Hold your horses! Before anyone goes off the deep end on me and M.A.D.D. pops a vein….. hear me out.  By no means am I condoning driving under the influence, I’m just saying, statistically “smart phones” have made us stupid and “drunk drivers don’t scare me anymore.”

Think about it…..how many times have you been driving down the road, and had to go around another driver just because they were going 20 miles under the speed limit and they were on the phone talking……oblivious to everything else going on around them? Or, the thousands of times you were sitting behind someone at a traffic light and noticed their head down in their laps, the light turns green and they just sit there……….typing away on their e-mails while cars behind them honk away until the light turns red again and they are still sitting there?!?

But, these aren’t the drivers that really hurt anyone.  It’s the ones who drive down a two-lane road, swerving and crossing the center line with their heads down in their laps…….again!  At least drunk drivers try a little harder to be safe about their driving.  Seriously, they keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.

I’m not saying I’m perfect, but when you research the facts it’s pretty startling and scary.  Here are just a few that were eye openers: (source: Stoptextsstopwrecks.org)

Texting While Driving Causes:

1. 1,600,000 accidents per year – National Safety Council
2. 330,000 injuries per year – Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Study
3. 11 teen deaths EVERY DAY – Ins. Institute for Hwy Safety Fatality Facts
4. Nearly 25% of ALL car accidents

Texting While Driving Is:

1. About 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated
2. The same as driving after 4 beers – National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
3. The number one driving distraction reported by teen drivers

Texting While Driving:

1. Makes you 23X more likely to crash – National Hwy Transportation Safety Admin.
2. Is the same as driving blind for 5 seconds at a time – VA. Tech Transportation Institute
3. Takes place by 800,000 drivers at any given time across the country
4. Slows your brake reaction speed by 18% – HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society
5. Leads to a 400% increase with eyes off the road

Think about it……for years it has been pounded into our heads that drunk driving is the number one cause of death on the roads.  But, I’m not convinced this is the case anymore especially when you know that every car you pass on the road has at least one (1) cell phone (if not more depending on the number of passengers).  And, this is why “drunk drivers don’t scare me anymore.”

Maybe it’s time to start a new movement …….how about “D.A.D.”  (Disconnect And Drive)?  Or, “P.D.A.D.” (Phones Down And Drive)?  With summer officially kicking off, I urge you to think twice before reading or answering that text when you drive……..is it really worth the risk?

NOTE:  This post was written by my husband, Michael.  It’s something he is very passionate about and he asked me to help get his message across through my blog.