Texting while driving is one of the most reckless activities a driver can do. Not only does it put the driver himself in danger, but it also endangers the lives of passengers and other drivers. A Massachusetts teen was convicted of motor vehicle homicide by texting last week after he was involved in a fatal car accident in February 2011. Obviously texting while driving is dangerous and carries severe consequences.
According to Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks, a Web site devoted to raising awareness about the dangers of texting and driving, a person takes their eyes off the road for an average of five seconds while texting. This is enough time to travel the length of a football field if driving at 55 MPH. A driver who is texting is also 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver.
Being involved in an accident causes Wisconsin auto insurance rates to increase. There is an easy way to decrease your chances of being in an auto accident: do not text while driving. Keep yourself and others safe by putting your phone away until you are out of your vehicle.
Before the next time you are tempted to text while driving, consider this: using a cell phone while driving delays a driver’s reactions as much as it does when drunk driving. Remember to be a safe and responsible driver and you could see savings in your Wisconsin auto insurance premiums.
-Sam