SearchWhen it comes to texting while driving, it’s easy to convince yourself that a second won’t matter much. The truth is, taking your eyes off the road for even just a moment can have devastating consequences. When texting, people look at their cell phone for about five seconds. So, say you’re driving 55 mph — in that time, you’re traveling the length of a football field! What’s more, when you text, both your eyes and focus are distracted, which can be a deadly mix.
Is texting really worth it?
People lead busy lives. We’re always going from place to place while trying to juggle jobs, parents, children and friends. With all of this going on, many people give in to the temptation to text and drive. But texting while driving is one of the most unsafe things we can do on the road —and the problem is growing. Nearly 500,000 people are hurt each year in distracted driving crashes, and a texting driver is 20 times more likely to get into a car crash.
Who’s texting
Young drivers are the most at risk when it comes to texting and driving. In fact, the leading cause of death for teens in America is traffic crashes. One out of every four teens responds to a text message at least once while driving. And drivers in their twenties make up one-third of the distracted drivers involved in deadly car crashes. But young people aren’t the only ones on the road who text and drive — up to 10 percent of parents admit they send and receive texts while behind the wheel.
In Colorado, texting and driving is against the law. Next time you feel the urge to text and drive, take a moment to think about the possible results of your actions, and make a point to keep yourself and your passengers safe. Put the phone where you can’t reach it. Make yourself a promise to not text and drive — your actions can make a difference.