible accidents are happening due to drivers talking on cell phones, playing with GPS devices, text messaging, fussing with MP3 players, and even using laptop computers while driving. As more and more news stories of these terrible accidents make top headlines, stricter laws are being put into place.

Not long ago, the same scenario occurred with drunk drivers. People felt they could still drive safely after drinking, and their friends allowed them to do so without much resistance. The police would often look the other way and it was common practice to simply give erratic drunk drivers a ride home. Being arrested for DUI or DWI was very uncommon. That is, until, some horrible accidents started making headlines and the true dangers were realized. These days, if you get pulled over after a night of drinking, it's a different story. You'll be arrested, lose your drivers license, charged with a criminal offense, be forced to pay thousands of dollars in fines, perform community service, and maybe even lose your job. And that's for a first offense!

Distracted driving is heading in the same direction. Bans on cell phones are occurring at the local level with national texting laws already in full force. Some law enforcement agencies have even gone as far as obtaining cell phone records after fatal accidents to determine if anybody was operating their vehicle while distracted. The criminal charges filed against those who caused a major accident while text messaging are very similar to those arrested after causing an accident while drunk.

This trend is only going to continue. Many statistics show that texting, or even talking on a cell phone, is worse than that of an individual with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08, the legal alcohol limit in the United States.

Texting on the road is an obvious danger, yet millions of people continue to perform this dangerous task everyday. Most people who read or send text messages as they drive take their eyes off the road for 3 to 5 second intervals. That's like being blind for the length of a football field. What's worse, is during closed course studies, drivers frequently lost track of time and didn't even realize how long their eyes were off the road.

Talking on a cell phone is a much more debatable issue, but studies are showing very surprising and scary results. As time goes on, there is more evidence showing that the mental power it takes to talk on a cell phone is the main danger. Not so much the device itself. In closed course studies, reaction time was dramatically increased when using a cell phone, even if hands free devices were used. Similar to drunk driving, effects such as lane drifting and trouble maintaining a constant speed also occurred. Even judgment and reaction time was impaired. Drunk driving and cell phone driving share many similarities.

Some believe talking on a hands free cell phone is no different than talking to a passenger in the vehicle. But the difference is pretty substantial. A passenger has the ability to see exactly what you're seeing. Their tone of voice changes and breaks in the conversation occur during times the driver has to concentrate. That doesn't occur when talking to somebody on a cell phone, and the psychological affects are astounding.

While cell phones have taken the spotlight, distracted driving takes many forms. The practice will continue to gain attention as the dangers become more known. In our ever connected society, it's a reality we are all going to have to come to grips with. While doing things from our vehicle can be a convenient time savor, we must wake up to the reality that distracted driving is a serious danger which must be stopped. It is the new drunk driving.