This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I feel as though texting while driving is equivalent to drinking while driving. We enter a trance, completed distracted by our surroundings and only attentive to what is on that screen. The cell phone is our dark passenger, and we oftentimes give into its powers. Try as we might, there is simply no way to give one's full attention to the road while texting. I know this from experience.
Although I am not proud of it, I think it's important to relay this information as a precaution to all those who have/are texting while driving. Last year, I made the mistake of texting while driving, while on an icy highway. A friend asked what time I was getting into town, and rather than calling or simply waiting to pull off at the next exit, I decided I could text her back quickly without losing focus on the road. I can't remember much of what happened next, but I do remember looking up the next moment, realizing I had lost control of the wheel, swerving into the concrete median, and spinning around in multiple 360's until I finally skidded to a halt facing oncoming traffic. The airbags popped and I felt the burn of the plastic on my chin. Disoriented and panicked, I remember flicking on my flashers and desperately hoping that I had not caused any damage to anyone. It all happened so fast: I couldn't remember if I had come into contact with another car. Luckily, a truck pulled in front of the stopped cars, blocking the flow of traffic so as to prevent anyone from hitting me. It was all a blur, but after realizing what had just happened, I was immediately overcome with shame. Fortunately, no one was hurt and although my car was completely damaged, I still feel as though that moment in my life was one I will regret the most. If anything had happened, I could have completely changed the lives of innocent people, for the worse. This article iterates a similar scenario.
The most frightening aspect of these stories is that they can literally happen to anyone. You don't even need to be texting while driving to be severely injured or possibly killed by such an accident. All it takes is a cell phone and a lapse in judgment on the drivers part. And it happens frequently. Anyone with a cell phone is potentially an unsafe driver. Although texting while driving is banned in Michigan, it still does not prevent drivers from using their cell phones. We have advanced digital communication, but with it, we must also face the repercussions. So please, stay safe, don't text and drive, and don't let other do so as well.
Sheena,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this post and for your honesty in it. We're constantly being bombarded with images, commercials, and billboards saying that texting while driving is dangerous. And, although we may agree, sometimes it's not until we hear of someone we know experiencing the dangers of texting while driving that we really listen. So, thanks for being honest with us about your experiences!
Texting while driving has become such a discussed issue, that it actually has its own Wikipedia entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texting_while_driving
It says: Texting while driving is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the internet on a mobile device, while operating a motor vehicle such as an automobile, truck or train. The practice has been viewed by many people and authorities as dangerous.
I once read an interesting article about texting and driving for another class and was startled to learn that looking at your phone while driving is considered the same as driving nearly an entire football field without looking at the road. Additionally, people's reaction times when driving and texting are sometimes worse than their reaction times when drinking and driving.
What can we do as a society to lessen the amount of texting while driving that is going on around us? Law makers have tried to take a stand against cell phone usage while driving, but do we really listen?
Sheena,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I think texting while driving is equivalent to drinking and driving. Both cause the driver to be distracted, zoned out, and incapable of focusing on the road. What we discussed in the reading "Alone Together" and in our class discussions directly relate to your post. The fact that people, especially teenagers and young adults, feel this constant yearn for connectivity poses a danger and a threat to their lives if they are not "connecting" responsibly.
http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html what I just attached was a link to Oprah Winfrey's "No Phone Zone" pledge where those who sign state "I pledge to make my car a No Phone Zone. Beginning right now, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by committing to drive as responsibly as I can: etc..." As of now, only 421,786 people have signed this pledge and I don't think that is enough. People have to understand how dangerous it is to text and drive or use a cell phone at all when driving. If someone needs to use his or her phone for something important, he or she should make sure it is put in a secure location, or that it is handsfree. If it is not accessible in either of these ways, it should not be used at all.