Real Talk: Texting While Driving

Real Talk, texting while driving is a dangerous situation. People know the consequences of texting while operating an automobile. However, no one seems to take it seriously.
I myself was guilty of texting while driving at one point. When driving with my younger sister in the car one day, I attempted to text. She made a comment that I shouldn’t text while driving because someone could get hurt. I put my phone away while she was in the car but, I continued to check my text messages, tweets, and facebook while driving a lone. One day while on my way to work, I was too busy looking at my phone when I drove out in front of a car at an intersection. I was not paying attention to all of the lanes on the high-way. I normally look both ways twice before crossing an intersection or turning onto a road. That day, I didn’t look twice. Instead I looked once at the road and then at my phone as I drove into oncoming traffic.
When finally looking up and looking to my left, I remember seeing a gray car coming at me holding their brakes. However, the car swerved into another lane just missing me as I quickly drove across into the medium. My nerves were shook as I sat in the medium for a couple of minutes when I realized the car who almost hit me was pulled over to the side of the road. I was afraid and attempted to get out my car to ask the other driver if she and everyone in her car were okay. However, the driver looked at me with a devastating angry look and drove off. It was luck and God that no one got hurt. After that day I make great effort to not respond to any texts or social network notifications while driving.

Many people have lost their lives because of distractions on the highway. I refuse to be the cause of someone losing their life or a loved one; I don’t want someone who was too busy texting and driving to be the reason for anyone’s death. I am taking an action to not text while driving; I believe everyone needs to do the same.

Interesting Facts:

· Texting and driving has been the cause of numerous automobile accidents that claimed 16,141 lives between the years of 2001-2007 (Chester).

· There are currently 30 states and the District of Columbia that has banned cell phones while driving.

· “81 percent of the United States population admits to resorting to texting while driving a vehicle, in spite of being well versed with the various dangers of texting while driving” (Buzzle.com).

· Approximately 28 percent of all crashes in 2008 were caused by drivers ages 18 to 29, who admitted to texting while driving according to Bob Kellar, author of, “Whatever You Do, Don’t Text and Drive.”

· Driving statistics compiled in 2010 by the Pew Research Center revealed that 47 percent of adults admitted to texting while driving, compared to 34 percent of teenagers (Kellar).

· In 2009 an Illinois state trooper killed two teenage girls while going at an estimated speed of 126mph while texting. Not only was this state trooper speeding and texting, but he had also sent an email out a couple of minutes before the accident.

With increasing texting and driving death rates, concerned citizens wonder how this situation can be kept under control. In addition to some states implementing laws on texting while driving, campaigns have been developed to encourage the non use of cell phones while driving. Oprah Winfrey promotes “No Phone Zone” and AT&T has collaborated with different companies to promote no texting and driving.

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Interesting Websites

Study: Texting while driving responsible for 16,000 deaths in 6 years

The Dangers of Texting While Driving

No Phone Zone

Texting While Driving?

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