Take the Pledge: Don't Drive and Talk/Text!

[lacrosse_lady72]

It's amazing how many people are injured or killed simply because they or someone else couldn't let the phone just ring or had to reply to a text message. NO phone call, text message, e-mail or twitter update is worth your, your children's, spouse's, or anyone else's life.

Make the pledge if you'd like, post something on here, but it needs to stop. It makes me sad knowing people think it's OK to do this.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/End-Distracted-Driving

 

[Dina]

I don't text while driving, but do talk on the phone (although I have sent a text while sitting at a traffic light on occasion). I won't do that anymore. I won't use my phone at all while driving. I really thought I was one of those people who could talk and drive. That show was an eye opener!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I saw part of that show. It was certainly scary to learn the facts.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Around here I don't really see the younger people texting and driving. It's all adults on their blackberry's trying to scroll and read and drive or trying to type and drive during rush hour. There should be a campaign about adults and driving. So many adults are doing everything but driving when behind the while wheel.

 

[Briarmom]

I watched that show and took the pledge (but I don't talk or text while driving anyway).

Seeing those kids who have been killed. That could happen to any of us. All because some selfish jerk couldn't wait to talk on the phone.

 

[Darsa]

I have (extended) family members who get annoyed with me when I don't pick up the phone when they know perfectly well I'm on my way home from work. It seems like that's about the only time they call But I've told them before and I'll keep telling them; a chat session is not worth my life or someone else's life on the commute home; if they have something they need to talk about they can call at 5 when I'm already home.

The one exception was when my mom was so very ill and in the ICU at the hospital. If the phone rang and it was someone I knew was at the hospital with her, I would pull over and have the conversation on the side of the road or in a driveway/parking lot. I would DEFINITELY be too distracted to drive during those calls!

It's sad that so many people are without the common sense to realize how dangerous it really is. And texting, wow, it just appalls me to think people do this and think it's okay.

 

[Robinrs]

Around here I don't really see the younger people texting and driving. It's all adults on their blackberry's trying to scroll and read and drive or trying to type and drive during rush hour. There should be a campaign about adults and driving. So many adults are doing everything but driving when behind the while wheel.

I pick up my son from high school everyday and see it too much. So much a bunch of little kids (CUTE) stood across the street from the school with big signs saying "PLEASE HANG UP AND DRIVE" "PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD". They were too adorable to not notice but so sad that it had to be done.

My concern is for everyone, but kids haven't been driving long enough to master multi tasking.

 

[mommyof2princesses]

I just signed. I was one of those people originally who was disgusted by those who talked on their cell phones and drive and then I became one. Usually just called my mom.

I need to be a good role model to my daughters so that they gain healthy habits.

 

[bettymae1121]

I've been big on not talking while driving (i dont text at all, ever. I think it's dumb) for years. But now I think that I'll refuse to be in a car with anyone if they use their cell while driving too.

What I didn't know was that even using a hands-free device like a blue tooth is just as distracting as having the phone in your hand!

For those that didn't see the show, some stats you may find interesting.

Somone with a .08 blood alcohol level is 4x more likely to be in a crash.
Somene talking on a cell (even hands free) is ALSO 4x more likely to be in a crash.
Someone sending a text/email is 8 times more likely to be in a crash, that is twice the odds of a drunk driver!!!

 

[Trish Bessette]

Two people were just killed last week. Looks like the 20 year old driver who crossed the center line and hit the other car head on was texting at the time

I now look both ways before going through a green light. Twice I had a green light and a car came barreling through who had the red light - both times it was a woman talking on their phone. NO CLUE the light was red

Have you heard this? Auto manufacturers are designing cars with the INTERNET in them. WTH??? Just keep coming up with more distractions to kill innocent people.

As you can tell, this is one of my hot buttons

 

[LoraJ]

This is my biggest pet peeve. So many close calls in accidents because of selfish, entitled people who think their text, email or phone call is more important than someone's life. It just angers me beyond words.

