Five Reasons Why You Should Never Text And Drive

A lot of drivers make the mistake of thinking that driving while distracted will not cause them any issues, with one of the biggest problems being people using their mobile phones while behind the wheel. This is by no means an issue that is limited to new drivers either, as many people with years of experience will also sometimes do the exact same thing.

One of the biggest no-no’s when behind the wheel is texting while driving. There are many reasons for this, including all of the following.

You Lose Focus

The moment your eyes go to your mobile phone and you start thinking about the text message that you’re going to send, you start losing focus. This lack of concentration could lead to you not noticing that the vehicle in front of you has stopped or could result in you running a red light. Obviously, this can lead to an accident that may cause an injury to you or somebody else. This is not something that you want on your conscience, all for the sake of answering a text message as quickly as possible.

It’s Illegal

Of course, we all know that being caught while on your phone when driving is illegal and you will be subjected to a fine if a police officer stops you while doing to. Frankly, this is something that anybody who texts and drives deserves, in addition to points on their licences, as the whole point of being a safe driver is making sure that you pay attention at all times. How can you be trusted to get behind the wheel of a car and keep yourself and those around you safe if you would rather pay attention to your phone instead?

It Occupies Your Hands

In addition to taking your concentration off the road, texting while driving will also lead to you using at least one hand to send your message. Of course, you need both of your hands for driving, regardless of whether you are in a car with manual or automatic transmission. Occupying one of those hands with a mobile phone will dull your reaction time and make you less able to react to what is happening on the road.

Hands-Free Tech Is Available

If you absolutely must be able to respond to whatever has been sent to your phone, it is important to do so using technology that allows you to keep your eyes on the road. With practically all smartphones now having a speakerphone option and voice activation, there is literally no excuse to do things manually and cause yourself to become distracted from what you should be doing. If you don’t have these things available to you, pull over or park and then respond.

It’s Stupid

There are no two ways around this one, as harsh as it may sound. Anybody who gets behind the wheel of a multi-ton vehicle and then proceeds to start texting or doing anything else that leads them to not paying attention to the road is stupid. You can cause severe injury to yourself and those around you, so make sure that you play it smart and treat your vehicle with the respect that it deserves.