When was the last time you were texting and driving? How fast were you going? You may think that you can multitask when you reply to a text while going sixty-five miles per hour on the highway. But texting and driving is not just some easy lifehack to save time; it’s a life-threatening gamble.
You might be thinking, “I’m just replying to a text. How bad can it be?” Well, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine people in the U.S. die every day in accidents that involve being a distracted driver, because they were preoccupied with something else. In 2022, 3,308 lives were taken due to someone else being distracted while driving. Texting and driving is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. If you’re texting while driving, you are six times more likely to wreck than a drunk driver.
One example of such an incident occurred on November 2nd, 2023, when a 62-year-old woman was almost killed in an accident by a 19-year-old teen driver The woman and her husband were driving home from a choir concert when a car crossed over the center lane and hit a couple of trucks head-on. According to the driver, they were changing a song on their phone about 15 seconds before the crash. Once he looked up, he realized he was in the other lane. He tried getting out of the way but could not avoid the accident, and hit the woman’s truck head-on. The woman had to get cut out from the truck,- and received a broken pelvis, a shattered kneecap, and four fractured disks.
Messaging a friend is not more important than your safety. Not only could you hurt yourself, but you could also injure other drivers. Texting your friend about a party that happened last night is not worth seriously injuring someone else, or worse. If you kill someone, you could be fined up to $4,000 and spend one year in jail.
Remember those safety videos the school showed? They may have seemed boring and unnecessary, but the dangers they highlight are real. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 7% of all teen drivers died in accidents in 2020 from being distracted while driving. Even if you don’t crash it is illegal in the state of Texas to text and drive. If you’re violating this law, you could receive a fine of up to $200.
The urge to check your phone while driving is understandable. Texting is part of your life, and you might feel like you have enough control over your vehicle to multitask. But your car isn’t a go-cart. It’s a two-ton piece of metal that needs your undivided attention. So, here’s a suggestion: The next time you’re driving, put your phone away and encourage your friends to do the same. Otherwise, the next text you send could also be your last one.
