Here are some safety tips when driving a car: maintain a safe following distance, always use your turn signals, and oh, don't drive blindfolded.
Two of these things are explicitly listed on the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) Driving Etiquette & Safety Tips website. The third is technically not listed alongside the "things you should try to avoid while operating a vehicle" such as talking on hand-held devices, texting, eating, reaching for items, applying makeup, shaving, operating music devices. Keep in mind, though, that this list is far from exhaustive. After all, the list also does not include things such as cooking dinner, taking a nap, going to the bathroom, and playing the clarinet. Therefore, not driving while blindfolded is kind of implied.
Nonetheless, here is what Utah police found after a 17-year-old apparently decided to do the "Blind Box Challenge," and drive while blindfolded in Layton, Utah:
Bird Box Challenge while driving...predictable result. This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries. pic.twitter.com/4DvYzrmDA2
— Layton Police (@laytonpolice) January 11, 2019
Note that it is called the "Bird Box Challenge" and not the "Bird Brain Challenge." But once the "Bird Box Challenge" began spreading, it seemed like only a matter of time before something like this would occur. As I described earlier for Forbes, the "Bird Box Challenge" is about wearing a blindfold while trying to perform various daily tasks. This emerged from the Netflix movie Bird Box in which the characters had to travel through treacherous terrain while blindfolded, searching for their destination while trying evade creatures and low ratings. Of course, these were paid actors, doing something called acting. So, they weren't really traveling that far and doing all those things while blindfolded and unattended. You don't even know if their blindfolds were really blindfolds. Plus, did I mention that they were paid to do this?
On the other hand, driving while blindfolded may make you and others pay in many different ways. Although this report from Carter Williams for KSL.com suggests that no one was badly injured, including the 16-year-old passenger, in the Layton, Utah, crash, things could have easily been much worse.
Doing social media challenges while driving takes risk to another level. Certainly, shoving Tide Pods into your mouth, falling down steps while blindfolded, and performing other potentially dangerous acts is a great way to put yourself at risk and show everyone else just how smart you are. But doing any such things while driving essentially gives you a weapon to harm many others. The car essentially is a stupidity amplifier and transmitter. All of this just so that you can create a video of yourself and get others' approval?
Come on folks. If you are going to drive, just drive. Don't text, don't play games, don't drink alcohol, and, for Pete's and everyone else's sake, keep your eyes on the road. That means not having a blindfold in between.
