Three obsessions are very evident in many countries and cities – checking e-mails, facebooking and texting. Would you agree? In many business organizations, e-mail is an essential means to communicate, same thing with texting. I have seen cigarette and sidewalk vendors, bus, PUJ and taxi drivers, farmers even beggars holding their cellphones and exchanging text messages while doing their jobs. Where else can you see these but only in the Philippines!
Texting has also becoming very popular in the US especially for teens. According to CTIA-The Wireless Association , more than 158 billion text messages were sent in the USA in 2006. Have we realized that accidents caused by driving under influence of alcohol are as bad as those caused by texting behind wheels? For sure, there are so many accidents related to driving distractions not to mention driving while texting. DWT can cost lives.
Accidents happen while driving no matter how careful we are. I have witnessed accidents in which the victims were not doing anything; they just got hit by another vehicle driven by reckless or distracted drivers. In my family alone, I cannot count the number of times each of my siblings, my parents and even myself met major and minor car accidents caused by another vehicle. Thank God we are alive. The last one so far was my eldest brother whose van was totally wrecked. Miraculously he survived.
We can’t really do several things at the same time. Yes, multitasking has become the norm in our modern lifestyle. And it works especially for office workers. But research shows that the brain portion that works when driving is the same brain that works when talking to somebody. So why take the risks? Your life and other people’s lives are priceless.
Will it be a good idea then to ban driving while texting? In the US, a law has been passed to make this illegal. According to a source, instant and text messaging while driving tops the list as the biggest driving distraction in the US. It was also reported that almost 80% of all crashes and 65% of near-crashes are due to distracted drivers in the United States. That was in the year 2006. Indeed, DWT is becoming as dangerous as drinking and driving.
Let us be fed up by the daily news we hear and watch on TV related to car accidents. Say no to DWT!
