Top Ten Reasons Not to Text While Driving-And Now It's Illegal in MN

Did you hear the news? It is now illegal in Minnesota to drive while distracted.


Quoting the first part of the law: "It is illegal for drivers of all ages to compose, read, or send electronic messages or access the Internet on a wireless device when the vehicle is in motion or part of traffic. This includes being stopped at a traffic light. It is illegal for drivers under age 18 to use a cell phone, whether hand-held or hands-free, except to call 911 in an emergency. ..... Cell phone use is totally banned for school bus drivers."  See the statute here: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/laws/Pages/distracted-driving.aspx

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Distracted driving includes doing anything else (applying makeup, reading, eating, reaching for something, adjusting something for a child or a pet, getting a cigarette or smoking, looking at the phone while listening to the guided GPS) that takes your eyes and/or hands away from controlling your car--people sometimes are actually watching videos on their phones while they drive--texting is the #1 problem. Besides,


10. Your knees are actually not the best appendages to use for steering.

9. How can you talk to your dog (who's riding shotgun) when you're texting someone?

8. When you get slammed into, it might ruin your phone. And your nails and your outfit and your brain.

7. While you're trying to position the screen to avoid the sun's glare, you might miss that train approaching.

6. Autocorrect. Need I say more.

5. You don't need to know you missed an incoming text to tell you your friend is currently standing in line at the DMV while chewing gum and texting you.

4. The phone doesn't realize that you only get one lane to drive in, and it won't alert you when you're in danger.

3. You got an alert that you have a text. This does not mean the car can be on 'hold' while you answer.

2. There is just something wrong about texting someone who is sitting in the back seat of your car.

And the #1 reason not to text while driving:

and...

and....

Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of being blind and driving the length of an entire football field at 55 mph.

Talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as that of a 70-year-old.

Over  3000 deaths and almost 400,000 injuries in car accidents were attributed to texting and driving in 2017.

4 out of every 5 accidents (80%) are attributed to distracted drivers. In contrast, drunk drivers account for roughly 1 out of 3 (33%) of all accidents nationally. Please do not do either!

Almost 50% of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while driving. And there are plenty of drivers older than that who are texting and driving as well.

According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, drivers talking on cell phones are 18% slower to react to brake lights. They also take 17% longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. Often, a distracted driver looks away from the road and doesn't see that a traffic light has turned red, and fails to stop.

Here is a simple way to turn off text messaging when you drive: IPhone- https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+set+an+'im+driving'+automatic+message&docid=608028636117467305&mid=01BF51AE40C90DA3E29901BF51AE40C90DA3E299&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT

Or on Android: https://gizmodo.com/how-to-set-up-auto-respond-texts-when-youre-driving-1794911685


You can also set up an 'auto reply' with your own words: 'Not answering right now, driving.' Turn on this feature before you even start your car. You can also use this in situations where you don't want to be disturbed (studying) or are asked to turn off your phone. Or, you could simply turn off the phone if the temptation is just too strong. Your friends will understand when you explain to them why you didn't respond right away.


Check this out at the government's Dept. of Transportation website about distracted driving:

http://www.distraction.gov/

More about It Can Wait:
http://www.itcanwait.com/all

Still not convinced that being distracted while operating a 2000 pound weapon is a bad idea? Read these: http://www.textingndriving.com/stories.html  

What will it take to make you stop?