Killer Text Message

Next time you are driving and you think the text message you
are about to send is important, ask yourself, is this message worth the
life of another human being, which could possibly be your own?
Sending or receiving a text message takes a drivers eyes o! the road
for "#$ seconds on average, according to the National %ighway Safety
Transportation &dministration# 'f your driving at (fty)(ve miles per
hour, that e*uates to a little more than the length of a football (eld#
'magine driving the length of a football (eld with your eyes closed# 'f
you cannot imagine driving that length safely, with your eyes closed,
all while maintaining a single tra+c lane, as no driver could possibly
do, then the next time your phone goes o! when your driving in the
car, ignore it# ,r you may be the one a family is burying, and if you
are so lucky to make it through the fatal accident you thought a text
message was so important to cause, then you will one day see your
fate in court when a -udge unsympathetically determines your future.
in -ail#
/nsympathetically may sound harsh when it comes to a
sentence hearing, but in the case of 0obert 1# 0amsey, a twenty year
old, from 2ineland New 3ersey, who believed a text message
conversation was important while driving, carelessly took the life of
&lbert 0odrigue4 on 5ebruary 67, 689"# 0obert found out the hard way
that he should have put the cell phone down, on 3uly 99, 689", when
he was charged with vehicle homicide#
The sad truth is, &mericans are consumed with their cell phones,
and it is not -ust teenagers and young adults who are drawn to their
mobile phone every time they hear it make a noise, but also adults,
including famous people who have an obsession# More recently, 3enny
Mc:arthy, the former ;2iew< co)host was texting and driving and her
son called the cops on her reporting, ;My mom is texting and driving
right now#< &ccording to the :enter for =isease :ontrol, <>9? of /#S#
drivers ages 9@ to $" reported that they had read or sent text
messages or email messages while driving at least once within the >8
days before they were surveyed#<
,ne text message is one too many, and that is what many are
learning in New 3ersey with the new cell phone law that is being
implemented# The law was implemented on 3uly 9, 689", and (nes for
talking or texting on a hand)held wireless communications device will
increase for each o!ense# &ccording to the State of New 3ersey, Motor
2ehicle :ommission, The (rst o!ense is a A688 (ne# The second
o!ense will increase to at least A"88 and drivers who are caught a
third time will face of at leas A$88, and a possible B8)day suspension of
their drivers license, and will also receive three motor vehicle penalty
points#
The thing we must understand is that when we send or receive a
text message, its not only taking our life into our hands but the life of
the passengers in our cars, and also other drivers and their
passengers# 'f you cause a car crash due to texting and driving, this is
not an accident# The life you take when you text and drive, was not by
accident, because that text message you sent was not sent by
accident# This is a senseless tragedy and unfortunately, no one can put
an end to this but you, the driver#
Ce are taught in high school the risks of drinking and driving#
&lthough, this is bene(cial to teach children, maybe we should be
teaching children about the dangers of something -ust as dangerous.
texting and driving# 't could possibly be of great bene(t to teach our
children the reality of texting and driving# 0eminding yourself, let alone
your child that texting and driving is not good, -ust does not work# 'f
children are exposed to the reality of texting and driving, they may
think twice before they decide to pick up their phone to tell their friend
theyre on their way#
Cith increasing car crashes, including fatality deaths, something
must be done to make that person behind the wheel think twice about
sending a text message that could have waited# Dets take a stand
against text messaging, and the next time you see a story about a
crash caused by a text message, bring it to a loved ones attention, that
could change their mind about sending their next text message while
driving, and that could save their life, and another persons life#