Princess's Essay

Try not to plagiarize, kids...  Tom stated that I did not need to make a "References" page, but the text of the essay does a pretty good job of citing my sources.  Just thought I would share.  (Yes, I sent a one word text while driving -- to someone involved with my job.  It was dumb.  Super dumb.)


Distracted Driving in the United States: Statistics, Risks, and Behavior Patterns
By PrincessImp

The emergence of wide-spread cell phone use in the early 2000s afforded American citizens unprecedented levels of convenient connectivity with their families and friends as well as easy, efficient access to a wealth of information.  These luxuries, however, have come at some cost as people have increasingly started using their cell phones in public spaces, in their workplaces, and even while driving in their cars.  This essay will briefly address the growing epidemic of cell-phone usage while driving.  Specifically, three types of distracted driving will be defined, some statistics about distracted driving-related injuries and deaths will be presented, and two recent studies on American driver behavior patterns will be reviewed.   

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), distracted driving refers to any activity performed while driving that diverts one’s attention from the road.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that there are three main types of distracted driving: visual, manual, and cognitive.  Visual distractions require the driver to take her eyes off of the road, such as changing the channel on the car radio.  Manual distractions involve removing one’s hands from the steering wheel, such as would be the case while eating or drinking.  Finally, cognitive distractions include any activity that requires the driver to take her mind off of driving, such as talking to a passenger or making a phone call.  Text messaging while driving presents a uniquely dangerous distraction, as it involves all three types of distraction.  That is, one must look at the phone, mentally compose a text, and then type and send it.  Despite the risks that such complex distraction can present, according to an estimate disseminated by NHTSA in 2011, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving at any given daylight moment across America.

Researchers have learned that drivers are notorious for overestimating their driving capabilities while underestimating the risk of distractions.  The Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in Massachusetts, for example, studied 41 drivers and compared their driving skill while undistracted, while distracted with a simple task, and while distracted by a complex task.  Objectively, the most complex distractions contributed to the greatest decrease in driver safety; however, the participants in this particular study were unable to recognize the differences in the complexity of the tasks presented to them and more alarmingly, were also confident that none of the distractions presented had any negative impact upon their driving skill.  In a 2014 study conducted by AT&T, with assistance from David Greenfield, founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction and professor at the University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine, over 25% of those study participants who admitted to text messaging while driving endorsed a belief that they could “easily do several things at once, even while driving.”

Similarly, one might argue that sending a short text message will bring little risk, as the task takes so little time.  In actuality, however, in the five seconds that it might take to send or read a text message, a distance equal to the length of a football field can be traveled while driving at only 55 miles per hour.  In other words, a driver who sends a short message makes a decision to drive three hundred and sixty yards with her eyes closed – something that no rational person would likely ever volunteer to try.  Furthermore, in a 2019 study conducted in conjunction with the University of Utah, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety set out to test the visual and cognitive demand created by Infotainment Centers in six 2018 car models.  They found that younger (aged 21-36) drivers took a mean speed of 27.7 seconds (the equivalent of driving just over one mile while “blind”) to send a text message while driving, while older (aged 55-75) drivers required an average of 33.8 seconds to send a text while driving. 

According to the NHTSA National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 3,166 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers in 2017.  There were 2,935 distracted driving-related fatal car accidents in the United States in 2017.  401 (14%) of these fatal accidents were specifically due to cell phone usage while driving and caused the deaths of 434 people.  A similar percentage of nationwide cell phone-related fatal motor vehicle accidents has steadily been reported each year since 2013.  Additionally, the CDC reports that 391,000 injuries were caused by car crashes involving distracted driving in 2015. 

Even as public awareness of the dangers of distracted driving has increased, many continue to do it anyway.  In 2014, AT&T and Greenfield conducted a telephone interview of 1,004 American cell phone owners between the ages of 16 and 65.  Each study participant stated that he or she drove at least once per day and text messaged at least once per day. 98% of those surveyed indicated that they were aware of the dangers of texting while driving; however, 75% of respondents admitted to doing so anyway.  This discrepancy between risk awareness and behavior patterns was justified or explained in a variety of ways.  For example, 43% of the texting drivers stated that they wanted to “stay connected” with family and friends.  33% stated that they texted while driving out of habit.  28% of text messaging drivers admitted to a fear of missing important information by not checking their phones.  Finally, 14% of texting drivers admitted to feeling “anxious” if they failed to respond quickly to a text message received while driving.

In a study published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2019, Gliklich, Maurer, and Bergmark compared texting while driving behavior patterns in millennial parents compared to older parents.  They conducted a cross-sectional national online survey, with which they collected demographic data, inquired about texting while driving with children in the car, asked whether a family pediatrician had ever inquired about texting and driving, and administered the Distracted Driving Survey (DDS).  The DDS is a validated measure that assesses the frequency of one’s reading and writing of text messages, one’s use of cell phone apps while driving, and the highest speed at which one has engaged in any cell phone activity while driving within the past thirty days.  Drivers between the ages of 22 and 37 years of age were considered to be “millennials,” while all older parents were placed into a separate category.  Ultimately, the study included 225 millennials and 210 older parents from 45 states in the U.S.  In total, 68% of all respondents admitted to having read a text while driving, while 54% had written a text while driving within the past thirty days.  Although millennial parents reported having read text messages while driving more frequently than their older counterparts did, both millennial and older parents reported having written text messages while driving at statistically comparable rates (19.5% compared to 13.8%, respectively).  Lastly, millennial parents had statistically higher DDS scores, indicating a higher rate of risky behaviors that are associated with national motor vehicle crash rates.

