For those who say “I know how to drive and I’m just going to the store” when texting or making cell calls behind the wheel, how would you feel about an airline pilot doing the same? In effect that’s what happened last week when an Airbus overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles.

Delta Airlines says its pilots failed in their duty because they were distracted by using personal laptops in the cockpit — which is against the rules. Engrossed in their electronic devices, they disregarded calls from air traffic control, leading to 78 minutes of radio silence and an unauthorized trip to nowhere via auto pilot.

A flight attendant, at least, wasn’t distracted by a laptop or cell phone, and contacted the pilots just before their scheduled landing to ask what was going on. That’s when the out-to-lunch crew realized they’d overshot their landing by 150 miles, and finally resumed radio contact.

All this confirms what countless studies have shown: distracted driving while using communications devices such as a cell phone, Blackberry or laptop is dangerous and deadly. Such distracted drivers, in fact, statistically are as threatening as drunk drivers. And when instead they’re plane pilots with passenger safety in their hands, they’re even more risky, as the crew for Northwest — which just merged with Delta — showed so vividly. (For now, the two men have been suspended.)

Fortunately, no one was hurt, though it got to the point of NORAD scrambling fighter jets to intercept the wayward airliner out of terrorist concerns. (They were called back with an “all clear” just before taking off.) But next time, a plane full of passengers might not be so lucky.

That’s why a “next time” should be ruled out — both in the air and on the ground. Thousands of Americans have died on our roads and highways due to distracted drivers who figured it was more important to make cell calls or to text than to keep their eyes — and mind — on the road. And for distracted drivers who haven’t yet caused such a tragedy, keep those Northwest pilots in mind, along with the sobering thought that a “next time” could be your last time.

Jim S. Adler & Associates supports safe driving campaigns and urges everyone to hang up and drive.

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