“Hang up and drive.” Hey, that’s got to be my favorite bumper sticker.

The other day I was trying to make a lefthand turn off the northbound lane of Civic Center Drive onto the southbound entrance ramp of I-95. There’s a yield sign on the southbound entrance ramp for southbound drivers on Civic Center Drive to prevent them from hitting me as I’m entering the ramp.

The southbound motorist that blew by that yield sign was so into the cell phone conversation that the driver never saw me — let alone the yield sign. As usual, I was prepared to stop and once again, eliminated myself as one the day’s accident statistics.

My wife says, “Great, now you can mow the lawn.”

This cell phone-behind-the-wheel thing is really getting out of hand. The American Automobile Association calls it a part of a syndrome known as “distracted driving.” According to AAA’s Web site, distracted driving is a major contributor to automobile crashes, with 4,000 and 8,000 crashes related to distracted driving occur daily in the United States. In a year, they contribute to as many as half of the 6 million U.S. crashes reported annually. AAA has worked out a 10-point plan to help address this issue. But the best advice is to avoid distractions whenever possible.

AAA says that driver distractions are nothing new. They've been a topic of discussion since windshield wipers were introduced in cars during the early 1900s. Using a cellular phone while driving can increase your chances of being involved in a crash. But research shows other distractions — such as eating a sandwich, tending to small children, conversing with a passenger or gazing at objects outside the vehicle — occur more frequently and can be just as distracting as talking on a cell phone. Imagine the risks if you combine two or more of the above tasks.

More information on distracted driving can be found online if you click here for AAA

Tips, problem traffic areas and questions can be e-mailed to A. J. Higgins at
ajhiggins@centralmaine.com