Share your ‘texting & driving’ related story with TxtResponsibly.org and help raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving. Your story may be selected for the ‘Be a part of the solution’ awareness campaign. Campaign posters will be developed and donated by Pica Design, LLC and made available at TxtResponsibly.org/resources/ free for download and distribution. In addition, selected stories will be given a dedicated page under the Share Your Story section at TxtResponsibly.org. Help bring focus to the dangers of texting and driving by sharing your story today.
Be a part of the solution!
I beleive that texting while driving or talking on a mobile device is an issue for all motor vehicle drivers as well as passengers, wether they are the particualr car creating the unsafe situation or they are just another vehicle on the road which can be put in jepoardy by the unsafe drivers using a mobile device. I would like for all states to impose a new driving offense called a DWW, Driving While Wirless. We would document license plate numbers and drivers photo identity through special equiped vehicles that would use rear facing electronic cameras and reconigtion equipment that I have designed which could link the offense to the DMV Department of Motor Vehicles which can review and record the offense and send out violations which could lead to suspension of your drivers license according to your states driving laws.
I decided to do something about teen (and adult) distracted driving after my three year old daughter was nearly run down right in front of me last fall by a texting driver. That incident changed me but I don’t hate texting. Texting is here regardless of how I feel. 72% of teens text every single day – some over 3000 times a month.
The texting drivers I spoke with, including teens and truckers, all said that laws and Big Brother type software devices that “lock down” their phones would not deter them at all. So I built a tool called OTTER to compliment the efforts of legislation and public education. OTTER helps the individual manage their texting at home, in school, at the office, or, most importantly, on our highways.
In response to the epidemic of teen texting and driving, we started our Break the Habit Campaign (http://BTHnow.org ) to raise awareness of this problem thereby educating us all of the dangers. Did you know that 50% of teens interviewed admitted to texting while driving? If 50% admitted to it…how many are actually doing it? There is an urgency to this situation. To me it is unacceptable to wait 8 to 10 more years for Big Cell to get tangled up in messy lawsuits like Big Tobacco did while 6,000 fatalities occur every year from texting and driving. Thank you for your efforts TXT Responsibly.org! Don’t let up…
Best,
Erik Wood, owner
OTTER LLC
http://www.OTTERapp.com
BACKGROUND ON OTTER:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVn2vRYaSAU
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_yS0V21CFg
- http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-24604-Sacramento-Cyber-Safety-Examiner~y2010m6d4-Text-management-app-likely-antidote-for-teens-texting-and-driving
I am a student doing pre-reqs so that I can earn my BA in nursing. I am also an EMT-Basic. My husband is a paramedic. I have seen the effects of what can happen when people text and drive.I have seen what my husband goes through when they cannot save someone who was in an accident because of texting and driving. I am fatherless because of a drunk driver, so i can relate to people who have lost a loved one from the texting while driving accidents. To help spread the word of not doing it, for school I have written 2 essays, one exit exam, one research paper and given one speech. I will continue to do so until we can get it stopped altogether.
The date, time, & location of my story is of little importance, since this happens every day, all the time, everywhere! Recently a car heading in the opposite direction of us swerved over the yellow line, but thankfully “recorrected” before he hit us. As he approached, he was looking down (no doubt texting!)…in my opinion distracted driving (like texting) is just as dangerous as drunk driving and should be punished more severely! If your eyes are on your phone, they’re not on the road! Wake up, people! Pay attention! Is a message really so important that it can’t wait? Please don’t endanger my life on account of your silly message.
I used to text and drive until one night in January when I was texting and lost control of my car. I spun out and nearly hit a tree from my driver’s side. If I had made impact, I probably would have died or at least cause serious injuries to me. Since then, I will never text and drive again nor will I let other people do it when I’m in the car with them
I don’t care how good someone says they are at texting and driving. Eventually they will be distracted long enough to either get themselves hurt or someone else. Take the oath to stop this insanely dangerous modern day phenomena. Also if you’re a parent, go to textecution.com and check out this phone application that actually disables the texting function of cell phones when they are moving faster than 10 mph. It’s quite innovative and an effective way keep your child from one more distraction.
