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Ahmed Shahab argues modern-day cars are intended to be a distraction that should be treated as a major safety issue and that makes them a major threat to pedestrian safety.
His book “Reckless Drivers” contends even the most experienced drivers can still cause mass casualties when they make a “reckless” move.
Shahab believes any portion of the drivers’ attention should be directed toward the road.
This is part of The Peter Schiff Show.
A short excerpt of our conversation:
[Peter Schiff] This kind of technology is ubiquitous and even if you’re not in an accident, you don’t know what is that pedestrian is going to be reading at that same moment, another bus is coming, someone’s mad at them or this and that. Why has the world accepted the blind spot on a road? Why is the blind spot allowed? You see things like the a bus coming at a speed that the traffic can’t negotiate crossing at.
Shahab: Absolutely, it’s part of our distractibility when driving. We’re reading, we’re thinking. We’re staying in the moment, and part of the punishment for keeping it in the moment is you’re being penalized when your brain goes to work during the moment that you’re in the moment.
Peter Schiff: Even if you think you’re going to cross the street with greater traffic, the lack of visibility is actually very dangerous. This is because as you hear the semi braking to a stop or the rider’s bike, it’s actually going to impede the sight lines for a lot of the pedestrians. So, we feel like we can control this, but let’s be clear, whether we are driving on the highway or whether we are walking on the street, the one thing we can control are the eyes and the ears, and putting the distraction in, not in the brain, mind and hands.
Peter Schiff: That’s what we’ve got to emphasize. Put the distractions where you are calm, calm and focused. You can’t drown out what you need to hear and see by taking out your eyes and ears.
Peter Schiff also weighs in on trade wars, what is the best strategy to approach trade and what is the best way to teach our children about capitalism.
This episode of the Schiff Show is sponsored by … ThinkAmerica, a Center for American Progress
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