With the rise of smartphones, a new risk has hit the roads when people text and drive. Not only is it easier than ever to stay in touch with your loved ones, it is also easier than ever to get sucked into a device. As with everything, there is a time and a place for texting. Neither of those occur when you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle. Here are 5 reasons not to text and drive.
1. It puts your life at risk.
Plain and simple, you are endangering yourself when you pick up your cellphone while driving. Not only are you taking your hands off the wheel and losing control of your vehicle, but you are looking away from the road. Looking away for even a split second can be the difference between life and death, either for you or someone else on the road.
2. It puts others’ lives at risk.
Similarly to the first point, if you text and drive, you are taking the lives of others into your hands. You could potentially miss a car merging onto the highway or entering your lane in front of you. If you’re looking down at your phone, you will miss what’s happening right outside your windshield. As a result, you could end up seriously endangering someone else.
3. It is almost as dangerous as driving under the influence.
According to Cambridge Mobile Telematics, roughly 9 people are killed every day from crashes involving a distracted driver. While this number is smaller than people who are killed in drunk driving accidents, it’s still too high of a number. If you’re going 55 miles per hour and decide to text and drive, that is the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. That is horrifying. A text can wait.
4. It is illegal to text and drive.
In many states, there are laws in place incriminating those who text and drive. Even if you do not live in a state where this is the case, treat it as if it were.
5. You are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident.
Studies have shown that people who text and drive are 23% more likely to get into an accident than people who do not text and drive. This is a horrifying statistic. The simple act of looking at your phone for a split second behind the wheel can have dire consequences. Keep this in mind the next time you hear your phone ding with a notification while you’re driving.
As you’re out on the roads this holiday season, we strongly encourage you not to text and drive. Please, put down your phone and help make the world a safer place. Here at Horizon Transport, we are committed to putting the safety of our drivers first. We wish you safe travels!