I’ve researching many university studies on the topic of texting and driving and I honestly don’t understand why there isn’t a law banning this accepted danger. To drive and text simultaneously, you’re taking 37% of you’re brain function from driving towards sending and receiving texts. You’re spending 400% more time with your eyes off the road when texting and driving and your increasing your chances of crashing 23-fold. I found that most accidents occur within a 2-2.5 second time frame and texters react an average of 1.7 seconds later than a non-texter. Also, diving while texting can be compared to someone with a .08 BAC level,
honestly i agree that txting while driving is a bad idea. there honestly no reason. call if you have to. make sure you’re actually looking up at the road.
I was recently introduced to a new software that allows you to disable text messages being sent or recieved while a vehicle is moving, it is call WebSafety. WebSafety is the most complete parental control solution you can buy for a computer. Plus, it’s the only child protection solution of its kind that exists for cell phones.
If you have any questions about WebSafety or would like to recieve a video link you can send an email to, cybersafety4all@gmail.com
Blog: http://cybersafety4all.blogspot.com/
I agree with everyone who has signed the oath and firmly stand behind the mothers of teenagers, or anyone who is aganist texting while driving. It’s very dangerous over 500,000 injury related accidents happened last year alone in 200. This number is expected to double in 2010 probably triple according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. America knows the problem but my company and I are the only one’s focused on the solution. FDI Hands free. You can check email, reply to email, Screen calls with live call screening, call back, and send text messages all without touching your phone but using your voice. One simple voice activated system, One number you will ever give out. I’m on a crusade to get this information to everyone I know and don’t know to make a difference. I want to make the roads safer for drivers and reduce accidents and especially the fatality rates. Everyone needs FDI hands free let’s save lives it might just save your own. Please visit my site for more information or e-mail me at fdisabree@aol.com.
I am to a great extent impressed with the article I have just read. I wish the writer of txtresponsibly.org can continue to provide so much useful information and unforgettable experience to txtresponsibly.org readers. There is not much to state except the following universal truth: The only way out is through. I will be back.
All the stories I read were heartfelt stories about lives that were lost due to negligence and driving while driving it really needs to stop. I haven’t been affected personally by it but I sympathize with you all. I agree with Obama, Legislatures, and Oprah Winfrey to be against texting while driving. It’s already banned in 20 states include our nation’s capital Washington, DC. It needs to be banned in all 50 states and bigger fines or jail time maybe that will crack down. I stand firmly behind it as well I see motorist all the time up and down I-95, the beltway and around the Washington, DC area as well as Southern Maryland still doing it and they know it’s illegal. It makes me sick. People just don’t care and it’s ridiculous. Everybody is talking about the problem. My company and I are the only company right now focused on the solution. We have several services FDI Voice hands-free for $9.95 per mo combined with a membership you choose you get a virtual communications assistant to do everything for you. She asks “What would you like to do?” you can send TEXT HANDS FREE, check and reply to email, screen calls live, and make calls and more totally safe hands on the steering wheel , eyes on the road using your BT. Please give me a call if anyone is interested in our products and services as well as the business opportunity for referrals. Tell everyone you know and don’t know about my company and please visit my website. http://fdivoice.com/shidah I look forward to speaking to you all and working with you all. Email me at fdisabree@gmail.com for an appointment today or call me at(877)250-8480 and get to a BIG event near you. God bless you all.
My cousin was 17 when his life suddenly changed. Within seconds everything he once knew, every dream he had, every big plan for the future changed. He had just signed up for the military and had already started his training. He was so excited about serving his country. He was a pretty popular kid in high school, he had many friends, and he was involved in many activities. One choice changed it all. He was a passenger in a car with his girlfriend at the time, and she was texting and driving. They hit a tree doing about 55 mph on the passenger side. She walked away with a scratch and although my cousin was wearing his seatbelt the impact of the crash twisted his brain stem. He died three times before he even got to the hospital. At the hospital the doctors gave us no hope that he’d make it through. His brain injury was so traumatic that they believed he had less then a 5% chance to live. Six weeks after his accident he woke up from his coma, but life would never be the same. His brain injury has prevented him from being a normal teenager, it also put an end to his military career in which he was honorable discharged. My cousin is 19 now and he’ll graduate high school this year, but his life will never be the same. He uses his accident as a way to save others by being a public speaker for the high schools around the state. Although he’s with us today, his life went from being normal to something totally different. Texting and driving is dangerous and it can change lives in an instant. Many were affected by his accident!!