I will be posting this on another board I am on where some of the women think nothing of writing posts to that board while driving. It sickens me.

ETA:
And tehre are things we can do to help this. If someone calls you and you know they are in the car, tell them you will talk to them later. If someone is texting you while they are driving tell them to stop doing that. You will ignore all texts from them from then on unless they do it when not in a car. Let's not enable these people.

 

[robinb]

I talk on the phone while driving but I try to use my headset while I do it. According to some I guess that makes me selfish and entitled ... it's not the first time and won't be the last!

 

[WriteDisney]

Can we add no putting on makeup, reading the newspaper or a book, fixing your hair, eating a giant subway sandwhich (and chips and drinking something), fidgeting with the radio/cd player/iPod, talking to the person next to you and not paying attention, shaving, taking your sweatshirt off, or checking out the hot girl/guy in the car next to you?

(I've seen all of those and they bug me so much!)

 

[LoraJ]

I talk on the phone while driving but I try to use my headset while I do it. According to some I guess that makes me selfish and entitled ... it's not the first time and won't be the last!

Well you do value your phone calls over someone's life.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Victims-of-Distracted-Driving-Accidents-Videos

 

[robinb]

Well you do value your phone calls over someone's life.
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Victims-of-Distracted-Driving-Accidents-Videos

You are being melodramatic .

 

[SydSim]

I didn't watch the show, but I am curious. Were there any studies that showed that people shouldn't talk to someone else in the car as well, like the person sitting next to you, or your kids in the backseat? Was it the conversation that caused the distraction, or pushing the one button on the bluetooth in your ear? Did they find that the more people that were in the car, the more distracted the driver was, and if so, were there any different recommendations? Thanks.

 

[descovy]

Works for me...

I must be a pretty un-important person. There is no one I need to urgently call while I am driving. Somehow the world keeps on turning even if people have to wait until I get home to call back.

I love that we have cell phones, but just because someone calls/texts you doesn't mean you have to answer immediatly. They might not know that you are in the car, the checkout lane, the restroom ( I don't answer my phone there either)

But again, I am not an on call brain surgeon, or SuperMan, whatever... Just an average mom with kids, job comittments, family, etc... nothing crazy immediatly urgent or anything.

Must be a lot more people out there more important than lil-ol-me!

 

[robinb]

I didn't watch the show, but I am curious. Were there any studies that showed that people shouldn't talk to someone else in the car as well, like the person sitting next to you, or your kids in the backseat? Was it the conversation that caused the distraction, or pushing the one button on the bluetooth in your ear? Did they find that the more people that were in the car, the more distracted the driver was, and if so, were there any different recommendations? Thanks.

Obviously, if you talk to the other people in the car you are also selfish and entitled and you value your conversation over other people's lives.

 

[LoraJ]

You are being melodramatic .

No difference exists in the cognitive distraction (the mental process of knowing, which includes awareness, judgment and perception) between handheld and hands-free devices, according to simulator studies conducted at the Univ. of Utah.

Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be involved in a crash. Two different studies found this same conclusion, a 1997 New England Journal of Medicine examination of hospital records and 2005 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study linking crashes to cell phone records.


http://www.focusdriven.org/why_cell_free.aspx

 

[LoraJ]

I didn't watch the show, but I am curious. Were there any studies that showed that people shouldn't talk to someone else in the car as well, like the person sitting next to you, or your kids in the backseat? Was it the conversation that caused the distraction, or pushing the one button on the bluetooth in your ear? Did they find that the more people that were in the car, the more distracted the driver was, and if so, were there any different recommendations? Thanks.

From the same link I posted above:
"For adults, talking to a passenger while driving is significantly safer than talking on a cell phone, a University of Utah study found. Passengers, unlike cell phone conversations, can make the driver aware of changing road conditions they might not see and can stop the conversation if traffic conditions warrant. "