A discussion by HockeyDino on Facebook regarding texting while driving brought memories back…
About a year after my divorce, my ex-husband called me and told me I had one week to find and buy a new car because he was taking my Infiniti SUV away from me. It was in his name, his car was being repossessed so he wanted mine.
My parents had to step in. I didn’t have a lot of money and I was trying to support my two small children on a tiny trust fund and an even tinier amount of child support. We were barely getting by.
They bought me the cutest, most adorable couple year old green Honda Civic. I loved that freaking car! It was perfect and met my transportation needs in almost every way. Gas mileage, room for my kids car seats. I called it Franklin. Like the turtle. Get it? Ahem…
That car and I lived happily together for a year or so. Until…
I picked my kids up from daycare one evening. The traffic was ungodly awful but moving at the speed limit which, on the road I was traveling, was 45 miles per hour.
My kids were chatting and singing in the car and we were discussing what to get for dinner. My cell phone was in my purse. I didn’t like to talk and drive at the same time, especially when I had my babies with me.
The light turned red. There was a black Escalade in front of me and a Honda CRV behind me…a red-ish color.
The Escalade slowed down to stop.
I slowed down to stop.
The CRV? I didn’t even see a person in the driver seat because he was bent over his seat, apparently very busy doing something else besides slowing down to stop for the light.
He plowed into me so hard that I crashed into the Escalade in front of me. It was because he crashed into me that caused him to finally stop.
My head jerked forward and back.
My kids. All I could think of was OH MY GOD, MY KIDS.
They were crying, so scared. And my son was was saying that his back was hurt.
The police came. The ambulance came, which was getting ready to take my son and me to the hospital…protocol when accident victims are complaining of neck or back distress.
The guy apologized. He laughed nervously as he admitted he had been making phone calls and texting, not really paying attention to the road.
He totaled my car. The body shifted from the frame, it was beyond repair.
I had slight whiplash.
My son was fine.
My daughter was fine.
That asshole, all he got was a ticket.
He didn’t have kids in the car who were temporarily traumatized.
His car wasn’t damaged.
His life was uninterrupted.
There weren’t laws in effect that held any ramifications for being on cellphones while driving. Had there been, perhaps he would have had more than just his hand slapped.
Which is why I am SO thankful that there are state cellphone use and texting laws being put into place.
Because of jackasses like that man, who got off with a slightly bent front fender and a ticket back then, now will have more serious ramifications. Even if they don’t get into a car accident. Even if they don’t kill anyone.
If they play, they pay.
And it’s about fricking time.
Amen to that!
I second that emotion. I was almost sideswiped by a woman who was obviously texting. Scared the bejesus out of me – I don’t even do it at traffic lights any more.
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I am so happy too! The way I see these kids driving and swerving just sickens me. I truly believe that the fatality rate of teen drivers has increased because of texting and driving, cell talking and driving.
I keep my cell phone down when driving…always. Nothing is THAT important that it can’t wait!
Now if only they would place parents who don’t buckle their kid up in jail and charge them with child endangerment and neglect. Sister in law’s 3 brats err daughters bounce around from the back of her Tahoe to the front. It’s even worse when you find out that she had an accident that sent her infant’s face into the dashboard because it was easier for her to feed the baby (who still wasn’t buckled into her safety seat). Oh and she texts and drives.
AMEN!!!!
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I can’t even believe how many accidents I have nearly been in because the other driver was busy with a phone. Parking lots are the worst – you’re backing up (which is already challenging) AND making a call. Can’t you just park and talk??? You’re already IN the SPOT!
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I wish they’d enforce that law more. Last night when I was driving home from work there were two teenage girls in the car behind me texting and talking on their cell phones totally not paying attention to actually driving. They kept passing their phones back and forth so they could read each other’s text messages and more than once the driver would look up and realize she was about to hit me and braked hard. I had to restrain myself from getting out, walking back there and ripping their stupid phones out of their hands and throwing them on the freeway!
But I can’t really expect the cops to enforce the law when more often than not I see them driving and chatting without using a hands-free headset.
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I saw someone texting and driving the other day in a Honda Civic as a matter of fact and all I could think was “I wish I could pull over in front of her and slam on my brakes.” And if I could have without hurting anyone then I probably would have. I just don’t get it. It is totally not worth hurting someone over.
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I absolutely agree texting and talking on a cellphone without a hands-free device should be illegal. My husband works on a military base, doing either of those while driving on base are already a primary offense and security police can stop you on that alone. It is dangerous and a terrible distraction.
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Texting & cell phone laws came into effect here a few months ago and I must say that traffic moves much better now! I’m sorry your car was totalled – that sucks! Did you get a new car after that?
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