There is no such thing as texting while driving and doing it safely!
We all know that texting while driving is a serious risk. Multi-tasking while driving can cause serious accidents and even death. There’s no such thing as ‘safe texting and driving’. It is a leading cause of accidents and death in the US today.
And now texting while driving carries a different type of risk. It’s a primary offense in Virginia, effective July 1, 2013. That means law enforcement officers can pull you over if they see you texting or emailing while driving. Fines for the first offense are $150 and $250 for a second offense.
But is a $150 or $250 fine necessary to make us stop?
Who Texts and Drives?
In a recent report by NBC Washington, nearly 20% of adult drivers on I-95 confess to driving and texting according to AAA.
- Eight out of 10 traffic accidents in Virginia are related to distracted driving.
- Studies indicate that more than 50% of teens text while driving (and that is likely under-reported).
- 77% of young adults believe they are safe texting while driving.
- 55% of young adults claim that it is easy to text and drive!
(Above statistics from a study by Dr. Andrew Adesman, Chief Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cohen Children’s Medical Center.)
Texting while driving has now surpassed drinking and driving as the leading cause of death among teens, according to a new study. Adesman, the chief author of the study, found that laws against texting while driving are not effective:
- 57% of boys said they text while driving in states with texting laws
- 59% said they text while driving in states that don’t have texting laws
- And believe it or not, 1 in 5 drivers of all ages admit to surfing the internet while driving!
But we know that driving while texting or emailing is dangerous – so why does it take a law to make us stop?
Texting While Driving is Deadly
Kyle Rowley died alongside a Herndon road in 2011. New laws about texting and driving came too late to save him.
Rowley’s car had run out of gas and he was pushing his car to the shoulder when he was hit by a vehicle driven by Jason Gage, according to authorities. Gage’s cell phone showed nine text messages sent or received by Gage in the minutes leading up to the crash, police said. The text messages included a final text police think the driver checked right before Kyle was struck and the 911 call was placed.
- Distracted drivers took the lives of more than 3,000 people in 2010, according to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, which has an ongoing initiative related to the issue.
- Cell phone use was reported in 18 percent of all distraction-related fatalities, according to the NTHSA.
- An estimated 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
Texting and driving (or dialing a cell phone) for just 5 seconds while traveling 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field without raising your eyes to look at the road. Text messaging makes a crash up to 23 times more likely. Even reaching for a phone or device increases your risk by 1.4 times.
Walking and Texting is Also Dangerous?
Yes – that’s right!
Texting while walking is one of the most distracting things people do while walking. Nearly 1 in 3 pedestrians is distracted by a mobile device while crossing a busy street. The study concludes that distracting activity is common among pedestrians, even while crossing intersections. Technological and social distractions increase crossing times, with text messaging associated with the highest risk.
The authors of the recent distracted pedestrian study recommend studying intervention efforts to reduce the risk of pedestrian injury. They suggest an approach similar to the “don’t drink and drive” campaign. Texting and walking is that serious!
Stay Safe – Keeps Kids Safe
The best way to keep yourself, your kids, and others safe – is to turn off devices when driving or walking.
The site, textinganddrivingsafety.com, is dedicated to stopping drivers from texting while operating a motor vehicle. It includes great tools, resources, videos, and other information to help too. These are great resources for parents, and for use in teaching children and teens about the dangers of texting and phone use while driving.
It’s never too early to start teaching kids!
If you have teens or young adults who drive, or are about to reach driving age, consider the following:
- Get AT&T Drive Mode free anti-texting and driving mobile app for Android & Blackberry.
- Take the text-free-driving pledge.
- Set the best example by not texting and driving yourself – and don’t use your cell phone for calls when driving either.
- Review anti-texting information and resources on Facebook like @NHTSAgov, @DriveSafely, @DistractionGov.
Yes – we know that texting and cell phone use are dangerous while driving. And we know we shouldn’t do it. Now there’s one more reason not to do it – because it’s a new law in Virginia effective July 1, 2013.
But more importantly, don’t text and drive because you might save someone’s life – and it may be your life or the life of your child you save!
