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Negotiating a 4-Way stop intersection in Burley, Idaho, can be risky business. After too many instances of  barely escaping with my vehicle and my life intact  while trying to pass through the intersection of Highland and 16^th Streets, I began to observe driver behavior at this intersection in particular, and Burley in general. The problem which I have observed most often – averaging by count, four times out of five – is that the person who is suddenly propelling his or her vehicle through this intersection without any deference to drivers who have the right of way is – you guessed it – talking on a cell phone. And after further observation at other intersections controlled by stop lights, I have come to the conclusion that no one is truly safe driving in this town unless they have passed a course in defensive driving.

Without sounding facetious, I would like to suggest that one of the requisites for passing the Idaho driver’s license examination would be to understand the risks posed by cell phones and texting devices. It would be very simple to include caveats in the Driver’s Manual – the cost of printing an addendum could be covered by the fines levied against drivers who are cited for driving while texting or talking on their cell phones, i.e., “inattentive driving.” Perhaps if we began using this instructional criteria in our schools, the “trickle-up” effect might be beneficial. By the time these young drivers have ceased relying solely upon their limbic systems and have checked in with the frontal lobes of their brains, they might understand the perils of “inattentive” driving.

I’m sure that Burley is not the only town in Idaho which exhibits this phenomenon – otherwise, our State Legislators would not be considering passing a law which would make driving while texting or using a hand-held cell phone an offense comparable to a DUI. And when it comes to that, I’m not sure that self-responsibility can be legislated – there aren’t enough law enforcement officers to check that one out!

I would urge all of those who drive in Burley on a daily basis, or even occasionally, to do as I am doing – pay attention to the person they see sitting in the driver’s seat. Count the number of times you see a driver negotiating a turn at a stop light, or a 4-way intersection with the all-pervasive cell phone glued to the ear. I promise you – you will be surprised – perhaps even shocked at the outcome of your count. I was.

We who live in Burley, as many who live in Idaho, have a tendency to be anarchistic in our attitude about personal freedom. “They can’t tell ME what to do!”  I think we would do well to draw the line between personal freedom and the freedom to drive safely in our town. After all, driving is still defined as a privilege, not a right, and for that matter, using a cell phone falls into that category.

*Personal Note: I am a transplanted Kansan who has taken root here after growing up in Kansas and living in Western Oregon for several years. I taught at Burley H. S. for 16 years and Cassia Alternative H.S. for 5 years before retiring in September, 2005. From 2005 -2007, I wrote a series, “Unsung Heroes,” about Mini-Cassia WWII combatants – 85 of them all tolled.  These stories were published in the (also retired) SIP. I loved teaching the art of writing – I equally love to write. Now that I have escaped the confines of the classroom and its daily concerns, I am free to look around the town in which I live. These “reflections” will provide the subjects for subsequent entries.

Sarah M. Blasius

(image courtesy of Cyrillcus @ Flickr)