I’m generally not one for changing something just because it happens to be the first day of a new calendar year (or because the Easter Bunny is coming in 40 days), but this year I used January 1st to start – actually, stop something I’ve been meaning to for a while.  I will no longer text while driving.  I know, I know – “Who would do that ?!”  Let’s be serious, though.  How many of us have been driving along and received a text?  And what do we do?  We either bring the phone up and respond double-thumb-style while steering with our wrists, keep the phone low (so no one can see that we’re actually typing while driving) and respond one letter at a time between glances at the road, or simply do not respond.  I’d wager my next ice cream sundae that the majority of us do not select option number three on a regular basis.  Ignoring people who you don’t feel like talking to does not count!

Many, if not most, of us do it, and then we do this funny thing.  We yell, roll our eyes, or shake our heads condescendingly at other drivers doing the same thing.  I have found this to be especially true when one of these distracted motorists passes just a bit too close while we are out there running or riding.  How many pedestrians have we brushed off the road while responding to that “oh so important” text/email?  Who knows – we weren’t paying attention!

Well, like Michael Jackson said (RIP), I’m starting with the [wo]man in the mirror – I am not going to type while driving any more.  This includes texting, emailing, dialing a phone number – anything that requires the dexterity and focus of thumbing a button the size of a Tiny Chicklet.

Sorry!  Back to the resolution!  I know what some of you are thinking: “I don’t have time for that.  I have emails/texts to answer and I can’t waste all that time that I spend in the car.”  Well, if you put it that way…  You’ll have plenty of time when you’re six feet under!  Oooo, that was a bit harsh, but seriously: how important could that correspondence be?  Is it really worth your life?  At 30 mph it takes 0.25 seconds to travel the width of a standard driving lane…  Got that?  A quarter of a second to travel the full width of the lane!  How long does it take you to read a brief text?

I think I’ve made my point.  I will no longer type while driving.  Who’s with me?

(If my pleading/rant wasn’t enough to convince you, check out this video on YouTube - http://casesblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/video-stop-texting-while-driving_18.html .  Be warned – this is graphic!)