Driving while live streaming is idiotic and dangerous
By Jessica Berget, Editor-in-Chief
Weāve all heard the things we shouldnāt do while operating a vehicle; drinking, smoking marijuana, texting, anything that can be a distraction or hinder your driving ability. However, there is a new one that is painfully obvious, but I think needs to be addressed more recently: Live streaming.
Twitch streaming specifically is an increasingly popular phenomenon among the online community. People generally use the service to film themselves as they play video games but also do other things like host talk shows, or just go about their day for their subscribers to watch and comment on. As harmless as it sounds it takes a dangerous turn when taken out of the comfort of oneās own home and into the streets with motor vehicles.
Driving is a huge responsibility. You are operating a vehicle that can cause serious injury or even kill people if not operated correctly; this is why I donāt trust people who drive while distracted. They could be great drivers, but one second of not looking at the road can be a lethal mistake. You canāt justify putting other peopleās lives in danger for the sake of reading comments or streaming for views.
Everybody knows the dangers of distracted driving. So, there is no excuse to do it, especially for something so ridiculous as streaming for views. If you are caught streaming and driving, I think you should be banned from all streaming sites and have your license taken away. You have already made it clear you are not to be trusted behind the wheel or that you can make smart decisions about when is an appropriate time to use streaming services.
āBut what if I just stream and donāt look at my pho-?ā NO! Itās still considered distracted driving as far as the law is concerned. You still are trying to entertain people who will constantly comment and try to chat with you as you drive. Your phone will most likely be in your peripheral vision. You will probably want to make sure you are in-frame or look presentable. That. Is. Distracted. Driving. It is not safe, and you can injure or kill yourself or someone else because of it.
I think one of the most dangerous things someone can think is that tragedy wonāt happen to them. Itās important to remember that no one expects to be in an accident, much less while theyāre live streaming, but it still happens. Streamer lameduckg probably didnāt expect to get hit by a truck after missing a red light because he was streaming, but he did. A quick internet search will reveal that there are many other cases of people crashing their cars or almost getting into accidents while they stream and drive. Itās stupid, dangerous, and you could kill other peopleāall because you wanted to get some views.
The potential dangers of distracted driving are well-known and well-documented. Something needs to change or else we may see the very first live streamed death, and I donāt want that. If you are ever watching someone streaming and they are behind the wheel of a car, I would recommend not watching it and calling the police before someone gets hurt.
