Favorite Summer Driving Song . . . Do You Have One?

Today in NY we are finally getting a reprieve from the super high heat and swampy humidity. I woke up this morning to cool, crisp, light air outside and promptly opened all of my windows. A nice change from the constant running of A/C. As I felt the breeze blowing in I enjoyed the scent of new air roaming through the house. It was only 6:30 and I knew it would grow warmer later on but I didn't want to miss this cool morning.

It got me to thinking about how much I love to drive with the windows down on a cool day. I like to open the sunroof, roll the windows down and blast the stereo. Back in the day before I had a car with air conditioning I used the dreaded 4-60 A/C. My first car was a '75 volvo with a pathetic radio. That car was a lemon but to me it mean freedom (until I broke down in PA alone on interstate 81 . . . but thats a whole other story!) Driving with the music blaring, windows down on the highway felt freeing to me. It still does.

Certain songs are really good driving songs especially in the nice weather. For me that song was always Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard. So today when I was out on this beautiful day I played it over and over on my car stereo. I still think I will never get tired of that one!

What is your favorite driving song? What was your first car? What do you enjoy doing on the best weather days?

Cell Phones. . . The Worst Thing to Happen to Driving Since Alcohol

Yesterday I watched part of the Oprah Show and the topic was distracted drivers.  Oprah is asking people to declare the car a no phone zone.    Now I am sure some of you can relate to being distracted while driving.  But what they were really referring to was driving while talking or texting on your cell phone.  I don't know about you but I cannot manage to text well when I am not moving!  I could not imagine trying to do it while I was driving nor would I ever want to as it is way to dangerous.  I  cannot believe there are people out there that do.  The thing that cured me from talking on my cell phone while driving was when I realized once I ended the call I had no recollection how I got from point A to point B.  And it was enough to scare me.  Obviously my brain couldn't tackle those two things at once.  Too much shifting attention required.  

According to a show guest our brains are not wired to handle that.  Startling new research reveals that driving while talking on your cell phone is the same as driving drunk.  And texting while driving is worse making it 8 times more likely to get into an accident.  See the show clip here.

When I am on the road I see many drivers using cell phones.  Alot of times they are the ones driving in front of me super slow unable to stay straight in the lane.  So as I pass them to get the hell out of their way I see them chatting or texting on the phone.  As if it wasn't bad enough that there are drunk drivers out there.  Now we need to stay clear of "distracted drivers".

I am a big believer that things happen how they are meant to.  My first husband Paul never wore his seatbelt and I used to get on him all the time about it.  He would say to me "When it is my time to go I will go no matter what".  Sure enough he was killed in a car accident.  Yes he was wearing his seat belt.  I guess he got the last word on that!  But seriously though it does scare me to know that people are out there making the roads that much more dangerous than they are already.  I don't spend too much time worrying about it because I would never leave the house.  I can only do my part and drive as safe as I can. 

Remember when you first got a driver's license and thought you were invincible? Those days are long over aren't they?

Do you use your cell phone while driving?  Do you know anyone who was killed needlessly by a distracted driver?  What do you think of Oprah's No Phone Zone?