Study: 1 In 3 Americans Text And Drive

[TM99]

126. All I need to know is in this one sentence:

"In a car, I feel incredibly bored, compared to a motorcycle."

You sound like an adrenaline junkie or an addict. Maybe not to drugs but certainly to the mistaken belief that you must always be stimulated.

I have heard the same kinds of rationalizations day in and day out in my office, at clinics, etc. You think that your logic is sound yet it isn't. As they say, past performance is no guarantee of future success. Just because you have not had an accident in the 20 years you have been driving does not mean that you can't have one in the future. And texting while driving, does increase the odds that you will do so.

You are 36 you say. Well, give it another ten years. I have never had an accident either, and I pay even more attention and focus to my driving now in my late 40's than in my 20's or 30's. Reaction times do slow. Reading glasses are a common need.

I set my climate controls prior to leaving a driveway as well as any music. If I need to change a CD, I can wait till I arrive at my destination if it is a short journey or ask a passenger to assist if it is a long one. Silence won't kill me for awhile if I know it will be a distraction. I don't own an iDevice yet even if I did, no text is worth more than a person's life with the distraction. The other person on the line can wait.

All it takes is one text that distracts you long enough at a crucial moment when driving for an accident of tragic proportions to occur. Sure, you are free to be arrogant and risk your own life. But what gives you the right to risk others while driving? It is a privilege to drive. Don't abuse it for others who rely on you to be as safe as you rely on them while driving.