“Woman files claim in son’s death” ran Oct. 31, detailing how a driver struck bicyclist Darryl Benefiel, while making a left turn from Ridge Park Road onto Tesoro in Newport Beach. The woman’s attorney said they wanted to make people more aware of cyclists.
In Huntington Beach, Jeffrey Woods was sentenced Dec. 11 to six years in state prison for hitting and killing a 14-year-old in 2007 (“Woods sentenced to six years in state prison,” Dec. 17). Woods was under the influence of two prescription drugs and was texting at the time of the crash.
With the holidays here, especially New Year’s Eve, it’s a good time to remind ourselves of what driving entails. When you get behind the wheel, you control a 3,000-plus-pound machine — and that’s on the light side.
Sure, we have fancy doodads like power steering, anti-lock brakes and air bags, but the best tool available to make driving safe is our brains.
We all know that drinking and driving is a bad combination. I’m not saying people shouldn’t drink. I like a cocktail myself every so often, but you have to be careful about the decisions you make while imbibing.
If you feel slightly tipsy after a few cups of Grandma’s secret spiked eggnog recipe, wait before you get into the driver’s seat, have a friend drive you home, or take a cab.
But I’m sure you already knew that. So let’s move on to areas that still haven’t hit home.
Many complain about the inconvenience of having to use an earpiece to talk on a cell phone while driving — pulling out your earpiece and getting it into your ear, then turning it on.
Or maybe you’re like me and you have a corded one and have to untangle it, find the right end to plug into your phone, then cram the other end into your ear.
