Technology is a great tool when used properly. But as it becomes ever prevalent in our day-to-day lives, it can move from being simply useful to life-ending. With all of our connected gadgets, we are in constant communication via social networking, phone calls and texting. And now this is moving into our vehicles. As we enter into the 100 most dangerous teen driving days of the year, the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we need to pay careful attention about when we use technology and how we use it. If used at the wrong time, it turns into a deadly weapon.
I have been invited to participate in AT&T’s ItCanWait campaign which is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of texting and driving. Over the coming weeks, I will be writing about texting and driving, its dangers and what you can do to avoid putting yourself and others into harms way.
While I am being compensated for participating in the #ItCanWait campaign, I do have a vested interest in not only learning more about the texting and driving dangers but also in educating those around me (my family, my friends, my co-workers, my neighbors and my readers). I have 3 daughters, the oldest of which is almost at driving age. The other two are watching each and every move that we make while my wife and I drive. We are setting an example for them, well before they even will be considered ready to get behind the wheel of a car.
ItCanWait.com has some solid backers from the wireless industry – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. I always found it a bit ironic that a wireless carrier would promote NOT using their service. But in this case, it’s about saving lives, not making money.
Being a teenage driver is dangerous enough. Young drivers simply have a lack of experience and are scared behind the wheel. If you add other passengers to the vehicle, driving becomes distracted, especially if they are young drivers. If you add a smartphone to the mix, teenage driving moves from being scary to simply deadly. And this is not just for teenagers, adults, even those with years of experience, can become distracted with just a phone call, email or text.
A few years ago, I was invited by Ford Motor Company to learn more about their “Driving Skills for Life” program which aimed to help teenagers understand the dangers of distracted driving. Take a look at this 14 minute video to understand more about the program:
[youtube http://youtu.be/vdlQprJ_4Ts]
Obviously, while cars are becoming safer through advances in technology, driving isn’t necessarily getting better because of other types of technology being brought into the car itself. The second part of the video (at about 7:50) actually shows how incredibly distracting texting and driving can be.
So, as we drive down the road of the 100 most deadly days, do consider leaving your smartphone in your bag, purse or pocket. As adults, we need to set an example to our kids. And as teens who are just starting to explore the roads, let’s try to make sure that you have many many years of driving ahead of you!
Take the pledge to not text and drive. Do it for you. Do it for your kids. Do it for others who share the road with you!
Disclosure Text : I was paid/compensated by AT&T and/or its affiliates or PR/Marketing firms to write this article. All opinions within this article are my own and are not subject to the editorial review from any 3rd party. More information can be found in my About page as well as here.
HTD says: Responding to texts can wait. It’s not worth your life or anyone else’s!
