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Please Don’t Text and Drive: Leading Cause of Auto Accidents in Tampa Bay, Florida

texting.jpgTexting + driving = bad things happen. My husband, a twenty year veteran DUI officer in St. Petersburg, Florida shows me gruesome car accident photos now and again that help keep me in line. As a result, I run less red lights that still look orange to me, and I try to avoid certain behaviors while driving, including texting.

But I was surprised to learn that texting while driving is much much worse than drinking and driving. Did you know for instance that the five seconds you look at your phone to read or write a quick text, amounts to a football field of distance going 55 mph.  I use the excuse that I only text at red lights or I pull over. But really, how many times do I finish typing or reading the sentence I started, while I accelerate when the light turns green. It would not take much more than a second or two for a pedestrian or bicyclist to move in front of me while I’m still looking down foot pressed against the accelerator. I am also very guilty of writing three words or less while driving. Still takes five seconds to do that. Meantime a football field has passed by.

Be a good example for your kids. 48% of young people say they see adults regularly texting while driving. That’s no different than getting drunk off your &^% and getting behind the wheel. In fact it’s eight times worse according to statistics.

By the way, texting records can be subpoenad for a criminal investigation. They are date and time stamped.

So let’s make a promise to ourselves. No more texting while driving. Period. No reading them. No writing them.

If you need some backup to convince a significant other to stop texting while driving check out this info on the dangers of texting and driving:  https://www.moneysavingpro.com/smartphones/texting-and-driving/.  If they won’t listen to you, maybe something in there will convince them!

If you or a loved one has been injured by someone texting while driving, please contact us at Arkovich Law

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