Do you own a phone? If so, look at the last text message you received or sent. Is that text really worth it to lose your life over or that of another’s? According to an article by sociology Professor David Hanson at the State University of New York, texting while driving is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Additionally, he reports that the 4.6 seconds you take to look at a text message, if you’re traveling at 55mph, equals the driving length of a football field blindfolded. People don’t understand the consequences of texting and driving. It is extremely dangerous and if people weren’t aware of the problem, it wouldn’t be a highlighted topic in today’s world.
The accidents that could be the outcome of your decision to text and drive could not only kill yourself or others, but creates a lifelong suffering process for the family and friends that lost that loved one. It is estimated that there are more than 3,000 annual teen deaths nationwide and 300,000 injuries occur from texting while driving.
There are many ways to prevent accidents caused by cell phones, such as not putting yourself in a situation where you’re expected to text back. If you know you’re going to be driving a car soon, stop texting and explain you’ll text back once you get to your destination. If you do receive a text while behind the wheel, either pull off to the side of the road or wait to reply. No text message is worth your life or others.
I surveyed a group of people ranging from my coworkers and boss to family and friends asking the same question, “What’s your main reason for texting and driving?” The main reason was because they can. You can do just about anything in this world and manage to text while doing it. Everyone seems to think that they are good at multi-tasking, and driving is no exception. No one person is good at texting and driving, and it may seem easy, but that five seconds with your eyes off the road is not worth it.
Since texting and driving has become part of the nation’s state laws, the government should put into effect that each of the major cell phone company’s today should allow this app to be available to every cell phone because it would cut down on a lot of automobile accidents and deaths that occur because of texting and driving. Now, that you know the harm that texting while driving can do to any individual, as well as yourself, the next time you pick up your phone while operating a vehicle, think to yourself, is it rly worth it?
-Whitney Morrell, 24, lives West Branch, MI. She works as a C.N.A at a retirement home full time and is a student at Delta College working towards her associate degree in Arts, in the winter she plants to transfer to SVSU for Social Work.