Talking or texting on a cell phone is a risky proposition, no matter how you go about doing it. Whilst I try really hard to mind my mobile manners while in a public setting, I have to admit that I am guilty of texting or talking while behind the wheel.
I have decided to stop this practice, effective immediately.
No longer will I hear the frightened murmurs of my passengers. I will now set an example for others by doing the responsible thing.
The decision has been spurred by this article that recently appeared in the New York Times. I find it interesting that politics are playing into whether or not the public should be informed about the dangers about distracted driving.
Here’s the link to the article.
For your reading pleasure, here’s a snippet of the article:
But such an ambitious study never happened. And the researchers’ agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, decided not to make public hundreds of pages of research and warnings about the use of phones by drivers — in part, officials say, because of concerns about angering Congress.
The thought of people texting behind the wheel really frightens me. More than once I have had a close call while on my bike with a driver who was paying more attention to his or her cell phone than the road. As of July 1, thank goodness, texting while driving is illegal in Virginia.