QI understand, really I do, what an incredibly boring topic this is to read. Stick with me though.
To know me is to know that I’m an insufferable goody two-shoes. My friends get a kick out of how uptight I am sometimes. When driving, I go the speed limit. I stop the appropriate amount of time at stop signs. I signal when I switch lanes even if there’s no one around. I never ride anyone’s tail. When other people don’t give me the same courtesies, it really doesn’t bother much. But one thing does: *Texting and driving.
Every day as I leave school, drivers zip past me, texting away. When I first started driving, this carelessness didn’t come as a shock to me. What did surprise me, however, was when I got out of the school zone and onto a heavily trafficked highway, I saw even more people typing on their phones (middle-aged women, I’m calling you out). And I suddenly realized:
I'm not going to give you tons stats and facts. I’m more of an appeal-to-pathos kind of gal. So here are four simple reasons you shouldn’t text and drive (besides it being illegal and all):
1. It's stupid.
You’ve got to be pretty immature to make the decision to do something so risky. There’s no sugar-coating it.
2. It's selfish.
It worries me when someone beside, in front or behind me is splitting their attention between the road and their phone. But it’s not only about other drivers. I often see people texting with passengers in the car. Sometimes those passengers are their children. Maybe nothing will ever happen. But why take the risk?
3. It's inconsiderate.
I try my best to be a respectful driver. Return the courtesy, or find a new mode of transportation.
4. It shows insecurity.
You can wait. The person you’re texting can wait. Relationships will not be ruined in the time it takes to get to your destination.
If a person is willing to risk his/her life and the lives of people around him/her because he/she can’t go 10 minutes without responding to a text, that person probably has a problem. It’s not funny. It’s not cute. It’s not endearing. It’s morally wrong.
I hate to sound rude, but if you text and drive, that’s kind of more rude. Keep yourself and the people around you safe.
For statistics on how texting and driving affects different age groups, read here.
See this actual Georgia law here.
*For the purpose of this article, texting isn’t just typing messages, but anything people do on their phones that takes their attention away from the road.
