Today I watched AT&T's new four-minute video about a social media post that changed several people's lives. In just a few seconds of looking down at her phone, a mother and daughter crash into a truck. From there, the scene unfolds with shattered windows, objects flying and people in awe. If you haven't seen it, check it out for yourself. It's worth the three minutes. I beg of you to watch it.
After watching this video, I posted it to Facebook right away. I felt like everyone needed to watch it. My boyfriend shared it with this comment: "People how can we text and drive??? It's just as bad as drinking and driving. I've watched so many mindless people slide into another lane before realizing what they are doing. It saddens me seeing people texting and driving because that is a potential risk for taking my family, loved ones, friends, and me out! It's a risk to take a life or your own! Is a two second message worth it? You'll have to ask yourself that and I pray you choose the right answer. So many innocent people lost their lives. Let's not lose anymore!"
I don't know if people truly understand the repercussions of texting while driving. I know that I didn't until I began looking up statistics. I can honestly say that I have never sent a text while driving, but I have been in the car with friends who have. Here are some stats that amazed me. I hope they shock you enough to stop texting and driving if you are someone who does.
1. Texting while driving causes 1,600,000 accidents a year.
2. Texting while driving causes 330,000 injuries every year.
3. Eleven teens die EVERY DAY because of texting while driving
4. Sixty-one percent of people read, send or reply to a text while driving.
5. Five seconds is the MINIMUM time your eyes are not on the road.
6. If you are going at least 55 mph, you travel the length of a football field.
7. Nearly two out of five people use social media while driving.
8. Twenty percent of people say they use their phone while behind the wheel.
9. Texting while driving takes place by 800,000 drivers at any given time across the country.
10. Texting while driving slows your break reaction speed by 18 percent.
11. Texting while driving leads to a 400 percent increase of driving with eyes of the road.
12. Teens who text while driving spend 10 percent of their driving time outside of their own lane.
Guys, if you are one of these people, PLEASE stop. I beg of you to put your phone down. Seriously, nothing is important enough to send while you're driving. Do you want your family or friends to be on one of those sad TV commercials? Do you want your story to be that you died because you replied "yeah" to a text asking if you were going to a party that night? Do you want to be the reason your friend/passenger dies because you were texting while driving?
Please don't be the reason that someone doesn't get to go home to their family that day. Please don't put your life or the lives of others at risk. This life is precious, and you get only one. Please put the phone down for those few minutes you're in the car. If someone needs to talk to you that badly, tell them to call you. If you need to text someone that badly, pull over and do so.
I've watched so many people poke along in their lane with their eyes glued to their phone, or swerve into another lane because they are texting. Please don't be one of those people.
Please don't be another statistic. There's enough death and despair in the world. It shouldn't be from texting. W82TXT b/c TXTNGKILLS.
Thank you, AT&T, for making everyone so aware of the dangers of texting. Take the AT&T pledge by going to http://www.itcanwait.com/all. Right now, 7 million people have signed the pledge. Let's get that number up. Let's be a part of the statistic that ISN'T texting on the road.
Tag me on Twitter @erikajones14 or Instagram @erikaaa1270 with a picture of you taking the pledge with AT&T's hashtag #itcanwait. I'd love to see everyone taking the pledge! I'll even feature you on our Twitter and Instagram page.
Let's keep our roads safe.
