“Hey, wat r u up to?”
“Not 2 much. Just drivin around.”
Your driver’s education instructor probably gave you a safety checklist for getting behind the wheel: buckle your seatbelt, check your mirrors and turn on your blinker.
Then, you were given the speech about all the things not to do before or during driving: eat a cheeseburger, put on your makeup, call your mom, and, the big one, drink.
But a new threat is accompanying you in the driver’s seat.
Texting.
Talking on your cell phone while driving seems to be a pretty harmless and common activity, but once you begin texting, the stakes rise.
According to an article in The New York Times, the chances of getting in an accident are 23 times greater when texting than when not.
Twenty-three times greater.
If you still think texting while driving is worth it, go to YouTube, search for “texting and driving commercial 2010” and click on the first video.
Be warned.
The content is extremely graphic and realistic. It does not sugarcoat the dangers of texting and driving. Nor does it dance around the issue of how it can affect fellow drivers on the road around you.
The video may seem outlandish, but it was banned in the United States. The reason could be the blood and gore, but it could also be that Americans don’t want to see the consequences of texting and driving.
If neither of these examples are enough to convince you, then talk to Emily Slusser’s parents. Emily was a sweet, smiling girl from my hometown who will forever be 17.
She was ejected from her vehicle after missing a curve on a dark, country road on her way home from work.
She was texting, and she died, only days before turning 18 and graduating high school.
These statistics, videos and stories aren’t meant to scare you into listening. They are simply examples and proof of how dangerous texting and driving is to you and others on the road.
The next time you get behind the wheel of your car, turn your phone volume down and leave it in the seat next to you.
Challenge yourself to resist that catchy ringtone and wait until you get to your destination to respond. Ignoring a simple text for a few minutes could change your life or the person’s next to you.