I got this email yesterday at work. Before posting it, I did my research. This story is true. For this one story that made the news, think about how many out there haven't made the news. This is a lesson for all of us. Whether texting, talking, checking your GPS, changing the air or radio station, do not distract yourself from your main responsibility.
When behind the wheel, focus on driving!
Here are three news articles that are my sources: here, here, and here.
A driver plowed directly into the rear of another vehicle at 70 mph. She apparently never even saw them. You see, she had been texting at the time. She hit them dead-center with no attempt to slow or evade the collision.This is the family's Acura SUV that was hit.
This is the 2008 Yukon SUV she was driving. Dead center on her vehicle, too. She escaped unscathed.There was no blowout, no wet road, no curve or hill or fog to limit visibility. This driver clearly should have been able to see the traffic conditions at least a half mile ahead had the driver been looking and not texting.
Here's a personal look at the real human cost of texting while driving. She nearly killed a three year old child. This is Griffin and his parents (Dr Mason and Mrs Stacy Jones) before the accident. 
This is Griffin the day after 4 hours of surgery to repair multiple skull fractures. He would surely have died or been severely disabled had they not been taken by STAR Flight (helicopter) to Austin's world-class Dell Children's Hospital.
This is day 4. Griffin will have that ear-to-ear scar for the rest of his life.
This is the day all the tubes were finally taken out.
Phone company records of text messages are irrefutable and accurate to the second; so it is an easy matter to prove in court that a person was texting at the time of an accident. Text messaging is becoming more of a problem. Recent studies show that driving while texting is as bad if not worse than driving while intoxicated. Think about that, driving while texting is as hazardous as driving while drunk. Thankfully, more and more states are moving towards making laws against driving while texting, and making the punishment for such crime to be spending time in jail. So like I said above, When behind the wheel, focus on driving.
4 comments:
That story gave me goosebumps. Nothing angers me more than when I see people, usually young girls, driving and texting. There needs to be stricter laws to deal with this kind of thing, its becoming an epidemic. Infact I just posted a more light hearted story of girls texting in public on my blog.
I just hate seeing people on cell phones and texting while driving. I have almost been hit by people using cell phones! It makes me so mad especially since I have two small children.
It's unfortunte that such an innocent victim has to come within inches of his life and be permanently disfigured before anybody will take these blatently obvious dangers more seriously.
I had my 2 year old in my truck when I was stopped to turn left on a 2 lane CR when I saw a young girl racing up behind us doing at least 60mph. She was talking on her phone and looking down at her radio or AC. I hit the gas and headed into the ditch while she screamed past hitting her brakes just before she got to my truck and still skidded way past us before she decided to hit the gas again.
I took her plates tracked down and called her parents who said their "little angel would never drive like that and was in school when the incident happened." I told her mother apples fall close to the tree.
I hope that Griffen's story is enough to change something because the next 3 year old may not be as lucky as him.
Gustav- it did for me too. It's sad that something this drastic has to happen to bring it to our attention.
Melissa- I hate talking on the phone period, and I'm not a big fan of driving. For me, combining the two would be next to torture. But I am nervous all the other drivers I see that are on their phones. And it just burns Selo right up.
Annonymous- Their "Perfect little angel" is obviously not as perfect as they think. I'm glad you weren't hurt. And I hope, as well, that it is enough to make people think more.
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