[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How many seconds does it take to change a life?
In the digital era, 8 out of 10 people find themselves bound to some form of technological communication for all but a few hours of the day. From wherever you’re reading right now, take a moment and pause. Glance up. What do you see? If you’re in a public space, chances are most people around you are either actively engaged with their devices, or have them within arm’s reach.
Such instantaneous connectivity to boundless information means that the world is, literally, at our fingertips.
But at what cost? In sobering statistics, the National Safety Council reports that cell phone usage while driving (calls and texts included) leads to 1.6 million crashes each year, causing nearly 330,000 injuries.
Let’s put that in perspective. 1 out of 4 car accidents in the U.S. are caused by texting and driving! Chillingly, at least 9 lives are lost each day due to this now epidemic form of distracted driving. According to the Huffington Post, on June 8th, 2015, a report was released that demonstrated that a Tennessee bus crash that left two young children and one adult dead was the result of the bus driver’s texting while driving. Disturbingly, though almost all adults concede the dangers of texting while driving, over half admit to doing it anyway.
So, how many seconds does it take? Two. Just a glance down, and your life, or the lives of countless strangers, could be over. Yet chillingly, according to research performed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting causes drivers to take their eyes off the road, on average, for 4.6 seconds out of a 6 second time period – traveling at only 55 miles per hour, a distracted or texting driver would travel the entire length of a football field – without ever looking at the road.
Do you find yourself, like so many, unbearably pulled towards the seductive “ding” of a new text? You aren’t alone! So, the next time you climb behind the wheel, ensure your safety and that of those around you by making sure your eyes are where they belong: each time you enter your vehicle, put your phone in a zipped or closed purse, or place it on the backseat until you reach your destination. In the unfortunate event of a car accident, our specialists at PROS Miami clinics will walk with you on the road to recovery. In the meantime, remember, no text is worth a life – it can wait.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]