Don't Text and Drive

Source:
MSNBC

The title of this post may seem like common sense to some people. In fact, many people may be rolling their eyes at me for posting it. Others will most likely shrug it off and not read it or read it with the burning question: "Why?". Hundreds of people, if not millions, use their phone while driving and while it is illegal in some places to talk on the phone while driving it may not be illegal to text while driving. Texting is just as big a problem as talking on the phone... as Nicholas Sparks found out.

Sparks was committing a double foul on the road. Two cell phones at the same time while driving. Texting with one and talking with the other. Quickly Mr. Sparks drove his tow truck into the back of another truck and then into a pool. New York does not have a law against texting in effect at this point in time, though there is one set to go in effect in November, so they can only arrest him with driving while speaking on the phone.

New York isn't alone in not having a full blown anti-texting law. In fact, only ten states do have one that effects all drivers. Eight other states have passed laws agaisnt texting but they have yet to go into effect. When they do a total of eighteen states will have laws against everyone texting while driving no matter the age or area. Some states currently have laws against doing it at a younger age or while in a school zone but this practice isn't fixing the problem at all and eighteen out of fifty is only around two-fifths of the total number.

Studies have recently begun to cover texting. The Transportation Institute at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University released findings that someone texting is twenty-three times more likely to crash than someone not hampered by a cell phone at all and four times more likely to crash than someone using a cell phone. I won't call this conclusive because there are many more studies to be had... I would, however, say that we're all better off finding something to unglue the phone from our hands while driving. If not for the safety of yourself then do it for the safety of those you may potentially kill. If you live in Utah you face fifteen years for killing someone while driving and texting. Pretty harsh... but maybe it's exactly what we need to finally get people to shut the phone off while on the road.

The invisible parent in your car...

Source:
USA TODAY

'We wanted a way for the parent to be in the car with the kid without being there'. Paraphrases what Andrew Sarkisian says about the latest advancement in Ford's safety. A special key that can limit what your child does in the car. How much can it change their driving? Well, if your child is anything like my family, they'll buckle up when the radio ceases to function until having done so. Afraid your child is racing at break-neck speeds? Well the car can only go up to 80mph while the Mkey is inside! After Sarkisian's eldest daughter was in two rollover accidents he came up with this idea to make driving safer for teens.

Statistics show that teens tend to get into an accident within one year after starting to drive. The Mkey provides better safety of mind for some parents. But no matter what, you have to have someone who knows what they're doing in control. Safety feature after safety feature can't force you to make good decisions but it can help.

Any teen driving to college can relate to this. What if your parent got you a car with this key? Do you think it would help you or just get on your nerves? Personally, if it makes the roads more safe then I'm all for it.