Text It And Wreck It

New laws are being passed all over the nation regarding cell phone usage while driving. It’s no surprise either, the statistics of text message related vehicle accidents alone are staggeringly high. And with cell phones becoming a more inclusive part of our lives everyday, its difficult to put them down even while driving, despite the violent risks.

Out of all of the cell phone related tasks (dialing, talking, or reaching for the phone) texting while driving is by far the most dangerous, especially in the hustle and bustle of Savannah, GA. Nearly one-fifth of experienced adult drivers in the United States send and receive texts while driving.

For every 6 seconds of drive time, a driver sending, receiving, or typing a text message spends 4.6 of those 6 seconds with their eyes focused away from the road in front of them and the row of cars slamming on brakes. You’ve now got 2.4 seconds left to react, and you’re not The Stig.

Young drivers are the most affected. Teens themselves even admit that texting is their number one driver distraction. The percentages are unnerving.

1. Nearly 50%, almost half of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while driving.
2. Every year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were caused by cell phone usage.
3. These horrific statistics are expected to grow by as much as 4% each year.

No Savannah parent wants to get the phone call from the Police saying their son or daughter are in the hospital because of driving while texting a friend their review of Inception. Put the phone down for a few minutes, its not worth it.

But, come on, cell phone related accidents can’t be that bad. I text and talk and drive all the time, surely that can’t be as dangerous as some drunken joy rider? Right? Wrong.

• Texting while driving is around 6 times more likely to result in an traffic accident than driving while intoxicated.

• 4 out of every 5 accidents are attributed to distracted drivers, including those on cell phones.

• Drunk drivers account for roughly 1 out of 3 of all accidents nationally.

Ward’s Autobody cares deeply about the issue of texting and driving. That’s why we recently purchased a bus ad encouraging people against texting while driving in Savannah (or anywhere for that matter!).

Soon after putting out these bus ads we received several telephone calls. One of them was from a woman expressing her immense appreciation. She had seen our ad with the “PLS DNT TXT N DRIVE” message, prompting her to show her support with her best wishes. It really shows that people are starting to spread the message.

Thanks for making Savannah safer by not texting and driving.