{"id":1791,"date":"2009-07-28T21:24:54","date_gmt":"2009-07-28T21:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owenstrachan.com\/?p=1791"},"modified":"2009-07-28T21:24:54","modified_gmt":"2009-07-28T21:24:54","slug":"texting-while-driving-dying-made-easy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thoughtlife\/2009\/07\/texting-while-driving-dying-made-easy\/","title":{"rendered":"Texting While Driving: Dying Made Easy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"drivetexting\"The NYT reports that, among truckers, texting while driving increased the possibility of an accident by 23 times<\/a>.\u00a0 In other words, if you\u2019re texting while you drive, you are 23 times more likely to get into an accident than you are if you do not text while driving.\u00a0 This according to a new six million dollar study. (Photo: ABC News)<\/p>\n

The rate lowered to eight times more likely to crash among college students.\u00a0 That should give you great confidence.\u00a0 If driving with a college student who is texting, you are only 800% more likely to crash.\u00a0 Pity the poor person riding with a trucker\u2013they face a 2300% better chance of crashing (and dying).<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the article says about those who text while driving<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices \u2014 enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.<\/p>\n

Compared with other sources of driver distraction, \u201ctexting is in its own universe of risk,\u201d said Rich Hanowski, who oversaw the study at the institute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gulp.<\/p>\n

Also, for those of us who talk on the phone while driving\u2013bad news:<\/p>\n

\u201cBy comparison, several field and laboratory studies show that drivers talking on cellphones are four times more likely to cause a crash than other drivers. And a previous Virginia institute study videotaping car drivers found that they were three times more likely to crash or come close to a crash when dialing a phone and 1.3 times more likely when talking on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yikes.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the whole article.<\/a><\/p>\n

As your self-appointed health expert, I strenuously encourage you not to text while driving.\u00a0 Of course, even if you don\u2019t text while operating your vehicle, other people will do so\u2013most often those who have the least cause for multitasking while driving.<\/p>\n

This is further proof of the inherent goodness of common-sense thinking.\u00a0 It makes sense not to send text messages while driving 70 miles per hour down a crowded highway.\u00a0 This also shows the risks that modern culture poses to us.\u00a0 A hypertechnological society allows us all kinds of new possibilities.\u00a0 Many of them, unfortunately, are laced with danger.<\/p>\n

One need not swear off text-messaging or other forms of the new technology to live well and wisely.\u00a0 But one should surely curtail usage when appropriate and teach one\u2019s children to do so the same.\u00a0 Many of us who talk on the phone while driving should think very seriously about doing so unless absolutely necessary.\u00a0 Our lives\u2013and our children\u2019s lives\u2013could be at stake.<\/p>\n

Texting while driving\u2013a great way to die (or kill someone).\u00a0 Talking on the phone while driving\u2013a pretty good way to die (or kill someone).<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The NYT reports that, among truckers, texting while driving increased the possibility of an accident by 23 times.\u00a0 In other words, if you\u2019re texting while you drive, you are 23 times more likely to get into an accident than you are if you do not text while driving.\u00a0 This according to a new six million […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1217,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[317],"tags":[13283,2799,2800,3019],"class_list":["post-1791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-technology","tag-texting","tag-texting-while-driving","tag-virginia-tech-study-of-texting"],"yoast_head":"\nTexting While Driving: Dying Made Easy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The NYT reports that, among truckers, texting while driving increased the possibility of an accident by 23 times.\u00a0 In other words, 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