Celebrities Amanda Bynes and Lisa Lampanelli both made headlines over the past couple days with reports surfacing they’d each been guilty of distracted driving. While Celebrity Apprentice and frequent Comedy Central roast participant Lisa Lampanelli was quick to joke about her offense with In Touch Weekly, Amanda Bynes’ incident seems far more serious.
Bynes, the star of the sub-Ladybugs gender bending comedy She’s the Man, ran her car up on a sidewalk while driving from one bar to another. There’s no evidence whether she was engaging in drunk driving, but the following picture has been making the rounds online that shows Bynes with her face buried in her phone while behind the wheel.
Photo courtesy of Pacific Coast
Although online reactions to Bynes’ irresponsible driving have been sufficiently harsh, her behavior is still sending a bad message to a large group of young drivers who frequently engage in texting and driving.
In contrast, the incident involving Lampanelli seemed to be distracted driving of a more socially acceptable variety. Because the celebrity was distracted by a large McFlurry instead of a cell phone, the fact that she was swerving enough to be pulled over hasn’t generated near the same amount of attention. To her credit, it doesn’t seem like Lampanelli was making light of the incident, only that she found the fact she was distracted by an ice cream dessert to make for an amusing anecdote.
Either way, these events should serve as a reminder to everyone that distracted driving comes in numerous forms, both obvious and subtle. And, no matter how moderately famous someone is, they should still keep their eyes on the road.
Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Andy is a highly recognized wrongful death lawyer in California.