In summary, this short essay has addressed the problem of distracted driving – and specifically, the use of cell phones while driving, in America.  Three types of distracted driving were reviewed, recent statistics about distracted driving-related injuries and deaths were provided, and some research data about the distracted driving behaviors of the American public were detailed.  Though distracted driving is clearly pervasive in our nation, it also brings significant, unnecessary, and entirely preventable risk both to the one driving and to others on the road as well. 

Addendum: “Tom,” – I am really sorry about the lapse in judgment that I demonstrated last week by sending even a brief text message while driving.  Even before writing this essay, I knew that it was thoughtless, irresponsible, and foolish.  Having written the essay, I recognize my choice as having also been arrogant, selfish, and immature.  That unnecessary text could have irreparably changed our lives and the lives of others – for absolutely no good reason.  Next time a similar situation occurs, I will allow the “I’m driving” message that auto-responds to texts while I am driving to speak for itself.  If I absolutely feel that the auto-response is insufficient, I will wait until I can stop somewhere safely (NOT at a stoplight) to respond.  I love you. - Princess

💖 PrincessImp

Creative Punishments and Guilt

Yesterday morning, I broke one of my rules in a fairly dramatic fashion.  Before I allowed myself to even think about it, the misdeed had already been done.  I say that the trangression was "dramatic" because it was such a blatantly foolish and irresponsible thing to do.  Domestic Discipline or no Domestic Discipline, I know better than to have done what I did.  It's really that simple.  Carelessness or forgetting is one type of mistake.  Total disregard for rules and safety is another and honestly, it's not generally my style.

Almost immediately, I knew that I would have a hard time waiting until the end of the day to confess to Tom.  Evening felt way too far away.  Furthermore, I didn't want to have to admit to what I had done while face to face with him.  I knew he would be disappointed and frustrated. I felt ashamed.  So, I sent him a sincere, apologetic, responsibility-accepting text to explain.

I have a tendency to over think.  I am curious about the human mind and how it works.  Every time I mess up, I torture myself with self-analysis.  Did I mess up because I unconsciously wanted to be punished?  Did I just have a genuine yet fleeting lapse in judgment?  Why would I mess up in this particular way at this particular time?  Ugh.  It's exhausting.  Yet, it's just how I tick.

Awhile after I sent my confession to Tom, he replied, "We'll talk about it tonight.  I love you and need you to be safe. -Daddy."  Yes, he signs his texts.  Always.  Just a cute little quirk of his.

I felt comforted by his text, but also continued to feel pretty darn guilty.  I don't know that I have ever felt this badly about a mistake I made within our DD arrangement.  Usually, I feel guilty for *not* feeling guilty enough. (Doesn't it sound like a real barrel of monkeys to live inside my head?)

Tom could tell that I was upset when I got home.  He, on the other hand, was calm and reassuring.  "It's okay," he said, his voice gentle.  "There will be consequences, but you will learn from it and we'll just move on.  The purpose of this is not to make you feel badly about yourself."  He asked me to trust him to help me learn from my mistake.  I love him for saying all of those things.

I was fully prepared to have to wait at least a day for Tom to tell me what my punishment would be. I assumed that it would be a spanking. Imagine my surprise, then, when he laid in bed next to me last night and said, "I've decided that you need to write an essay about *insert stupid thing I did here*.  It needs to be 1000 words."  Whuuut?  Despite my surprise, I simply nodded. Of course, I wanted to know his thought process and decision tree and all of that.  Instead though, I tried very hard to just accept the consequence he chose and to trust him like he asked me to.

Sooo, I will evidently be writing an essay.  I haven't written an essay in years.  I asked Tom this morning whether he expected citations and he chuckled at me.  "No," he said, as though the question was absurd.  I was serious, though!  Perhaps needless to say, a spanking would have been much preferred over this.  I suspect that is exactly why I am writing an essay instead. *pout*

I am trying to forgive myself.  I know that Tom has.  When I mess up, I tend to feel undeserving of a DD arrangement at all.  I know that's illogical, but... that's me.  I have needed lots of reassurance from Tom around this and fortunately, he has been there every time to provide what I needed.  For that, I am eternally grateful.


*sigh*

💖 PrincessImp

Princess Gets a Spanking

Hey there!  As I have mentioned several times, Domestic Discipline sort of waxes and wanes for Tom and I.  He gets stressed... or I do... and we just get off track.

