Driving and Texting: It Can Wait
It is Time to Get Involved
Do you own a smart phone? Do you drive a car or truck? Do you have a teen living at your home? If you answered “yes” to least two of the three questions, then this article is for you.
Everyone knows that texting and driving don’t mix. The research is clear, the evidence profound. But everyone believes it is the other person that is dangerous, not themselves. Everyone is wrong; anyone, and everyone, who texts while driving is a danger and a risk to all of us. If you text and drive, it is 23 times more likely you will be in a crash. If you have a teenager living at home who is driving and sends a text message, the risk is even greater. For drivers ages 15-19 involved in fatal crashes, 21 percent of the distracted drivers were distracted by the use of cell phones. [2] It is a problem and it is growing. The state of Washington just released its first study examining drivers use of electronic devices and found that nearly 45% of the distracted drivers were texting.
There is an easy cure to this epidemic—put the phone down and drive. Yet, as this contagion continues to spread, there is more that can, and must, be done. It is no longer enough that we put the phone down and drive; it is crucial that we speak up and share the message—with our family, our friends, and our community. It is time for parents to be great role models and not text while driving with children in the car—or ever while driving. It is time for parents to talk with their teens about the dangers of texting and driving, and taking charge of what is and is not allowed while driving. It is time for teens to speak up and share the message with their friends, and their parents. Read the full article >>
Put the Phone Down and Drive
Texting While Driving Now Leading Cause of Death for Teen Drivers
- Texting While Driving Likely Caused Fatality Of Jenison Student, Police Say
- Toddler Killed And Mother Injured By California Teen Texting While Driving
- Texas Couple Says Texting And Driving Led To Daughter’s Death
We see one headline after another, and we read about the death of someone’s son or daughter, or of someone’s mother or father, because someone was texting while driving. We hear the stories, we see the images, we know the dangers, and yet it still continues. Distracted driving comes in many forms, but making a call on a cell or texting while driving are the two high profile activities in distracted driving discussions. According to Distraction.gov, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website on distracted driving, 3,331 people were killed because of it in 2011. That total is higher than those killed in 2010, even while overall traffic fatalities decreased in 2011. More and more people are dying because of distracted driving. Read the full article >>
Traffic Safety Guy 