Stop Driving Distracted

My biggest pet peeve is people who use their cellular phones while driving (texting and/or talking). It is a complete distraction that not only endangers the person doing the deed, but also everyone around them. I cannot tell you how many times I see someone swerve or take two lanes on a major highway and sure enough, when I drive by they are looking down at their phone texting or dialing. This is out of control and needs to stop!

Listen, no text or call is that important. What blows my mind is when I drive past the person committing the texting or talking sin and they have children in their car! Seriously, is your child’s life worth it? Take a moment and think about the consequences; could you live with yourself if you caused an avoidable accident and lost your precious family or took away someone else’s?

Below are 2009 statistics from Nationwide:

  • Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (University of Utah)
  • The No.1 source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Virginia Tech/NHTSA)
  • Drivers that use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
  • 10 percent of drivers aged 16 to 24 years old are on their phone at any one time.
  • Driving while distracted is a factor in 25 percent of police reported crashes.
  • Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent (Carnegie Mellon)

Use some common sense and set a good example for your kids! Also, don’t be afraid to speak up and tell the person behind the wheel to STOP IT or let you out (been there, done that).

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