To all Daily Travelers,
I just caught up on my Oprah episodes on dvr and had to blog about her show on Texting while Driving. I am ashamed to admit that I am guilty of doing this, probably more often than I want to admit. My phone is always in the center console, easily accessible in case anyone needs to contact me while I'm driving.
What I didn't realize, or maybe just pretended not to realize, is that you are basically the equivalent (if not, worse) of a drunk driver if you text while driving. Oprah used her show to feature families that had lost loved ones and put some cocky people who thought they could handle it to a driving test. On average, their response rates were about 20 feet slower than normal. Twenty feet. That's the difference between slamming into a stopped car, a pedestrian, or a child on a bike (as the show revealed).
I don't want to guilt everyone into doing this, you obviously have to make the decision for yourself, but stop and think about it. If your eyes are not on the road, how can you possibly be alert to your surroundings? You're putting yourself, your passengers and everyone on the road in unnecessary danger and for what...to tell your friend that you'll be there in 10 minutes? Unless you're the President of the United States on your way to push the nuclear bomb button or something, who can't simply wait the 10 minutes?
Ok, feel a ranting coming on so I'll just say this. I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to try. I hope all of my friends and family do the same because it just isn't worth it.
If you want to watch the Oprah "texting while driving" episode, click here.
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