A Deadly Wandering

Safety advocates hope that their success with seatbelts and drunk driving will provide them with a blueprint for how to deal with the distracted driving problem. A safety advocate from Mothers Against Drunk Driving points out that “one of the lessons of MADD is you’ve got to put a face on the problem” (284)—having a vivid personal example of what can go wrong helps push legislation forward.

The scientists continue working on their chosen research fields. Dr. Gazzaley poses a question that at first seems “counterintuitive” (284): could a video game train people to sustain their attention? Dr. Strayer’s driving simulation experiment finds a strange outlier: One test subject’s driving ability seems to improve while talking on the phone. Dr. Greenfield (the addict turned psychologist and addiction specialist) counsels a boy whose parents brought him in due to a possible video game addiction. The boy seems to be unexpectedly willing to rein in his technology use.

After two years of back-and-forth, Reggie accepts the plea in a hearing that lasts only a few minutes.

Reggie still gives no indication that this is anything but a practical decision. Despite Leila and Jackie’s frustrations with his demeanor and affect, Reggie still does not present as a remorseful person who takes responsibility for his actions.