Texting and Driving – A Deadly Combination

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute spells out how dangerous texting and driving truly is. Researchers studied drivers operating their own vehicles for a collective distance of more than six million miles. Texting was not studied in those operating cars, but texting while driving a truck increased the risk of accident by a stunning 2320%. Dialing a cell phone while driving a car increased risk of an accident by 280%; risk while driving a heavy vehicle increased by 590%.

The researchers concluded that, when texting, one's eyes are off the road for enough time to travel along a road the length of a football field while going 55 miles per hour. That is a long time to not be paying attention to what is happening in front of you. The study states that time not looking at the road is what contributes to the highest number of accidents.

So what's a teen to do? Just wait. Honestly, if someone texts you, they're most likely NOT that eager to receive a reply. If it was urgent, they would call you. Wait until you turn off your car's engine and you've pulled over to the side of a road safely. Then text or call. Your life is important and you don't want to end up in a situation all for a text message that say, "lol c u l8r, k?"

Go to >>Part 2 of The Dangers of Texting: A New Concern