Texting While Driving in Orlando – An Accident Waiting to Happen

August 3, 2010 by Orlando Florida Magazine  
Filed under Orlando Living

We have all done it. You hear that familiar beep from your cell phone, you have text message! But you’re driving on I-4, you ought to probably wait to check it and reply. Except, it could be critical! You can sense your cell phone calling to you. You become irritated, you can’t delay any more. Okay, you’ll merely glimpse at your cell phone and then if you will want to answer back you’ll pull over. Well, it’s nothing important, although you do should to make dinner plans with a pal for tonight. It will not take much time. You’ll merely text back speedily. You peek down, key in your message, and hit send. Afterward you glance up, only to grasp that traffic has slowed to a near stop ahead and you immediately slam on your car brakes.

Various testimonies are circulated relating the terrible incidents that occurred as a result of texting while driving. Arguably, the most notorious case is the deadly commuter train collision in California. Authorities think the engineer was distracted by text messaging, and because of this ran a red light. The ensuing catastrophe induced several victims.

Texting while driving has turned into such a hot button concern in Orlando, it’s even produced its own acronym, DWD, or driving while distracted. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes that distracted drivers set off 80%of traffic accidents and account for sixty percent of close calls. At this time, 23 states and the District of Columbia have moreover already banned text messaging while driving your car, or have approved a ban that will go into effect in the coming months. In fact, 6 of the states and DC ban handheld cellphone use whilst driving down the road completely.

In spite of this, as this style of law sweeps the country, text messaging by itself increases in popularity in Orlando. New cell phone advertisements publicize the fact that the specific device established the Guinness World Record for the fastest text message. Celebrity Apprentice participator Rod Blagojevich was “fired” subsequent to co-contestants expressed their consternation that the former-governor’s inability to text message. These examples serve to highlight the truth that we’re increasingly becoming a text driven culture, fueled by an dependence on our “CrackBerry.”

So what is the answer? Safety advocates in Orlando offer the following guidelines to guarantee that you avoid texting while driving and remain alert on the highway, both for your safety and the wellbeing of others on the road:

  • Should you definitely have to take a call or respond to a text, don’t go on driving. Find a safe spot to pull off the road before using your phone.
  • When you have to make a telephone call or text while driving, use your phone’s voice-activated features to do so.
  • Merely permit the telephone call to go to voice mail. You can return it or any text messages after you’re no longer on the road.

Utilizing plans like ones listed above will help you to avoid the hazards created by texting while driving. And remember, next time you hear that well-known beep whilst you are in the car, just pay no heed to it. You may in point of fact be making a life or death choice.

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