<p>Texting while driving killed 5 teen girls traveling in a caravan to a summer party a couple of years ago in upstate NY. The driver sent a text, pulled out to pass the car in front of her, on a hill, and ran head on into a big truck. From what was later released about the accident (based on info from the girls in the other cars), someone else in the car could have handed the texting duties but didn’t.
We tell kids not to get in a car with a driver who has been drinking, but we need to impress upon them that any unsafe behavior can have disastrous consequences- it only take a split second. And no, it’s not just teens. Each time I’m out I see adults of all ages with a cell phone held to their ear (hands free devices aren’t required in this state) or looking at their phone while typing away, eyes not on the road.
Does anyone know if there are statistics kept on texting/talking accidents like there are for drunk driving?</p>
<p>Just as dangerous to text in French while driving, albiet more romantic.</p>
<p>[Emy</a> Brochu Texting Death: Mathieu Fortin Releases Last Chat With Girlfriend, Sent While She Was Driving](<a href=“http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/13/emy-brochu-texting-mathieu-fortin_n_1343200.html?ncid=mobile3]Emy”>http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/13/emy-brochu-texting-mathieu-fortin_n_1343200.html?ncid=mobile3)</p>
<p>Mezzo’sMama, I found this info on distracted driving. It doesn’t break out the stats by type of distraction, but I have to think that texting is a biggie:</p>
<p>[Distracted</a> Driving | Facts and Stats | Texting and Driving](<a href=“http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html]Distracted”>http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html)</p>
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<p>sylvan, you would think it might have occurred to him to tell her to put the damn phone down or call her so he could “hear her beautiful voice” and tell her to stop being stupid. If I were texting with someone when they had an accident, I’d feel just as responsible.</p>
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<p>No, passing on the right isn’t a necessity. You can wait. You may not WANT to, but you CAN. </p>
<p>You may want to consider the fact that there is a good reason for traffic laws, and when you break them, you are putting yourself and others at risk. You are putting your own desires ahead of others’ needs (for safety, in this case), which BTW is the definition of narcissim: You’re the only one who matters.</p>
<p>I feel bad for the family, but I have to pose the question, WHY? It is not even like she was having a conversation with someone or discussing anything of remote importance. She had to update her status to say, “driving and facebook is not safe. haha”. What the heck was the purpose of doing this? So she could get a chuckle out of her friends? She acknowledged that it was bad, then did it to post meaningless drivel on facebook while driving at 80 mph. Could she not resist the temptation to go on facebook for a whole 4 hours?</p>
<p>It doesn’t seem as if she died the moment after sending that post, but rather 5 or so mins later. Supposedly she was trying to keep awake during the long nighttime drive. So sad.</p>
<p>This may have already been said but this whole thing can be summed up in one word: Darwin.</p>