Texting and DrivingBy: Mackenzie Williamson

There is NO excuse for texting and driving!!

*Facts from 2009; many states have been banned since

Be honest, how often do you risk your life? Is it worth it?

The ratio of male to female texting and driving habits is 1:1

Car #1 shows the average stopping time with no distractions. Car #2 shows the effects of alcohol and other reaction impairing substances. Car #3 shows that texting doubles the breaking time of the average impairing substance.

In 2006, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group conducted a survey of more than 900 teens from more than 26 high schools nationwide.

The results showed that 37% of students found texting to be "very" or "extremely" distracting

A study by the American Automobile Association discovered that 46% of teens admitted to being distracted behind the wheel because of texting.

While legally drunk, Alterman's stopping distance from 70 mph increased by 4 feet; by contrast, reading an e-mail added 36 feet, and sending a text added 70 feet

A 2009 experiment with Car and Driver magazine editor Eddie Alterman that took place at a deserted air strip showed that texting while driving had a greater impact on safety than driving drunk.

You wouldn’t risk your mother’s life…

Or your child’s life…

So why risk your own?

Things may seem urgent at the time, but there are alternatives to texting and driving.

Let whoever you’re talking to know that you won’t be able to respond for the time being…

Hold on I’ll text you in a few!

Call them on the phone so your eyes can remain on the road…

If it is very urgent, you can even pull to the side of the road!!

Whatever it takes to keep yourself and others safe, do it!!!

You wouldn’t want to end up looking like this…or worse…

So next time you hear that little ring, remember that your safety is more important than one message.