Texting and driving has become a blatant thing to do while on the road, and a large majority of the driving population that are known to do so are teens and young adults. With technology advancing at such a fast and accessible rate, it is a lot easier to text, snapchat, change a song, tweet and post about whatever could be on your mind at the time than it has been in years prior.
And this is a serious problem.
To me it seems like most young adult drivers think that there isn't much of a problem with texting and driving, if anything. Or, for those that know it's a problem, but still do it, they don't think it could happen to them. The likelihood of getting in an accident while not paying attention to the road increases every time you look away from the road. Unfortunately, some people need this reminder.
The other day, I stumbled upon this video on Twitter that only confirmed my opinion on this topic. It was about several people admitting to a woman that they text and drive. This may not sound like much of a big deal to some, since people do this enough that it is shrugged off, but the woman these people were admitting to was a victim of a car accident because the driver in the other car had been texting while driving.
I'm fortunate enough to have only been in one car accident, and a phone wasn't even the problem. On the other hand, I've also been in one or two close calls because the driver's phone was the problem. I get enough anxiety and stress from close calls alone to get me to put my phone away, and friends' phones as well if I'm in a car with them. Seeing how this woman's life was impacted by someone else's mistake was even more eye-opening.
I see a lot of videos telling students not to text and drive, but they're all the same thing, so the words lose meaning when seeing it for the hundredth time. This video, however, gave an entirely new perspective and proved that this is something everyone needs to take seriously.
I saw this clip return onto my timeline numerous times, and the captions for it were all similar. Everyone was realizing that this was awful, that this habit needs to stop, how moved they were by watching and how they've learned their lesson. I really want to believe that this video was enough to make viewers decide to put their phones away, instead of shrugging it off as if it were yet another boring public announcement.
My purpose in writing this isn't to scare people out of driving or to fear other drivers while on the road. I want people to be aware of this issue. I feel so passionately about this, and I strongly believe that texting and driving is not worth the amount of damage that you or someone else could cause. Risking your life, along with everyone else's lives around you, is not worth sending a snapchat to your best friend. That will not benefit you in any way.
Please stay safe on the road. That is all I ask.
(Sorry mom, if this caption scared you.)
