OMG, tell your teens: texting while driving can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Texting while driving takes your eyes, hands, and mind off of the road, just as alcohol distorts your ability to drive. When texting while driving, the three following dangerous things happen:
· You take at least one hand off of the wheel in order to operate your cell phone or PDA. During this time, only one of your hands is controlling a very large, dangerous piece of equipment that is probably going 20 to 70 miles per hour. Two hands should remain on the wheel at all times.
· You take your eyes off the road to read your mobile device screen. Even taking your eyes off the road for a few moments at a time adds up – you could have your eyes off the road for the length of three football fields at a time as you read or send text messages.
· You take your mind off of driving. Over and over again, studies show that you need to be mentally engaged with driving – this means thinking about the road ahead of you, possible obstacles, and other dangers instead of what your friend might have just texted you.