Phoning, Texting & Driving Don’t Mix

Posted: May 11th, 2009 | Filed under: Ruminations | No Comments »

Most everybody who has visited the Virgin Islands loves the place, right?

Kind of paradise and you don’t have to schlep for a day on an airplane to get there like you do to get to Hawaii.

Well, there’s another reason to praise that bucolic vista. It’s illegal to drive and hold a cellphone at the same time. Which is reason enough methinks to praise the place. And to visit on vacation.

Meanwhile, here in the continental United States, only Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, California, Washington state and the District of Columbia have enacted similar bans.

Let’s take a moment for a standing ovation, if you would, please. These state deserve a big round of applause.

There are ten states that have banned text messaging while driving. Which is forty states, more or less, too few.

Driving and talking on the phone, even if it’s one of those earpiece things, is incredibly dangerous. Driving and texting, well, only a really stupid idiot with a death wish for themselves and others driving or walking along the same route would consider doing it.

Forty five percent of Americans admit to having been hit or nearly hit by somebody driving a car while talking on a cellphone. Frankly, I don’t believe that number. I think the actual percentage is a lot higher because most folks won’t admit it happens.

Because 81% of our citizenry have admitted talking on the phone and driving at the same time.

It’s time for this to stop. There is credible research that indicates even talking on a hands-free phone while driving is more dangerous than driving while drunk.

So you won’t miss what I just said, let me repeat it: Driving while talking on a phone, even a hands-free phone, is more dangerous than driving while drunk.

So I’m down on my knees, beggin’ you please please please to stop phoning and texting while you drive. Turn the phone off when behind the wheel. Or, if it rings, don’t answer it until you can pull off the road. Don’t even look to see who the call is from until you pull off the road.

As for texting . . . fuhgettaboutit!!!!!

Please. Thank you.

– c d k

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