One of the many reasons I love the Mississippi Gulf Coast is that we are both hard working and hard playing people. But whether working or playing, when we drive, texting is dangerous. No matter what it is, it can wait! We don’t seem to get it though — according to the National Safety Council, 1 out of every 4 accidents in the United States is caused by texting while driving.
In America, we are a “can do” citizenry. Many believe that by multitasking we are getting things done. Perhaps our zeal to “get it done” translates into our desires to take care of some of our work and other tasks while behind the wheel.
I have represented individuals who have been injured by others who were texting. With modern technology, it is a lot easier to pinpoint the time when an accident occurs and whether the at-fault driver was texting just before or at the time of the collision. On several occasions, my injured clients could actually see the other driver looking down at their phone or see the cell phone illuminated face of the other driver just before the accident. On one occasion, my client was on a bridge and pulled over to the rail, as far as they could in their lane of traffic and the other driver drove straight into them without deviation. I have heard this called “cellular fog” where the cell phone user is driving in a fog-like state oblivious to other traffic in the area.
The convenience of a cell phone is great, but we need manage this convenience responsibly and to not allow it to distract us.
We have a choice, so let’s be responsible for our actions. Simply stated, we should all adopt a revised motto of DO NOT DRINK OR TEXT AND DRIVE!
Let’s stay safe out there.