As one more step in efforts to save lives and cut down on serious injuries, state police will be cracking down on drivers who don’t buckle up. It’s part of an overall move to monitor the practices that statistics show lead to highway deaths on our roadways.

Seat belts work; and while police at the state, county and local level strive to encourage more folks to buckle up, they’re on the lookout for a number of other driver practices which contribute to an increase in accidents.

Cell phones are now becoming a common fixture in most vehicles, either plugged into an outlet, tucked away in a woman’s pocketbook,  affixed to a man’s belt or in a pocket.  

While cell phones pose a danger if used improperly, they can be life-savers. There are distinct advantages to being able to reach someone immediately. Parents of teens find them a mixed blessing, and while they complain about them on the one hand, it’s still comforting to be able to reach their son or daughter if necessary.

The latest craze that poses a much greater threat to driver safety is texting. Rather than talk via phone, exchanging typed messages is the preferred means of communication, not only by young people, but adults as well.

The dangers of trying to operate a vehicle and text a message at the same time should be self-explanatory and thus rarely practiced, but unfortunately that’s not the case. We’re constantly being reminded of what can happen when a motor vehicle operator tries to concentrate on the road and text at the same time. Someone loses: the driver, an innocent passenger or those in an oncoming car.

What we also see as a safety concern is the number of well-intentioned pet owners who allow their dogs to literally sit in their laps while they’re driving. Dogs often stick their head out the window on the driver’s side, sometimes hindering not only the driver’s ability to maneuver, but also blocking his or her vision.

We watched just this week as a gentleman appeared to have a hard time turning a corner, and when he’d made the turn, we saw why: He had a dog in his lap. He only had one free hand to use on the steering wheel.

Many pet owners like to travel with their canine companion, but there’s plenty of room in the average car or truck for a dog other than in the driver’s lap. We don’t know if police officers ever stop any of these drivers when they observe an animal in a driver's lap, but it wouldn’t hurt on occasion to remind them how dangerous it can be.

There’s no doubt about it: monitoring our highways to help keep motorists alive and safe is a real challenge these days.