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The Oddities in the News Page

This Month's Oddity in the News:

The California Highway Patrol warns against

ROAD ZOMBIES

IN THE ARCHIVES:

Frozen Dead Guy Days in Colorado
Mind Reading
Largest Tumor
Birdseed Spell Gone Wrong
Conjoined Twins
Two-Faced Cat Makes Record
History of Halloween
Lemonade
The Real Magic Mountain

Cell phone

Zombie phone

THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL WARNS AGAINST ROAD ZOMBIES

(those who drive while using cell phones)

The Sacramento Bee, March 30, 2012

"Road zombies." They're scary. They're out there.

State traffic safety officials have come up with that name for what they consider some of the most dangerous drivers on the road – people who talk on cellphones or text behind the wheel.

A funny television ad will begin airing this week showing an officer pulling over a zombie driver.

Officials have also posted a video on YouTube, showing seemingly brainless and aimless zombies wandering the streets of cities around the state.

The action climaxes on Sacramento's Tower Bridge as zombies lurch forward on attack. The link is at: http://bit.ly/HjUUp1.

"You're using about one-third less of your brain," Chris Murphy, head of the state Office of Traffic Safety said of those who talk on a cellphone or text while driving. "Everybody thinks they can multitask, but really, they don't. It just takes one mistake, one time."

California Highway Patrol officials say they will be looking for zombies in April – including several days of focused traffic operations – during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

See this article in the Sacrament Bee HERE

See a similar article on ABC News HERE

Zombie drivers

SEE THE CHP ZOMBIE VIDEO HERE

Zombie

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED? (DWD)

According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society cellular phone distractions have caused 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States each year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has compiled their data and has come up with some very compelling evidence when it comes to cellular phone use while driving.

The NHTSA estimates that your chance of getting in an accident increases by 300% if you're talking on your cellular phone while driving.

In addition their data shows that 25% of all traffic accidents are a result of distracted drivers.

Cellular phone use has gone up by over 600% in the United States.

Two types of cell phone behavior typically lead to unsafe driving conditions:

  • Handling the phone: dialing, answering, text messaging, etc.
  • The conversation introduced to the environment.

Thought fumbling with the cell phone itself was a more dangerous activity than your conversation? Think again. That conversation involves quite large chunks of your thought, which according to study simulations sucks the life out of your driving concentration, especially your ability to react when seconds count.

Learn more HERE