Who’s Watching the Road?

July 18, 2017 | By Mike Seate

Just recently a morning traffic tie-up on my street caused several rush-hour commuters to, well, wait in line for a few moments. This being the age when waiting for most anything means instantly grasping for a smartphone, the panicked motorists all grabbed their electronic security blankets in unison. Granted, it being the morning rush and with most of these folks, I can assume, driving to work, sending a quick message to the workplace about impending tardiness seems smart. But after a few minutes, as these photos reveal, most of them continued pecking away at their text buttons, keeping one foot on the gas, both eyes on their phones and not an iota of concentration on their fellow motorists. After more than 35 years of riding streetbikes, it’s safe to say (no pun intended) that this era is the single most dangerous I’ve yet ridden in, all due to the addictive qualities of hand-held devices. Somebody do something…