Driven to Distraction

There's been some fuss and concern about electronic billboards; their changing messages may draw a driver's attention and cause an accident. But, as far as I know, no one has complained about a waving Statue of Liberty or a dancing mattress causing distraction to traffic. Where does one draw the line on possible distraction being a hazard to drivers?

What about things that happen in other vehicles on the road?

A friend of mine has a minivan with a fold-down DVD screen for the passengers in the rear seating area. She loves it. She says it's fabulous for the long road trips her family frequently takes, and she declares she will never own another family vehicle that doesn't have one.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I am envious. My kids would love to have a DVD player in the van when we go on road trips. I wish, when I was a kid, that my parents had had one. (And frankly, as parents of five children, my parents probably wish they could've had one, too.)

That being said, I don't think in-vehicle DVD players are a safe item to have on the roads. It's not a hazard to the driver since the screen is typically positioned behind the cab of the vehicle. But, other drivers can see the screen. A driver directly behind a DVD vehicle, as well as a driver in the neighboring lane just a half-car-length behind, can clearly see that movie playing in there.

On more than one occasion, I've been stopped at a light on Milton Avenue adjacent to a vehicle playing a video (usually a cartoon, go figure) on a drop-down screen. By the time the light turns and traffic starts moving, I am paying more attention to the movie than to the car directly in front of me.

Auto designers were careful enough to position the screen behind the driver so that he/she would never be tempted to watch, but everyone else on the road can see that screen. How is that safe?

I can't help but think that if I'm watching a movie playing in another vehicle, and I get into an accident, that's pretty much gonna be my fault. But, if such a thing is distracting enough drivers, shouldn't some change be made before a tragedy happens?

Again, I don't have a personal "thing" against the DVD players in vans, but considering how some items are scrutinized for driver/highway safety, how come this one hasn't hit anyone's radar?

Have you ever been distracted by an in-car movie in another vehicle? Do you think it's a widespread safety issue, or is it my own responsibility to keep my mind on the road more than on the Disney princess in the next car?