In 20 years people will look back and think we were very foolish for doing that. Very Dangerous!
When I had a flip phone with predictive text, I hardly had to look at it to compose messages. I mostly drive in daylight on limited-access interstate highways in sparsely populated areas with little traffic. I don’t see the harm in texting under those conditions when it takes no more eye time than fiddling with the radio. I’m only putting myself at risk, if anyone.
When I switched to a smart phone, I pretty much stopped texting while driving because it takes so much attention and effort to use. I can barely walk and text with it, let alone drive.
Thank you for sharing your story and perspective Stuart.
Hello,
My name is Amanda and I have a story to tell… My 19 year old sister was killed May 16th, 2009 in a car accident. She was texting me when her truck entered the median. She over corrected and flipped end over end several times before being ejected. The guilt I feel everyday is a hard load to carry. I have felt the desire to get public education out there since her accident this year.
It is especially hard on my mom, not only because she lost a child but my sister’s accident happened the same day my dad passed away 9 years prior. I have been given opportunities to speak at high schools and universities in the Kansas/Missouri area (she was attending Kansas State University and a graduate of a Missouri High School).
Thank you so much for taking the time to post and share your story! We know that it will resonate with our existing audience and will be effective in reaching out to new target audiences. You’ll be glad to know, we have been invited to attend the Distracted Driving Summit in DC next week! We will post new information on the website from the event. Stay tuned for more.
We do not have sidewalks in our neighborhood. I have to be extremely vigilant with drivers now – almost had a woman drive right into us, because she was texting. I had to yell out at her. I’m there with my baby stroller – on the side of road – and most drivers are courteous to dog walkers & people with baby strollers. But, now, as a result of that one occasion, I stop each time a car approaches & until they acknowledge my waving to them, I do not trust that they are paying attention. You can often tell a person is texting because they slow down, substantially. Get your texts to audio, and they will be read aloud – so you don’t even have to look at your cell phone if you receive a text while driving. Handsfree or cars enabled with handsfree are safer, if choosing to use a cell phone at all while driving.
Hi Laura. Thank you for sharing your comment and your perspective.
Should the US be making a video like the UK PSA video and showing it to Driver Ed students across the country? I think they should. What do you think?
This reminds me of the old ‘Scared Straight’ video from the 70’s. I just googled some statistics from the video to see what effect it had on the youths. According to the Journal of Correctional Education…
“The TV show followed 17 juvenile offenders as they experienced prison life for two hours. During the show it was reported that about 8,000 juveniles had visited the prison and that 80% of them were reformed by the experience.”
I do think in-your-face videos like the UK PSA shown to high schoolers or kids in drivers education might curb some initial drivers from texting. However, maybe there should be a more pro-active stance to also reeducate adult drivers.
I don’t text and drive but I do occasionally shuffle through songs on my ipod. After seeing and reading all the statistics I think twice about changing songs. Now I put songs on before I get going and I only change albums if there are no cars in sight. It is amazing the impact all of these news stories have had on me. I hope that others have the same reaction.
I recently purchased an ipod touch at an attempt to be more organized. I few months ago I found myself thinking about something I needed to do while driving, so I pulled out the ipod and started entering the task into my to-do list. I found it very difficult as I was constantly looking up and down and realized how dangerous it was. It was rather nerve-wracking just trying to asses the turns in the road and the cars coming in the other direction. I had to put the ipod down. I am making it a habit to wait until I arrive at my destination to enter to-do list items. The statistics and information I have been seeing have secured that decision.
After viewing this site and seeing the statistics about texting while driving I was shocked. I haven’t txt’d from the car since.
For the past 13 years or so my wife and I have had cell phones to connect with each other on our way home from work (honey do this, honey get that, etc.). Recently, we purchased new iPhones and I noticed that we were so enamored with the ability to multi-task while using the new devices that we were using them without really thinking about where we were or what we were doing. It was like driving absent mindedly. Back in the spring, we started hearing about crazy, senseless accidents that were occurring while people were using their phones and other handheld devices in similar ways. At that point it dawned on me just how careless we had both been and how awful it would have been if we were in an accident or worse, caused an accident. My message: be smart, wake up, txtresponsibly.
Thank you for sharing your story Rob!