July 28th, 2009
Texting while driving increases collision risk 23 times, don't do it
Common sense lets us know that texting while driving is dangerous and many states and countries have outlawed this activity to help those with little common sense. We have seen one study recently where texting was found to be more dangerous than drunk driving and now the New York Times reports on a Virginia Tech study that shows your risk of collision is 23 times greater when texting. My advice is to NEVER text while driving and if you do it now, then STOP. My kids and I are on the road and I would hate to be hit by someone driving and texting.
My oldest is starting driver’s training next week and we already established the rule that no texting and driving will ever occur or no more driving will take place for her. Currently, 14 states ban texting and driving, including my home state of Washington.
Texting is becoming more and more popular and in my personal experiences it appears that most people 25-years old and younger text more than talk on a phone. The age of the texter compounds the danger of doing it while driving since these younger people have less experience driving and generally worse judgement while driving.
Please DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE. There is nothing that important that you cannot pull over to the side of the road or into a parking lot to send a text if you need too.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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