Well, last Monday, we re-started again.  We have a "rules based" arrangement, but I am also expected to avoid the 4 D's (danger, dishonesty, disrespect, and disobedience).  We really just focus on six rules for now: I am to regularly take my medications (and ensure that I get refills *before* I need them), go to bed on time (11:15pm on weekdays, midnight on weekends), watch my language with our children, avoid using my cell phone while driving, do the dishes every other night (Tom does the alternate nights), and keep up with a particular task that I hate but that is required for my job.  Soon, I intend to ask him to hold me accountable for working out three times per week. I know that I will struggle to do it on my own unless there is a threat of a very hard spanking involved. Anyway, it all seems simple enough, right?  Uh, not always.

On Monday evening, I discovered that I had left the iron plugged in *again* that morning.  It has automatic shut-off, but still obviously not a great idea.  And if this transgression seems familiar to you, yeah, that might be because I wrote lines for the same thing awhile back.  🙄  When I told Tom, he sort of smacked his forehead and exclaimed, "We *just* got back on track!"  *sigh*

Tom always seems to take a day to decide whether and how to punish me.  So it wasn't until Tuesday night that he told me that I was going to get a spanking for leaving the iron on.  He also reminded me that I had left it on a few weeks ago too, which I had honestly forgotten.

This was the first time since we started DD that I sort of didn't want a spanking.  I say, "sort of," because I would have been disappointed if Tom had not followed through.  On the other hand, I didn't particularly want to be punished.

There was a time not too long ago when I would have thought about the spanking that I had coming all day long until it happened.  I didn't this time.  I tried to be patient and to trust Tom.  The spanking did not happen Tuesday night.  On Wednesday night, after it was clear that it wasn't going to happen that night either, I asked Tom why he was making me wait.  He explained that it was primarily because of logistics with the kids, which I just tried to accept.  I mean, I get it.  We do not need another interruption.

Anyway, I finally got my spanking tonight.  Tom locked our bedroom door and picked up the yard stick.  I was relieved, but I also felt pouty because I still didn't want a spanking.  Earlier this evening, I even tried to argue that the automatic shut-off made leaving the iron on not that big of a deal.  Tom just told me to "stop while I was ahead."  So, I did.


Tom made me bend over the edge of our bed.  Once I was settled, he flipped up my nightgown and pulled my panties down.

"Why are you getting a spanking?" he asked.

I told him.  Then, he proceeded to give me about 30 swats in sets of ten.  The yard stick stings, so I was whimpering a little but I managed to (mostly) keep my feet on the floor and cooperate.  When he was finished, he pulled my pants up, turned me around, and hugged me.

"Are you going to remember?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," I muttered contritely, as I buried my face in his chest.

"I know you will," he replied, reassuringly.  Then, he told me that he loved me.

So now, I am sitting here with a stinging bottom and writing this post.  I am glad we are (once again) back on track and I have resolved to work extra hard to be a good girl this week.  I will keep you posted...

💖 PrincessImp

All the cool kids are doing it!!

Clearly, I have been dealing with some writer's block as of late.  So, I thought I would play along with the meme that has been circulating here in blogland.

Here goes...

A Summer Meme

This meme comes to us from PK at New Beginnings, and you do know how I love memes.  :-)

Do you like blue cheese? 
Yes, I do.

Coke or Pepsi? 
Coke, when I want cola, which is rare these days.

Do you own a gun?
Nope.

What flavor of Kool-Aid?
If I had to choose, cherry for sure.

Hot Dogs? 
Sure, every once in awhile.

Favorite TV show? I
 don't really watch a lot of TV.  Cheers re-runs on Netflix?  Or Nailed It (also on Netflix)

Believe in ghosts?
Not really


What do you drink in the morning?
 
Coffee!  What am I?  Some kind of animal?!



Can you do a push-up? 
Haha.  No.

Favorite jewelry? 
My wedding ring, a silver jangly necklace that I have as well

Favorite hobby?
Scrapbooking, reading, video games


Do you have ADD? 
Yes!  I actually could write a whole post about this, specifically as it relates to 
TTWD.


Do you wear glasses? 
I have them for driving, but almost never wear them.

Favorite cartoon character? 
The Smurfs!



Three things you did this morning? 
Shower, brush teeth, drink coffee

Three things you drink? 
Coffee, sparkling water, wine

Current worries? 
Some work stuff, some family stuff.  I worry about my privacy with regard to this blog as well.

Do you believe in magic?
Yes, I do.  Like, when God or the Universe or *insert your higher power here* orchestrates things such that they work out perfectly.


Favorite place to be? 
I like home.  A lot.


How did you ring in the New Year? 
Sitting on the couch with Tom and watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Favorite color? 
Red


Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?

I never have, but I bet I would.


Can you whistle?
 
Sort of.


What are you doing right now? 
Uh, I thought I was answering meme questions...

Where would you rather be right now?
Nowhere.  I am in bed at home.

Favorite food? 
Favorite salad - Chicken Caesar
Favorite drink - Coffee, wine
Favorite breakfast - Breakfast sandwiches
Favorite vegetable - Asparagus!!
Favorite fruit - Strawberries, bananas
Favorite meal - Chicken Alfredo or Lobster
Favorite dessert - Cheesecake
Favorite sex toy or spanking implement?
The belt or the hairbrush


💖 PrincessImp