It's Official: You Can't Text While You Drive!

Posted by Erin

Many of us have done it, many of us still do it, and many of us will keep on doing it even though there are now laws against it. But this vice may actually end up killing someone and believe me, you don't want that on your conscience, let alone your criminal record. I'm talking about texting while driving.

Drivers who send text messages while at the wheel are 23 times more likely to get into an accident, a new report concludes. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institiute installed video cameras in the cabs of long-haul trucks and observed them for 18 months. They found that just prior to collisions or near-collisions, the truckers typicallty spent five seconds or more looking at their texting devices instead of at the road. Yikes! Truckers texting while driving? First I was fearful of your random drunk driver on the road, now I have to be concerned about EVERYONE on the road including truckers? And what happens when all of our kids grow up?

They don't have to grow up, it's already happening. Kids who are as young as 14-years-old are trying to educate other teens about the dangers of doing it. Why? Because they've already killed people. Please take this opportunity to share this information with your teenager so they don't make the same mistake. Still not quite sure, read through the thousands of news reports about deaths while text messaging here.

One of my best friends is afraid to eat in the car for fear she might choke and then die in an accident, but she has no problem texting constantly while she's racing around at 65 miles per hour. I tell her it's illegal and dangerous but somehow it doesn't matter to her, whatever's on her little phone is suddenly more important than her life and the lives of those around her. Listen up people, you can't do it any longer. Period. There are now bumper stickers that say "Don't Text While Driving," c'mon get a clue. For a list of Countries and U.S. States that ban cell phones and text messaging while driving, click here. And please, take a break from all that instant communication and keep your eyes on the road.
CIL,
Erin