Rocky Mount resident Tyler Strandberg has a problem. In the past three years, she had wrecked and totaled three cars. The last one was borrowed from her grandma.
Tyler’s father, Buckley Strandberg, worries about her…but admits to having the same problem. He frequently drives impaired.
At this point, you have probably come to your own conclusion about the nature of the Strandberg curse. Could it be alcohol? No. Drugs? No. The Strandbergs simply cannot put down their cell phones.
An article in last week’s News & Observer highlights the extreme danger of driving while calling and texting. It also clearly illustrates the flippant attitudes of those who put the lives of others in danger.
In 23-year-old Tyler’s own words, “Sometimes I will zone out and forget I’m driving.”
Instead of taking firm action, dad Buckley says that during his 2-hour drives between Rocky Mount and Nags Head,
I’m not just going to sit there in the car….if I run off the road, there are rumble strips that divert me back onto the road.
That’s a plan. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t pull to the left into on-coming traffic instead of onto the rumble strips.
As of December 2009, it has been illegal to text while driving in North Carolina. A driver caught texting while driving will face a fine of $100 plus court fees. The violation will not add points to your driving record however and an insurance surcharge will not be assessed.
When I read about the Strandberg clan, I couldn’t help but think that the punishment might be too lenient. So far, they have only hurt cars. It’s only a matter of time until they hurt themselves…or others…or you or me.
Hey, Strandbergs: LOCK YOUR PHONES IN THE TRUNK!
(Full story: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/301086.html)
