We at Walker Smith Body Shop of Snellville would like to share some safety concerns we have with texting and driving! We being a body shop in Snellville have seen our share of bad accidents caused by texting.
We have all been there, driving down the road and our cellphones alerts us that we have a text message. We take a few moments to pick it up and read the text, all while driving down the street. What seems like a minor distraction is actually more serious than you might think.
Cell phone related automobile accidents are on the rise. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, texting while driving makes you 23X more likely to crash. Nearly 25% of all automobile accidents are caused by texting and driving. That’s 1,600,000 car accidents a year says the National Safety Council.
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People often justify texting while driving with these excuses.
Only texting at a stop light or stop sign.
Holding the phone in front of the windshield for more clarity.
Only reading a text, not composing one.
Whatever the excuse, it is still dangerous. Driving while texting makes you 6X more likely to get into an accident than someone who is driving while intoxicated!
So how about coming up with a better plan?
If you are one of those people who need to stay connected, consider an app for your phone. There are plenty of apps that allow you to listen to your text instead of reading them. These apps also work in reverse; you can speak and have it converted into a text message. Also there are hands free devices that can keep you focused on the road and not your phone!
Planning ahead before you get on the road is important; the key is finding a solution that works best for you. This way at least you can be paying attention, even if others are not!
For more information go to http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats