I absolutely hate it when my husband picks up his phone while driving. Even if it’s something that he’s doing quickly to update the GPS in the phone to help us get to our desired destination. I’d much rather do it myself than take the risk of the driver being distracted. It’s just not worth the risk.
Let’s face it, texting while driving is a problem. Too many people do it. We’re all attached to our phones and whether you’re stopped at stoplight or moving down the highway looking down at our phone instead of paying attention the extremely heavy vehicle we’re controlling is dangerous. I’ve read recently a number of reports about how texting while driving has the same impact on a drivers skills as does driving while under the influence. What amazes me though is that driving under the influence has significantly greater punishments than the punishments for people that text while driving. The map below highlights the fines related to driving under the influence and driving while texting.
via: Houston DWI Attorney
The difference in most states is huge. Except for the people in Alaska, who have clearly identified the serious problem of texting while driving. In many states the financial penalty for drinking while driving is almost 10x higher than if they texted while driving. Some one needs to review these laws and get that fixed.
If you’re one of many people that text and drive every day, now is the time to stop. Your message can wait. And if it can’t, then pull over to focus on your important message.
