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Ben Lieberman is a Chappaqua dad like so many others in so many ways. But, he is unlike most in one heartbreakingly distinctive way–he had to bury one of his children.

Seven years ago, the Lieberman family’s lives were forever changed by that phone call we all know as “a parent’s worst nightmare.” Their eldest, 19-year-old college freshman Evan, was being airlifted to the Level 1 regional trauma center of Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in critical condition due to injuries sustained in an automobile crash. Evan had been a passenger–a sleeping, rear-seat, belt-buckled passenger in an early morning car pool commute to a summer job.

The Liebermans immediately rushed to WMC, took up bedside vigil and never left Evan’s side. They slept on air mattresses in the hospital waiting room, and prayed and willed their son to beat the 10% first night survival odds doctors gave him. And Evan responded, fighting long and hard for his life for a solid month. Ultimately, however, he lost his battle, and the Liebermans lost their son and brother.

What do you do when you lose a child? Even in theory, it’s a question that is hard to think about; parents aren’t supposed to bury children, it just doesn’t make sense. Eventually, through a civil suit, the Liebermans gained access to the driver’s cell phone records, and determined that the driver had been texting during the drive and near the collision, Lieberman relayed. The crash happened in a dead cell zone, Lieberman also noted, so it couldn’t be determined either way what the driver’s exact activity was when his car crossed the double yellow line.

Ever since, and to honor Evan’s memory, the Liebermans have dedicated themselves to the dual causes of finding solutions for distracted driving and raising money for Westchester Medical Center.

Educating the Public About Distracted Driving

Combatting distracted driving has been a long, steady push to draw attention to the fact that distracted driving is as big an issue–if not bigger–than drunk driving.

Lieberman partnered with New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein and Police Chief Charles Ferry to create the “Hands Off the Phone and On the Wheel” initiative. Signs, banners and freely distributed magnets featuring the stopped hand logo (which also signifies the 5-point violation) are visible throughout town.

Lieberman also co-established Distracted Operators Risk Casualties, aka DORCS, –with the front passenger’s mother, Deborah Becker–to help spread the message far and wide that distracted driving causes terrible injuries and takes lives. And he began work with an Israeli phone forensic company, Cellebrite, to develop a device that would enable police to determine whether a driver’s cell phone was being used at the time of an accident. They called the device a Textalyzer for its similarity to the Breathalyzer.

To counter the arguments from various civil liberties groups, Cellebrite even figured out a way to make sure the device simply determines data usage without accessing personal information. In 90 seconds, the technology generates a report that details illegal typing and swiping but also differentiates legal voice activation and Bluetooth.

Pending Legislation for “Evan’s Law”

Lieberman, Greenstein and Ferry met with New York State Senator Terrence Murphy and Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz to introduce the device, and to discuss a bipartisan state bill that would make New York the first state to attempt a distracted driving policy solution.

Ortiz, who was instrumental in the 2001 legislation banning the use of handheld devices while driving, stated: “We did a good job in implementing hands-free law; unfortunately, at a crash, the law can’t be enforced without an eyewitness or unlikely confession.” The proposed Textalyzer bill, a solution aptly named “Evan’s Law,” would enable police to examine phones at an accident site using the Textalyzer.

Governor Cuomo directed his Traffic Safety Committee to study the Textalyzer and the bill is pending.

Meanwhile, interest continues to grow and spread nationally, and Lieberman, who testified in Chicago, California, Washington, D.C., was recently honored with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Lifesaver’s Award for Public Service at the 2018 Conference in San Antonio Texas.

When not travelling and working to make our roads a safer place for all, Lieberman, together with his wife Debbie, is involved with fundraising for Westchester Medical Center through their now-established non-profit “Evan’s Team.”

According to Lieberman, the fundraising started “almost by accident.” The Liebermans’ many friends all wanted to contribute something, to help in some way; many suggested various events and community gatherings that would keep Evan’s sports- and fun-loving spirit front and center while raising money in his memory. They started with mud-runs, poker nights, dodgeball games (one of Evan’s favorite activities). These events were a hit and filled a need.

And, says Lieberman, “ended up raising real money.” Thus, Evan’s Team was established; its first project, renovating the waiting area of WMC.

Evan’s Team Fundraising Efforts

The family felt fortunate that Evan received excellent medical care, but they found the waiting room areas and experience were lacking in basic necessities. “There was nowhere to sleep, shower, or get a nutritious meal. There was no privacy; doctors and families were discussing the most intimate details of life and care without the dignity of private space.” With the generous funds donated by Evan’s Team, WMC’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit is now able to offer families “The Evan Lieberman Friends and Family Lounge”–a comfortable and dignified space complete with consultation rooms, private sleeping spaces, locker rooms with showers and an always-stocked nutrition center.

