Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Please stop texting while you are driving.

To the offenders,

I have seen two young women driving along, both hands holding their phone while steering with their forearms, texting.  The speed is up and down.  There is swerving involved.  May I put this in perspective of how incredibly NOT OKAY this is?

I have a child.  A precious and wonderful child that we adopted.  We lost our daughter, Bailey in pregnancy.  To lose one child was horrible.  You aren't paying attention to the road.  You are reading messages.  You are answering idiotic things that you needn't be concerned about while you are driving.  Please keep my child in mind as you are being irresponsible. 

I have a husband.  My husband drives about a half hour to work.  We've been married nearly 15 years, together for almost 18.  I'll do the math for you.  Hubs and I have been together since I was 20.  He and my daughter are my all and everything. 

I have family.  My Uncle Billy died when he was 34.  He was driving up one side of a hill, when someone decided to pass a semi on the other side.  The two met up somewhere around the top of the hill.  Instead of swerving away from each other, they ended up swerving into each other.  My uncle died 4 days later, after having a perforated colon and developing peritonitis.  I was in high school and devastated.  My uncle didn't die as a result of texting while driving, but the other driver did and equally stupid thing.

I have friends.  I have friends who have lost siblings and children, parents and friends.  I have a friend whose sister was murdered.  I have another friend whose daughter drowned.  I have a friend who had both parents die within 15 months of each other.  They have experienced loss far more than anyone should. 

When you text and drive, you aren't paying full attention to the road.  When you aren't paying full attention to the road, you can't be fully aware of small things that can turn into big things if not recognized. 

Let me be blunt.  You are driving a very heavy thing down a road while playing with a screen and you could kill my people or someone else's family. 

Put your phone down.  Pay attention to driving.  Deal with your messages when you stop.

Thank you,

Amy at Bailey's Leaf

3 comments:

Sarah said...

They just passed a law where I live that now makes it illegal to text and drive.

Rach said...

Fabulously written. It is illegal to text and drive here as well. Unfortunately, I still see fools doing it. We've had numerous deaths locally from texting while driving. It's awful.

Bailey's Leaf said...

It is illegal here. It happens all the time, though. I admit that when I drive past someone texting, I pull up next to them and lay on the horn. Generally, they stop.