By GAIL TOUSSAINT, Gazette contributor
I see it every day. Someone behind the wheel looking at their cellphone and not the road.
Do you want to know how I spot them? They are unable to stay in their lane, veering into mine. This makes my blood pressure soar…they callously have a complete disregard for my wellbeing because sending or reading a text message was more important than my life.
Texting while driving is not just risky – it’s deadly.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims 3,275 people died from distracted driving in 2023.
That could be your spouse, daughter or son. It could be your sister, brother, mother, father, a best friend…your dog or cat even! Need I go on?
According to the NHTSA, when a car is driving at 55 miles per hour, a five-second glance at your phone means you have traveled the length of a football field with your eyes off the road. Think about that for a minute…a FOOTBALL field!
Texting demands all three things a driver needs most when behind the wheel: your eyes, hands and mind.
Texting is a deadly choice that far too many people make. Not only are they taking a gamble with their own life, but also the lives of their passengers, other drivers and pedestrians.
We need to see a cultural transformation shift. Parents can start with leading by example.
All too many times, I see an adult furiously texting away with children in the back seat. By doing this, you are teaching your children that texting while driving is okay.
The saying “do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t apply sadly. Parents must model phone-free driving for their kids. Put the phone down!
No text or phone call is worth increasing that statistic from 2023.
If it is that important, simply pull over. 90 percent of drivers are aware it is unsafe, yet over half admit they still do it.
Everyone knows better, but they haven’t decided to do better. How many more deaths must occur before this is taken more seriously?
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Gail Toussaint is a resident of Biddeford. The views and opinions expressed here are her own and not necessarily those of the Biddeford Gazette.
The Gazette strongly encourages reader feedback, including letters to the editor, contributed feature stories or op-ed pieces that offer perspectives different from the opinion pieces we publish. For more information, please send an email to biddefordgazette@gmail.com
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