Texting and driving didn’t used to be a thing. While inattention while driving is not something new, cell phones have added to the list of distractions one could have while driving. Driving is a great responsibility and inattention should be limited where possible. Sometimes fussy children and sunlight in your eyes can’t be helped, but chosen inattention can be.
This morning, being a sleepy morning, Kari missed the bus, which usually picks her up on our side of the street. I told her we would just go out and catch it on the way back.
Kari was crossing the street to get on the bus and someone failed to stop for her. The bus driver laid on the horn to get the driver to stop. I yanked Kari out of the street. The driver slammed on her brakes. She stopped 2 feet from where Kari had just been.
What was the cause of her inattention? She was texting.
Too often lately have I seen people driving and texting. Always can I tell when someone is texting and driving, because, frankly, they are driving terribly. This includes not signaling for turns or lane changes, swerving in lane, braking at nothing, etc.
If communicating on the phone is more important than operating a large object speeding through space and time, pull over. It’s that simple. Pull over. By the simple act of making a choice to not text while driving and pull over if it is something dire, you are saving lives. I applaud you.
To those of you who think it will never happen to you, it will. Or perhaps it has. Maybe you have caused an accident but were too absorbed in texting to notice. The driver this morning was too absorbed to notice a stopped school bus with flashing lights and a child in the street. Please don’t let a text cost you your life, because this morning it nearly cost me the reason for mine.