Editorial: Eyes on the Road - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Eyes on the Road

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By Collin R. Gaston - bio | email

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MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident.  The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are the other motorists on the roadways. Case in point – I actually passed a guy on I-65 this week who was texting with both hands, driving with his knees going 70 miles an hour. Wake up – you are going to kill someone!

Texting while driving increases the risk of accidents by 23 times over unimpaired focused drivers. Ironically, 95% of drivers state that texting while driving is unacceptable, but 21% admitted to doing it anyway. Studies also prove that a totally unimpaired driver can respond and begin braking within half a second. A drunk driver needs four more feet to begin braking. A person texting and driving needs an astounding 70 more feet to begin braking. 

Every year 21% of fatal car crashes of teens between the ages of 16 and 19 were a result of texting and driving. Regrettably this rate is expected to grow by 4% each year.  Additionally 6,000 deaths and a half a million of injuries are caused by texting and driving each year.

Last week Governor Bentley signed into law House Bill 2, a measure that prohibits texting while driving.  We highlight and applaud our Governor and Legislators for enacting this law because it will help discourage texting and driving and avoid careless loss of life.

The solution to this problem is simple.  Wait until you've reached your destination to check and respond to emails and texts … it's now the law and it WILL save lives.

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