Across the state of Wisconsin 71 people died last year due to distracted driving. But the problem goes much further than just making a phone call or sending a text while behind the wheel. NBC26 shares a story from Shawano that any driver could find themselves involved in.
A picture on the Shawano County Sheriff’s Facebook page is getting a lot of traffic today. It shows the aftermath of a vehicle that was rear ended this week as the driver behind them, reached for a soda. While most of us are guilty of similar behaviors behind the wheel, we can also learn from the mistake and even prevent it.
In downtown Shawano there's no shortage of people who've seen driving at its worst.
"Every day all day long," says Cara Barnes of Shawano.
"Just by looking at their cell phones they don't know what's in front of them," adds Kimberly Shubinski of Shawano.
"Big hamburgers and a soda in the other hand, driving with their knee," says Sheriff Adam Bieber of the Shawano County Sheriff’s office.
"Reading a book, texting and driving, listening to loud music," adds Shaleen Barnes.
And due to behaviors like those, distracted driving took the lives of 71 people in Wisconsin last year.
"Our deputies and EMT's and firefighters are the ones that have to respond to those accidents and they're not always pleasant," adds Sheriff Bieber.
And while not every driver thinks about the consequences of what could seem like something minor, Cara Barnes knows all too well how dangerous distracted driving can be. A friend of hers was in a wreck that changed her life while behind the wheel.
"Her dog was on her lap and she wasn't paying attention," says Cara.
Turns out you don't have to look far to find someone in Shawano, impacted by a mistake at the wheel.
"The dump truck was going about 60 miles per hour and smashed her. Just rode right over her. Disabled for the rest of her life," adds Cara.
And while the penalty could be as much as a 180 dollar ticket from the law for distracted driving if caught, that's nothing compared to the real consequence.
Many sheriff departments receive grants in April for national distracted driving awareness month. Expect to see more officers out there during the month looking for all types of distracted driving.
