When Your Tires Hit the Field….

Published on Thursday, February 7, 2013 by Katherine

Imagine yourself driving. You see a football field ahead of you. Now, put the pedal to the metal until you get to a good 55 mph.

Look to your left and look to your right. There are other drivers all around you. The minute your front tires hit the field, CLOSE YOUR EYES. Drive the entire length of the football field with your eyes closed.

Did you make it to the end without hitting anyone? Did the teen following your example make it to the end as well?

FACT: Texting takes away about five seconds of your time. At 55 mph, you can drive an entire football field in five seconds.

I think it should be illegal to text and drive in EVERY state. Period.

Barb

I agree- those are scary statistics!!!!!
nonamedufus

Talking on the phone and texting while driving is banned right across Canada. Of course that doesn’t mean people still don’t do it unfortunately. And there have been some pretty bad and fatal accidents as a result. When are people going to learn?
Cheryl P.

I did a post called “Idiots Using Smart Phones” in 2011 when Kansas passed a version of no-texting while driving law. After doing some research, I found that there are a whole lot of states that just limit no-texting for people under certain ages and other such arbitrary limitations. Use of cell phones, in general whether it’s texting, checking emails, goofing around with finding your Pandora channel…whatever..needs to be limited. How to enforce it is a whole other matter.
Mel

Made my heart sick. I was looking for the punch line–and got it…..right to the heart.
We don’t allow texting and driving in this state.
Doesn’t stop it from happening…..unfortunately……..
Unfinished Person

Wait? Where’s the funny post? I was expecting a funny post. This isn’t funny. 🙁 😉 Very true, but not funny.
Ron

“I think it should be illegal to text and drive in EVERY state. Period.”

Amen, Katherine!

I can’t tell you how many cab drivers I see in this city,who text while driving and almost hit pedestrians because they’re not paying attention.
Shawn Ohara

I thought it was illegal everywhere. I know it was made illegal here one or two years ago.
Laughing Mom

It will happen hopefully soon. Just like we didn’t used to have to have seat belts.
Cadeaux

It’s illegal here in stupid Alabama (I’m from Jersey – can you tell I have an issue with the state I’m in) – but, the mentality is…”Unless you get caught…it’s legal”. They won’t ever learn. There will always be people who just don’t care.. They still don’t wear seat-belts here and you wouldn’t believe how many kids are not buckled in…nor in car seats. Or in car seats in the front seat…or letting their little kids sit in the front seat. When those air bags go off – they can (and have) decapitated kids. But I’ve been told it’s none of my business. It IS my business. If I ram into you and your kid gets killed…how the hell am I going to live with myself?

Seriously.

And I got hit from behind from a teenager reaching down to answer her cell phone. about 7-10 years ago. Screwed up my neck for life. I got an $8000 settlement on it – 1/3 went to the lawyer. I was in therapy for two years – they told me to stop as it wasn’t going to help. Always thought that if you send a person to therapy…YOU have to accompany them. It’s alright for MY life to get altered – but you go on your merry way?

BTW, her step-father was the grand pooh-bah of lawyers who sits on the Montgomery legal council. No one, I’m talking NO ONE would take my case – because they didn’t want retaliation from him. Finally, I found someone last minute after the other who said they would take my case (and was with me three months) – found out who her step-dad was – and he dropped me like a week before my time limit to file was up. Nice, huh? That’s how they do it here in the good-ole boy system of Alabammy.
- Katherine Murray
  
  Trying to get to everyone else’s posts is so hard, so I haven’t been able to answer to comments. But YOURS I NEED to respond to. I WAS HIT by a “distracted driver” in June and that is why I have so much pain. What is wrong with you? A disc? You should have gotten so much more. Pain and suffering for LIFE. I have a lawyer too…. 1/3 as well. I have done EVERY co-pay and won’t see a dime back until I sign off saying I am better. And I am nowhere near better. I am so sorry this happened to you. I wanted to tell you I CAN RELATE!
Ziva

I thought texting and talking on the phone was illegal everywhere. It’s illegal here, but still you’ll occasionally see people doing it, and it just makes me want to scream. If you’re not concerned with your own safety, at least consider the people around you.
P.J.

I thought it already was banned in all states. How interesting it is to do a quick Google search and find this:

“Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, novice drivers are banned from texting in 5 states (Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and school bus drivers are banned from text messaging in 3 states (Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas).”

That is scary to think there are states where texting by bus drivers is NOT illegal? Really? Holy crap.

For the record, Montana, South Dakota, South Carolina, Florida, Arizona and Hawaii have no bans. Crazy, right?
Linda R.

That is a scary scenario. Well said!
Nora Blithe

Scariest blog post I’ve read all day! Excellent advice and I would agree that one shouldn’t text while driving. I witnessed an accident as the result of it once.
Jay of The Depp Effect

It is illegal to even answer a call on a mobile phone while driving here in England, unless your car is fitted with a hands-free kit. People still do it, of course, but the difference is that if you have any kind of an accident (however minor) and they find a loose mobile phone in the car, they access the data to see when the last call was made and if it was proved to be while you were driving, they throw the book at you.

And quite rightly, too!
Linda Medrano

Good PSA Katherine. People amaze me texting while they drive. It’s as bad as drunk driving.
MalisaHargrove

Oh, wow. Those are some scary facts. I never thought about it that way, but I will never think of texting and driving again without thinking of a football field. Thanks.
mikewjattoomanymornings

At 110 mph, you can cover a football field in less than 3 seconds. And if I get the Bugatti Veyron I want, I’ll prove it to you.
Indigo Roth

You’re right Katherine. A friend hassled me about this very subject, and bless her, I’ve changed.
KZ

Well said, Katherine! Examining your habits with a little perspective can really save your life.