I don't know about you, but I'm out of my teen years and I still haven't mastered the art, if that's what you want to call it, of driving, texting and talking on the cell phone.
This combination creates a deadly mix for the other drivers who are attempting to avoid me while I'm multitasking on the road. And if you're an inexperienced driver, like most teens, there is no way you can juggle all of these distracting activities when you're behind the wheel.
According to a recent study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies conference, motor vehicles are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 18 years old. And this group accounts for more than 5,000 deaths per year.
The sample study was composed of 21 teens who were instructed to navigate a driving simulator while searching for their MP3 players and sending text messages. It was no surprise that the simulation test revealed that teens wove in and out of their lanes, fluctuated their driving speed and in some cases ran down pedestrians.
A number of laws are being enacted to curb this behavior. I don't know about you, but I'm in favor of big brother enforcing laws to regulate cell and text usage for teens while driving. Better yet, I strongly believe we should all be banned from using our gadgets -- since most adult drivers are just as distracted as teen drivers. Isn't it better to save a life and avoid all of these distractions until we make it to our designation?
Oprah has proclaimed today as National No Phone Zone pledge -- as it relates to texting and using the cell phone. Are you ready to step up to the plate? If so, click here and sign the pledge. I did. There are three levels to select from. I have given up my cell, but I have pledged to use a handsfree device, when I drive. In fact, my phone doesn't accept text. With Facebook, email and other forms of communication, this is one I can live without.
This blog which was written by Jeff Fortson, editor of JeffCars.com, appeared last year on AOL's BlackVoices.com.
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