Since the introduction of texting, texting and driving has increased dramatically. The increase in its use has been boosted by its benefits and mobility. However, there has been a growing concern over people who combine texting and driving. When driving, you should always be 100 percent concentrated; after all, your life could depend on it. If you are unsure about why it is so important to avoid texting and driving, educate yourself about its potential for negative ramifications.
Dangers of Texting and Driving
Premature Deaths
Texting and driving can sometimes result in accidents that can lead to the premature death of you or someone else. It only takes one second of distracted driving for a catastrophic, potentially fatal event to occur. “Each day in the United States, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,060 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Before you pick up your phone to read or reply to a text message, ask yourself if you are prepared to be responsible for or become a victim of this alarming distracted-driving death toll. Texting and driving can be fatal; so, just don’t take the risk.
Jail Time
Don’t be fooled by certain state laws about texting and driving. While it may not be illegal to text and drive in some areas, you will still be held accountable if someone or something is damaged from your negligent driving practices. If your distracted driving is the cause of another individual’s death, you are subject to legal consequences. A victim’s surviving loved ones may take you to court for manslaughter. And although the death of the victim was likely an accident, it was still the result of your distracted driving. Texting and driving has the potential to lead to the injury of another person and/or a hefty jail sentence. If you don’t want to end up behind bars, avoid texting and driving.
Insurance
If you get involved in an accident and your insurance company learns that you were texting and driving, your damages may not be covered. Car repairs can be very expensive, and your financial situation has the potential to be negatively affected. Was a passenger injured in your car? In the event that this occurs, you might be asked to compensate the victim since you were the cause. In addition to the insurance consequences of texting and driving, you may also receive a hefty fine from a police officer if you are caught doing this activity. The takeaway? Texting and driving can have some very expensive and negative corollaries.
Make a Pledge
As a driver, it is your responsibility to drive safely. Texting and driving or doing other phone-related activities while driving is simply not safe. As a teen, it can be very tempting to be on your phone and drive at the same time, but when distracted driving can impact your driving to the point that your driving may be as impaired as it is after drinking four beers, making you 23 times more likely to crash, this driving practice is a big no-no. In effort to stay committed to safe-driving practices, make an official pledge to not drive and text. There are a number of existing pledges available online, so you can easily print one off and sign it. Taking a simple measure like this can act as a good reminder of your dedication to keeping the roads safer.
Texting and driving is dangerous; to learn about more about our safe-driving tips or car repair services, contact Meyer’s Automotive today.