Goddess Magazine Stories/Articles

Texting Behind the Wheel (April, 2012)

Imagine this. Flashing lights from police cars and fire and rescue rigs in the distance. Bloodied mangled metal and broken glass scattered on the black pavement. A body lying lifeless in the road. These horrifying scenes of another fatal car crash. The culprit – a cell phone.

Text messaging is another invention of modern technology and communication. Instead of calling, you can just type in a sequence of words and the recipient has a message in literally seconds. But, something so easy about this form of communication can turn into a fatal vice, especially when pairing it as you are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Texting and driving is getting as bad as drinking and driving or smoking while you drive. Your eyes are not focused on the road, you have one hand on the wheel, the other on your phone, reading a message from the sender. This distraction quadruples your risk of an accident. Soon enough, this epidemic will surpass the amount of accidents caused from drinking and driving.

There are three types of distractions while operating a motor vehicle. They are:

Visual - taking your eyes off the road;

Manual - taking your hands off the wheel; and

Cognitive—taking your mind off what you are doing.

In order to properly operate your vehicle and prevent an accident, all the above factors, visual, manual and cognitive, must be made first and foremost, and the distractions of smoking, looking at maps, searching in the glove box, eating, fooling around, talking, texting, etc. must be extinguished. Though texting and driving is on the rise amongst teens and young adults, from the ages of around seventeen to twenty, even adults are guilty from time to time. Statistically, roughly sixty percent of people admitted they use their phones while driving. Some of us can't even talk or text and walk at the same time without tripping over our own feet. Throw driving into that equation and you get a formula for disaster. Texting reduces reaction time by thirty-five percent, and the multitasking capability of texting and steering decreases by ninety-one percent, not to mention that a driver is twenty times more likely to cause a car accident. 2,600 traffic deaths are as a result to cell phone use, whereas 500,000 accidents with minor to severe injuries also occur. About half of the American population feels that punishment for cell phone use behind the wheel should be as severe as the punishment given to those who drink and drive. Several states have already put bans to texting and speaking on cell phones while mobile, but it seems it still isn't enough. If caught texting and driving, it is considered a reckless driving offense and can lead to a fine up to $500 and up to ninety days in jail. Ask yourself, is sending that message really worth the time in the slammer or, even worse, in a hospital or morgue? I'm sure while you are reading this you are shaking your head and the answer is a big NO! If you still aren't convinced, please continue reading. Put yourself in the sBehituation.

Overall, driving isn't easy as it seems with all the other diversions on the road, such as pedestrians walking and on bicycles, animals and other cars and motorcycles. You have to be a responsible driver and constantly have your eyes open and your mind clear to arrive to your destination safely. Create a safer road for other drivers, pedestrians, passengers and yourself. If it is necessary to text (or make a call, for that matter), then pull over and stop the vehicle. Even better yet, hide your phone in the car's console or glove box, or turn your volume off so you will not be tempted to be distracted by it. There are even several text speaking phone applications available in your iPhone or Smartphone's market that will recite your text messages and you can even reply by speaking back. If you have passengers in your car, you can even ask one of them to send a message or answer a call. Nothing is that important that you can hurt or kill yourself or other because you responded a text/call. Put the phone down and give the road your undivided attention; you already may be saving a life!

For more general information and about the consequences of texting and driving, please visit www.stoptextsstopwrecks.org or www.distraction.gov, or drop by your local Division of Motor Vehicle office or police department to talk to an official or get a brochure.