Texting While Driving, Is It Worth It?

“[I]n the U.S. alone, at least 38,800 people were killed in motor vehicle collisions in 2019.” This is a frightening reality. What is even scarier is that teenagers have an even higher risk of a motor vehicle crash than adults. Many factors contribute to this increased risk such as their inexperience as a new driver; however, the number one cause of teen driving accidents is their dangerous driving habits. These habits among teens is too prevalent in society and should be curbed to prevent disaster.

When a person thinks about a dangerous driving habit, texting immediately comes to mind. The dangers of texting and driving is that the driver’s attention is diverted from the road. Our brain focuses best when it is executing one task at a time, but texting splits that focus to where the brain is jumping back and forth from the road to the phone. Another danger concerning texting is that the driver’s control of the vehicle is diminished. I once saw a lady texting with both hands and steering the car with her KNEES. This example may be extreme, but it drives the point home.

The hazards of texting is easy to see, so why is it still so prevalent? The answer is quite shocking. “Ninety-four percent of teen drivers acknowledge that texting and driving is dangerous, [but] thirty-five percent of those polled admit to still doing it. Fifty-five percent of teens believe that they have the skills to manage to text while driving.” (emphasis mine). Teens know they shouldn’t text, but they either don’t care or believe that they can handle it. These attitudes regarding texting and driving are probably more dangerous than the acts themselves.

Texting is not the only dangerous habit teenagers possess; using social media is just as bad as, if not worse than, texting. When a driver texts, they have their eyes off the road for about five seconds. When driving 55mph, this is equivalent to driving across a football field blindfolded. When using social media, especially to take a picture or post something, a person’s eyes linger on the screen for more than five seconds. Imagine how far the individual would be driving before he refocuses on the road. Keep in mind that it takes only three seconds for a crash to occur.

These habits, and many others, can be devastating, so measures need to be taken to avoid a costly mistake. First, the driver needs to examine himself before entering the vehicle. The driver should check to see if he is tired, stressed, or high and make the decision if it is safe to drive. The driver then needs to turn off his phone or set it to “do not disturb” in order to reduce the temptation to text or access social media. Finally, if the individual has significant experience, the he should have a “copilot” in the vehicle with him. The copilot should take important calls, send texts, or read the map on the driver’s behalf. These tips would help reduce distracted driving, but the teenager would have to be disciplined enough to resist the temptation when an opportunity to text comes along.

Dangerous driving habits, particularly texting and accessing social media, should be avoided especially by teenagers. A teenager should try to take care of texts and posts before or after entering their vehicle. Is it worth it to take your eyes off the road to read a post and end up in a life-threatening situation? It only takes three seconds.