Texting and driving is dangerous. If you haven’t heard that yet, you’ve probably been too distracted texting. And if you still need evidence, here is some:
- Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to get in an accident
- Using any phone, handheld or hands-free, decreases a driver’s reaction time as much as a 0.08 blood alcohol content does
- 20 percent of all crashes are from distracted driving, killing about 5,000 people a year and injuring about 450,000, making it the #1 killer of American teens
- 77 percent of young adult drivers are confident that they can safely text while driving
- Each text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds, which at 55 miles per hour is enough time to span a football field
These researched and widely accepted facts have driven parents, driving instructors, automakers, cell phone companies, app developers, state legislatures, and police officers to treat texting while driving as a serious offense. In Colorado, as in many other states, all texting while driving is illegal except to report an accident or life-threatening emergency, and all cell phone use under the age of 18 is illegal (with the same sole exception). It is a primary offense, meaning that police do not need another reason to pull you over; your first ticket is $50 and your second is $100.
But worry not: you can stop texting and driving without sacrificing your social status. When you’re on the road, do whatever it takes to not touch your phone; so hide it, put it on silent, turn it off, throw it in the trunk, or any combination of the four. If you absolutely must text, either pull over and stop the car or designate a passenger to text for you. There are also a number of Blackberry and Android smartphone applications to help prevent this chronic habit:
- AT&T DriveMode (free): sends automatic reply to all received texts and blocks all incoming and outgoing calls as well as web browsing, must be turned on manually
- DriveSafe.ly ($3.99/month; $13.95/year): reads received texts aloud (voice gender adapts to sex of sender) and either sends an auto-response or composes and sends texts from the driver’s voice, activated manually
- iZUP ($4.95/month individually; $9.95/month family of 5): detects when the phone is in a moving car, delays texts and puts all calls directly to voicemail
- CellSafety ($9.99/month): monitors children’s or employees’ phone and driving habits, shutting off phone in designated areas and when moving above 10 miles per hour, tracking phone position at all times, and notifying app administrator about sexting, cyberbullying, and car speeding
- And others
If you are a parent, an app like CellSafety might be a smart choice, but remember that while you monitor your child, you should also set a good behavioral example. Never text and drive in front of your child! And if you are just the innocent passenger of a texting driver, there are several strategies for subtly or directly implying that the driver should put down the cell phone. And remember that it’s always better to get out of a car operated by a distracted driver than to provoke that driver to anger.
How to use this Information
At Accurate Auto Body, we are all about safety. We want to educate you enough so you can minimize your trips to the Colorado collision center, but if you do end up here, you’ve chosen Denver’s best auto body shop. From Denver car window replacement to dent repair, we fix vehicles that fall victim to texting drivers, whether that be you or someone else.
Tell us how you resist (or fail to resist) texting while driving!
