Have you ever sent a text message on your phone while your car was moving? 42% of American drivers say they have… and those are only the ones who admit it.
I’m not suggesting it’s any worse than turning to feel the car floor behind your seat for your baby’s “binky” while they scream hysterically in their car seat. I’ve been there.
As much as possible we need to minimize all distractions while we drive. No reasonable person (over 18) believes that texting and driving isn’t risky behavior. And yet we still do it.
What’s so important? Think about the last few texts you sent from the car. What were they about? Were they urgent. How urgent? Would anyone have died if you’d not sent them?
Because every day people die because someone couldn’t wait to send that text. They think it can’t happen to them. But it can… and it did. Please join me in saying, “It can wait!”
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Yes, Michael, it can wait! I have sent a text while my car was moving, and it was most certainly a risk. However, I no longer send a text while my car is moving, because the risk is not worth any of the possible consequences!
The same goes to plugging in my phone to listen to music, or talking on the phone (even with hands free devices), because they all distract, and are not important enough to risk my life, my kids’ lives, or anyone else’s life!
Reposting, for sure! Thanks.
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Thank you, Mary Kathryn! I’m sure most people have done it. And as you say there are other distractions best avoided as well. I remember weaving as I tried to find and insert a cassette tape. Remember those? I won’t ask about 8-tracks. 😉
This is why I am so thankful that I drive a manual. I can’t do anything but concentrate on driving when I am shifting the gears myself. I have always driven a manual and our girls will be driving manuals as well. With an automatic I feel like I can do ANYTHING! Change clothes, read, write, makeup, eat, change drivers, I may or may not have done those things. Then when I am trying to just drive, I completely zone out. So I will always want a manual transmission simply for my own safety, plus they are just more fun!
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Interesting, Timmi. Hadn’t thought about how a manual might effect things. I had a manual for quite a while, but texting was not a thing at the time. But just talking on a cellphone was extra challenging. Not that I didn’t do it back then. Now I rarely even talk, and never txt. Thanks so much for dropping by!
It can wait people!
Won’t Start Texting is my short anti-texting&driving music video PSA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVyeBSmA6BA
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Thanks for sharing that, Marsh. Anything that can get people thinking about it will help.
I had a stroke several years ago, and was fortunately able to resume full time work within eight months. It was a few more months before I was OK’d to drive again, but I was unable to operate a “smart phone” with just one hand. Texting was not even a consideration. My daily work drives varied from five to forty-five minutes, and being on call 24/7, I was frequently receiving calls while driving. My solution was to simply pull off the road if it was safe to do so, and take the call. If not, I would not answer the call initially, then return the call ASAP when I reached an appropriate area to safely get off the roadway. The staff was advised of this course of response, and it worked well.