Texting while Driving

[Pamela]

I was watching the news last night and there was a story about how the majority of teens admit to texting while driving. 😯 I guess I’m naive but I can’t even imagine texting while driving – but then I don’t text much. I do know several people who were involved in car accidents (usually they were rear ended) by teens talking on cell phones. I just can’t imagine how people could be so stupid. I realize that may sound harsh but…

Nineteen years ago my uncle (mom’s brother) and aunt were riding their motorcycle on a quiet country road when they were hit head on by a teenage driver who had just gotten his license. Weather was not a factor. There was no drugs or alcohol involved. Something just fell off the seat and he was distracted for a few precious seconds (he leaned over to grab whatever it was) and veered into their lane. My uncle never made it to the hospital. My aunt died at the hospital shortly before her daughter got there. They had 3 kids who were orphaned due to a stupid accident.

I have been to more funerals then I care to think about but that is the only double funeral I have ever been to. It was one of the most horrible days of my life. Two mothers buried children that day. Three kids buried their parents. Several brothers and sisters buried their siblings. The life of the driver was destroyed – he was on a suicide watch for a long time and eventually developed drug and alcohol problems. All because he was distracted for a few moments. He didn’t plan it – it just happened.

So if you know anyone who texts while driving or if you text please don’t. There is nothing (short of texting 911 that there is a guy with a weapon in your back seat) that is worth taking your attention off the road to text. It can wait. And if it can’t pull over and text. Or use a hands free cell and call. But is it really worth killing someone’s mom or dad or child just to send a text right now?

Sorry – the story just really upset me. I think because the anniversary of their deaths was a few days ago.

[Pamela]

[Starbreeze]

I agree with you 100%. I don’t even like to talk on my cell phone when I’m driving. It divides your attention. I’m shocked at how many drivers I see with a phone glued to their ear!!! 😯

[Bob]

I can’t even get a phone number dialed some times while driving

[Travistie]

I can’t talk on a cell phone while driving either. I leave it off. It’s important to have all focus on driving safely.

[Starbreeze]

I drive a stick, so it’s really impossible to use the cell phone most of the time. I haven’t figured out how to hang onto the steering wheel, shift gears and hold the cell phone all at the same time. 😆

[Necron99]

my mother does that texting and driving crap. she did it once while i was in the car, so i took it from her and tossed it in the glove box

[Travistie]

Necron99 wrote:

my mother does that texting and driving crap. she did it once while i was in the car, so i took it from her and tossed it in the glove box

😆 Good thing you’re old enough to get away with that!

[Starbreeze]

😆 😆 😆

[Necron99]

travistie wrote:

Necron99 wrote:

my mother does that texting and driving crap. she did it once while i was in the car, so i took it from her and tossed it in the glove box

😆 Good thing you’re old enough to get away with that!

she’s lucky i didnt toss it out the window 8)

[Kujacker]

I agree. You hear of a lot more accidents caused from people texting now-a-days.
Some people don’t even have to look at their phone while texting… but even that has got to distract you somehow!

[keschete]

starbreeze wrote:

I drive a stick, so it’s really impossible to use the cell phone most of the time. I haven’t figured out how to hang onto the steering wheel, shift gears and hold the cell phone all at the same time. 😆

Amen! My cars are all 6 speeds and I think it makes you pay attention when you are having to shift.

I rarely use a cell while driving, because I have to concentrate on driving.

Maybe we should go back to driving standard tranny cars and people and teens would actually have to “work at driving”

It isn’t just cells, texting…but also make up application, eating, yelling at the kids, and all sorts of things.

I road and drag race and the best thing you can do for your teen driver, is to send them to a defensive driving or performance driving school. I can tell you, my experience with this has made me accident free for over 7 years (knock on wood).

Here is the link to Skip Barber, but there are many others and you can email me at eschete344@bellsouth.net if you have a teenager and want recommendations on schools. I have done a Skip Barber school and a Viper Days school. They teach you how to control your car and you learn what it is like to loose control. I spun my brand new Dodge Viper into the mud. It really opened my eyes and made me a better driver. You can also get a discount on your auto insurance if you participate in these schools.

Check this out: http://www.skipbarber.com/driving_school/mazda/new_driver.aspx

[Patricia]

I’m in agreement. I can’t stand people having doing that while driving. I use a bluetooth headset myself so my hands are free. I hate it when people have something in their hands when driving it means they don’t have total control of the vehicle. I can’t tell you how many near misses I’ve seen due to this type of reckless behavior while driving. 😡

While hiding somewhere in my head I'm on the lookout for white oriental dragons! Please let me know if you know of any available. Thank you!

[Kristen]

I did driving school… they almost banned me from driving at night (I’m almost completely nightblind – almost got the car into an accident 😕 ). My insurance is still stupidly high, just because I am under 25, driver school or no, it’s the same. Why fault me for the crap other people have done? I’ve been accident free since I got behind a wheel, I’m a good driver, better then some of the 40 year olds I see, but I get charged because other people my age are buttheads. Ok, I’ll stop now. 🙄

Texting and driving???? Yuck. If I even GET a text I wait until I can pull over before reading it. Cellphones, I usually turn them off, or pull over if I can. If it’s in my purse I ignore it completely.

Been in an accident once, and I don’t think I’ll ever let my roommate drive me anywhere again. 🙄

Even the hands free sets are bad, I find. Because talking to a person sitting next to you, they can react to what’s going on. But the person on the phone won’t, because they aren’t there, so something that a passenger would have spotted, the person on the phone won’t. It’s just another distraction. But they are BETTER then an actual cell phone, I admit.

[Skigod377]

Guilty here. I do it. I understand how you feel and I know its wrong. I will even try to stop though I must say I have never had an accident (yet) or even come close. Some of the same folks who complain about this are the same ones who fail to use turn signals, speed, cut people off, or stop traffic to conduct their own personal buisness… among amny other irritating and unsafe things. One persons pet peeve is anothers habit.

[Author]

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