Thursday, April 29, 2010

My PSA

Oprah. She irks me. A lot. Even when she is right.

That lady bothers me. I think she has over stepped her talk show boundaries a million times over. Everything from her "ta-da" voice to campaign hopping for Obama has just rubbed me the wrong way.

So it almost pains me to say this but I think she is on to something with her latest save-the-world endeavor.


Of course if I were in charge, my PSA would be more like this


I digress. Point is that I think texting while driving is EXTREMELY dangerous. I'm constantly yelling at people who I see texting while behind the wheel. (And people who don't use their turn signal. Another issue in itself...)

These are people driving 60+ miles an hour on the interstates that I travel to work. Their automobiles are in motion and their focus is somewhere else. Their head is pointed downward, eyes not on the road.

I admit that I talk on the phone in the car all. the. time. But you will never find me texting when I'm driving. I may change the radio station or adjust my mirrors. I might even apply chapstick but I never text. Never.

My teen puts his phone in the glove box when he drives. It was a rule we implemented when he started driving two years ago. For his safety and for our peace of mind. It's distracting for a seasoned driver like myself so it's ten times worse for a young driver like him and we didn't want him to be tempted.

I know people that have been in accidents because of texting. Because that joke, that picture, that "hey what's up?" was more important than their safety and those around them.

A National Safety Council study revealed 28 percent of car accidents are caused by people who sent text messages while driving.

The NHTSA states that drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash resulting in injuries. In fact, a driver on a phone exhibits slower reaction times and greater impairment than a driver who has a blood alcohol level of .08 percent.

Approximately 200,000 accidents are caused by text messaging drivers. Every year, these accidents kill more than 2,500 people.

It's not worth it people. It's just not.

Sign the evil one's Oprah's No Phone Zone Pledge and keep the roads safer for us all.



8 comments:

Heather said...

I like your sign much better!

I have been tempted to text while driving, so I keep my phone in my purse in the back seat while I'm going to/from work. No way to reach it without stopping the car.

Oprah drives me crazy, too. Haven't watched an episode in years.

My Mercurial Nature said...

I love that sign! It'd probably cause an accident though, because I'd be cracking up while driving and veer off the road!

Liz Mays said...

I couldn't agree more. My kids won't even talk on the phone when they drive. They ignore it if it rings. That part was their call and I can't really argue with it!

Christina - Rant Rave Roll said...

I need one of those signs!!

Shannon said...

I don't text while driving, but I do use my phone.

I love that my new Kia has a bluetooth... my phone connects to it for hands-free calling while I drive. It's awesome.

Angie's Spot said...

I yell at my hubby ALL THE TIME about texting & driving. I mean, how dumb is that?! I do talk on my phone while driving, but you will never see me texting & driving. And I'm with the others that your sign is much better.

CaraBee said...

I do talk on the phone while driving, but generally using the Bluetooth. Even that bugs me, though. Almost without exception when people do stupid shit on the road, they're on the phone. They just banned talking on the phone without a handsfree here in Maryland. I'm totally okay with it.

prashant said...

I love that sign!
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