Kentucky second in distracted driving crashes; pay attention

C. Josh Givens

I drive 75 miles one way to Hawesville each day I work at The Clarion.

The route I take – while not the shortest – is the quickest and safest, in my view, though I am beginning to question if anywhere on Kentucky’s roads and parkways is safe.

Coming from Central City, my route takes me east on the Western Kentucky Parkway and then north on Interstate 165, or the Natcher Parkway if you are into nostalgia (or Green River Parkway, if you go that far back.) From the end of the I-165, it is U.S. Highway 60 all the way to Hawesville.

Each roadway offers its own challenges, and most have to do with the inattention other drivers extend to their surroundings. I was trained in defensive driving in the military, and the first rule is, drive like no one else can see you. You know why? Because they most definitely do not see you.

That is not to say I am the perfect driver, but I do try to pay attention because I understand so very few are doing the same.

This is “orange barrel season” in Kentucky, meaning there is plenty of construction and repaving ongoing right now. My route to work is no exception.

The most significant construction is currently at the Hartford-Beaver Dam exit of I-165, where access and exit ramps are being constructed to interstate standards. The northbound exit has been closed for quite some time, but that did not stop drivers heading north from cutting across the southbound lanes to exit that way into Hartford.

The near-misses I have had – and those I have witnessed – have been staggering. I understand if you have no concern for your own life, but please recognize when you do such things, you are also endangering other people.

I’ll be the first to admit that the language I use when driving is “not safe for work or small children,” but it keeps me aware of how dangerous other drivers can be.

Monday morning on my way to Hawesville, as I approached the northbound on-ramp at Hartford, I could see three vehicles approaching the access to the interstate. I was already slowed down for the construction and the hundreds of orange barrels and warning signs and construction vehicles.

But something was telling me no one was going to pay attention to the warning signs or even the red-and-white “Yield” sign so obviously warning merging drivers.

As I slowed to about 45 miles per hour, the first vehicle in line darted out right in front of me, causing me to swerve onto the shoulder. The second vehicle, well, that driver seemed to accelerate just as my vehicle came alongside, nearly sideswiping me and knocking me from the roadway. Keep in mind the interstate is down to one lane here.

The “not safe” language ensued while the second driver looked at me like I had offended her very existence. I am pretty sure the understanding of just how close we had come to making significant contact did not register in her mind.

In my discussions with law enforcement and highway department people I know, one thing remains consistent – it seems most crashes which are occurring are due to driver inattention to not only their surroundings and conditions, but to the very act of driving.

Mobile devices, fumbling with items in the vehicle, talking with passengers, dealing with kids in the backseat, in-vehicle entertainment systems – there seems to be plenty to distract you from driving safely, if you allow it.

In my career, I have been on the scene of fatal and near-fatal crashes, far too many to count and far too many to dwell upon. From the beginning, covering these crashes, I was instilled with a personal goal of never being the cause of such a terrible incident. It doesn’t take many of these horrific scenes to convince one he never wants to be involved in such destruction.

As of June 1, 252 people have died in traffic collisions in Kentucky. In all of 2021, the number was 806. For the previous years: 2020 – 780; 2019 – 732; 2018 – 724; 2017 – 782; 2016 – 834.

Can you see the trend, here? We are looking at a largely upward trend in fatalities in Kentucky. And even with a seatbelt law, usage in fatal crashes trends less than 50 percent, and even with laws limiting some uses of mobile devices while driving, Kentucky ranks second in the nation to crashes involving distracted driving.

Surprisingly, alcohol-involved crashes resulting in fatalities in Kentucky typically only make up 15 percent of all fatal collisions. It would seem public education and outreach has made an impact in that regard. Why can’t we be as successful with distracted driving?

Folks, be careful out there. Because if you wondering if they see you, they probably do not.