Please Do Not Text and Drive

Mobile smartphones are, quite possibly, one of the most unique, time saving, and convenient inventions of the 21st century. Unfortunately, mobile smartphones are also the source of a new slew of problems affecting both teens and adults. Some child development experts believe that the smartphone epidemic is responsible for a reduction in human sociability. Others suggest that smartphones are increasing stress levels. Perhaps the gravest issue associated with smart phones, however, is the dramatic increase of distracted driving.

AT&T Don’t Text While Driving Documentary

Texting While Driving Destroys Lives

According to a study performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2008, distracted driving due to smartphone usage represents a staggering 16 percent of all fatal car accidents in the United States. Smartphones are linked to 21 percent of vehicle crashes resulting in an injury. In other words, texting while driving is the cause of over 5,000 deaths and over 500,000 injuries each year. These numbers are nothing short of tragic.

Operating a vehicle is a tricky endeavor because many drivers feel so comfortable in their automobiles that they begin siphoning off their attention spans into other tasks. In the past, food and beverages, children, radio, and even talking on a cell phone represented the bulk of distracted driving accidents. Texting on a smartphone requires a much larger percentage of your attention and, therefore, is much more dangerous.

Why Can’t I Text and Drive?

Texting requires a combination of mental focus, hand operation, and visual contact. These are three things that must be reserved for the vehicle and the road. To ensure safety in a vehicle, a driver’s reaction time should average less than one second. According to many studies, though, drivers are glancing from the road to their smartphones for as long as five seconds.

Protect Yourself. Your Family. Your Friends.

We love smartphones. We love their sleek, compact designs; their incredible functionality; their app versatility; and their ability to connect one person with the entire world. None of that, however, is worth dying for.

Texting and driving is a disaster waiting to happen. By all means, use your iPhone or Android as often as you can, but if you can’t resist the temptation to text while driving, leave your phone at home. Lock it in the glove box. Download an app like Textecution or PhoneGaurd that will disable texting functionality while you are driving.

Whatever you do, don’t text and drive.