Do you text when you drive? The answer is probably yes.
If I answered this over 3 weeks ago I would have said yes too.
I have such an obsession with texting, that I had to add GChat to my Blackberry so that I didnt miss out on any text opportunities.
Even worse, here is an example of what a bad texter I am. One day I was driving down the highway and I apparently passed my husband, driving a tractor down the road... and I NEVER EVEN SAW HIM! We dont live out in the boonies people, this was on a 4 lane highway.
HOW DO YOU NOT NOTICE THE BIG GREEN TRACTOR GOING 5 MILES AN HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY!?
Hello, My name is Candace... and I have a texting problem.
As soon as I started driving with Keating in the car, I made a decision to stop texting while driving. But, it is a decision that I should have made a long time ago. (OBVIOUSLY) I then heard my local news station and even Oprah making pacts to "Hang Up and Drive."
I find myself sometimes driving and getting the urge to send a Blackberry message, or to see who is signed in to GChat... but I fight the temptation. If you have a blackberry, then you know how awful it is to see that little red flashing message light and not being able to check it! Its pure torture!
I now only check my phone at redlights, and as soon as its green, my phone goes back into the cup holder.
I'm sure at some point I will forget and find myself typing while driving. Its really hard, but totally worth it to make the road a safer place.
Have YOU made the pact??
Good for you! I have been trying to not talk on the phone while driving, and definitely don't text anymore but have in the past.
ReplyDeleteI am actually hoping they pass a hands free law up here. I think the roads would be a lot safer.
I admit I do text and drive. And It's just as risky as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I try to not do it as much and like you said look at my phone at red lights if I have to! I've realized when i text I am dumb while driving. I will NOT talk in the car though without my bluetooth!! I feel holding the phone and driving was really distracting!
ReplyDeleteLike you said I'm going to work hard myself to not text and drive at all! good post!!
i try and be good and do the red light thing too...it's hard!!
ReplyDeletei've started doing it to! i found it's too hard when it's sitting in the cup holder next to me, so i put it in my purse in the back seat. then i don't have a choice. we had an incident where i live that someone also only checked their phone at red lights. he was texting while waiting for the light to turn green, then once it turned, off he went. but since he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, he hit a pedestrian!
ReplyDeleteI have so much trouble resisting the temptation! One time, not so long ago, I read this article that said you are 8 times more likely to get in a wreck when you text and drive. So anytime Adam or I catch each each texting, we say EIGHT TIMES! It's much easier for me to realize HE shouldn't be doing it though, than it is for me to not do it myself!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! I will admit to texting and driving, although not often. But it only takes one time and you could kill someone or yourself. There is a video on YouTube that shows an accident from texting and driving. It is traumatizing to watch. I just try to think "Is this text worth killing somebody's mom, wife, husband, son?" It never is.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I used to text while driving until I got my iPhone 2 1/2 years ago. It's almost impossible for me to text while driving on that thing. If I need to send something, I try to at a red light.
ReplyDeleteI've decided at this point, no texting while driving and no talking until I get a hands free set. My two biggest reasons are: First, my husband is a police officer and it irritates him I refuse to follow laws he enforces daily. And second, it's simply a courtesy to spare people like you and Keating from potentially harmful drivers like me. I know I'd want the same courtesy if I was a mother.
I made the pact after one morning that my mom called me to tell me that one of her coworker's daughter lost control of her truck while driving to school and lost her life because she was in the middle of texting and driving.
ReplyDeleteI just think of it as "my life is more important that anything I could read or text on my phone" and I really want everyone to take this pact as well. I just blogged about this same thing on Friday.
It changed for me too when B was born; you missed him on a tractor.........that is hilarious!!
ReplyDeleteOMG that blinking red light on my bberry urges me to check my messages... I am with you though, as soon as I had Thomas I gave up texting and driving. It is a much better world since.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to do this too. I have a little pocket on the side of my purse that I try to keep my phone in (if I'm not using the iPod function) to try to fight the temptation. . .I check at red lights if necessary--I feel silly though b/c I'm just checking email and facebook! I'm a stay at home mommy, it's not like I'm getting super important info!!
ReplyDeleteWell your mom does it too! I have been trying not to do it except at redlights. I even tell myself that it is dumb when I am pushing the buttons! I promise I will never do it when babies are in the car!
ReplyDelete