Evan’s Team’s grass-roots outings have grown to become a well-sponsored and attended annual event. The local community continues to get involved, and friends who have since moved away return to reminisce and take part. It’s still “all about Evan and something he would have loved,” says Debbie. Golf, tennis, and, of course, Evan’s favorite dodgeball/funball make for a day of play, while the evening is capped by a dinner and much-anticipated car raffle. This year’s car is a 2018 blue Mercedes 4Matic, convertible with a sleek saddle interior. It’s a beauty!

Parked at the top of King Street, in front of Quaker Hill Tavern, the car stands as an invitation to buy a raffle ticket (only 1,000 are sold each year), to join Evan’s Team and support such a worthy cause and to remember that driving is a privilege that requires attention, concentration and respect for the road and other drivers. Money raised from the event will go to Evan’s Team’s latest project–funding Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Child Life and Creative Arts Therapies, dedicated to meeting the unique emotional, developmental and cultural needs of each child and family in their time of crisis.

To learn more about Evan’s Team including the upcoming outing event and car raffle, please visit: www.evansteamny.com

Bad Driving Habits In and Around Chappaqua

By Jordan Rosenthal

As a teen and a new driver, I catch a lot of flack for the driving habits of my peers. Sure, we are young and occasionally reckless, but do we really deserve all of this negative press? Have we not just completed hours upon hours of mandatory supervised driving, classroom time, and the most stressful seven minutes ever–the road test? Even if people say that all of that education fades quickly, we still have the upper hand on adults who are years out of the education system and simply pay homage to the DMV to finally replace that license photo from the age of big hair. So, who’s the real culprit?

The Role of Age

To my fellow teen drivers, recognize that if people are calling on us to be safer, more respectful drivers, there must be a reason. Sure, driving is exciting, exhilarating, and an opportunity to taste responsibility and freedom; our young age gives us a false sense of invincibility. But the statistics speak for themselves. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, per mile driven, drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers over 20 years old. Numbers like that should sicken parents and teens alike. Those statistics alone should be enough to encourage us to slow down, buckle up, and most importantly not look at that extra appendage we call a cell phone. Textinganddrivingsafety.com reports that drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to get into a car crash, and that’s at ANY age. Three out of every four teen drivers surveyed felt confident in their driving abilities while texting, yet they fail to acknowledge that false confidence is deadly, as car crashes are the number one cause of death among teens.*

But to that point, teens are not the only ones who use their smartphones at every possible moment. While we are, for the most part, more tech-savvy, adults distract themselves just as often as teens do to send a quick text. In fact, adults have many other distractions they have to manage. Teens don’t have to deal with rowdy children in the back seat fighting over the imaginary line in the middle that “she crossed again!” Furthermore, I have heard enough stories of spilled coffee, finishing makeup, and even shaving on the way to work to be quite sure adults find their own distractions. Parents are urged to be good examples, and are charged with the responsibility of coaching their teen drivers. I know not everyone–including adults–signals before pulling away from the curb in good Driver Education fashion.

We Are No Exception

Detective Daniel Corrado of the New Castle Police Department emphasized that while both adults and teens are guilty of distracted driving, the only inherent difference is that adults understand through experience the subtleties of driving as well as the dangers of being reckless. Teenage drivers need time to learn the difference between when they are in control of the car and when they are not, as well as how to drive in various conditions: if they took Driver Ed in the summer, for example, they have not driven on the slick fallen leaves of autumn. Also, very few people realize that five seconds looking down at a cell phone while driving 30 miles per hour means you have traveled 220 feet. That’s undoubtedly a low speed in the minds of most drivers, yet whatever occurs in that distance does not discriminate by age, gender, or supposed skill behind the wheel. Here in Chappaqua, the fight against bad driving has picked up momentum. Reports of numerous hit-and-runs have been heard, as well as witness accounts of people failing to parallel park correctly, a skill us teens are forced to perfect for the road test. The “Chappaqua Moms” Facebook group has been a hotbed of discussion and complaint about driving here in town. “I don’t think it’s about bad driving as much as it is about a self-centered attitude of entitlement and competitiveness and a general lack of consideration for our fellow drivers who may also have equally pressing needs to be wherever they want to go,” noted long time Chappaqua resident Penny Vane. “Our Smartphone technologies only serve to enhance and aggravate the risks and perceived rewards of driving self-absorbed and selfishly.”

Therein lies the answer to who is the culprit: any driver who takes his or her eyes off of the wheel at any time…so in other words, EVERYONE. It cannot be a matter of finger pointing or blame-giving. New drivers, accept responsibility; old drivers, you too! If you can resolve to do one less distracting task while driving, everyone around you will benefit and the roads will be exceedingly safer. Be smart, be savvy, know your habits, and realize we’re all in this one together.

Jordan Rosenthal is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, his favorite book was Tikki Tikki Tembo.

Editor’s Note: DORC (Distracted Operators Risk Casualties), a non profit organization started by the Liebermans of Chappaqua after their son Evan died two years ago following a terrible car accident (see Evan’s Legacy story on page 10 too) has also spurred a great deal of conversation locally and state wide about teenage texting and driving, in particular.  For more info, visit www.dorcs.org.