Your Health by Dr. Rallie McAllister

One of the most useful courses I had in high school was the drivers' education class. My instructor, Mr. Wright, believed his mission in life was to make the world a safer place by transforming highly distractible teens like me into courteous, careful drivers.

He insisted that while his students were driving, we devote 100 percent of our attention to — of all things — driving. We were required to strap ourselves in, eyes forward with an occasional side-to-side glance, hands positioned precisely at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock on the steering wheel.

Talking, gum chewing and other extraneous activities were strictly prohibited. Driving, our instructor admonished, requires the undivided attention of the driver.

Mr. Wright warned us to be on the lookout for motorists who were DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while impaired). In the prehistoric days before the cell phone, he couldn't possibly have predicted the perils posed by modern-day drivers who are guilty of DWOO (driving while otherwise occupied).

Today, driving seems riskier than ever. Every time I climb into my car, I'm painfully aware that I may be in imminent danger of being killed — or at least seriously maimed — by irresponsible motorists who are DWOO.

Modern technology has transformed our vehicles into mobile offices, dining rooms and beauty salons. Armed with laptop computers, insulated coffee mugs and cordless electric razors, countless drivers routinely work, eat and groom themselves in their automobiles.

I see a lot of motorists attending to tasks of personal hygiene, like shaving or applying makeup, while they're driving. If these folks manage to arrive at their destinations without causing a 10-car pileup they'll be lucky, but they still run the risk of sustaining a major case of razor burn or poking out an eye with a mascara wand.

You just never know when you'll hit a pothole.

Driving and grooming are a bad combination, but I really get nervous when I find myself behind one of those multi-tasking drivers who tackles the morning traffic with a sausage biscuit in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

With both hands occupied, who's manning the steering wheel? Maybe their drivers' ed teachers taught them how to drive with their knees.

Cell phones have elevated DWOO to a whole new level.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that people who used cell phones while driving had quadruple the risk of experiencing a car crash of those who didn't. Several studies have shown that the danger of driving while otherwise occupied with a cell phone is similar to the danger imposed by driving while intoxicated.

The risk of crashing while conversing on a cell phone is so real that lawmakers in some states, including California, New York and New Jersey, have enacted "hands-free" laws that prohibit the use of handheld cell phones while driving.

As serious as they are, the dangers of driving while talking on the phone pale in comparison to the newest driving hazard: driving while text messaging. The results of a recent study confirmed what most of us have already surmised — driving and sending text messages can be a deadly combination.

For the study, researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School asked 21 teens to use a driving simulator while sending and receiving text messages, talking on cell phones, using MP3 players, or in an undistracted state. Not surprisingly, the distracted teens exhibited impaired driving skills.

Of the three driving distractions evaluated, sending text messages proved to be the most dangerous. The text-messaging teens were significantly more likely to weave in and out of their simulated lanes, drive at erratic speeds and even run over simulated pedestrians.

The results of a recent study performed by the American Automobile Association revealed that the risk of having a car crash increased by 50 percent for motorists who sent and received text messages while driving. Roughly 47 percent of teens surveyed admitted to engaging in text messaging while driving.

Studies show that error on the part of the driver is responsible for nearly 90 percent of car crashes. Sooner or later, people who routinely drive while otherwise occupied are likely to find themselves involved in an automobile accident.

Hopefully, motorists who are guilty of DWOO will manage to avoid a major car crash, but they may not be able to escape the wrath or retaliation of their fellow drivers. With enough provocation, even the most courteous and attentive drivers can develop a serious case of road rage.

Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her Website is www.rallieonhealth.com. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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