As the holidays approach it’s easy to become a distracted driver while on the road. We live in a “connected” society where catching that latest Facebook post or tweet seems to have more importance than they really are. Our society claims a need for control of our lives and privacy.

Yet people constantly give up that privacy to send texts throughout each day describing each movement, what they are doing, where they’ve been, where they are going, or the latest thought on their mind. When distracted while driving a vehicle amidst other moving vehicles, this scenario becomes a significant threat to public safety. Don’t Text and Drive.

Look at the photo above. Imagine this young lady is someone your know. A school mate, a co-worker, a neighbor, a friend, maybe someone you love. Now imagine that she hopped into a vehicle and drove off. Later you’re informed that she was in an accident. While driving, she was sending a text and in that brief moment her attention went off the road and onto the phone.

She didn’t see the other vehicle and someone died. Maybe it was her. Maybe it was someone innocently going home to their family.

How does that make you feel? Now imagine you had the opportunity to remind her of the importance of safety on the road. I’m not trying to place a sense of guilt on you. My point is, we all miss opportunities to make a difference through a simple word. Many times we get caught up in life and the opportunities are fleeting. Some people want autonomy without responsibility. Since you’ve taken time to read this post, it’s very likely that that is not you . You care about being the best you can be.

It’s easy to go on with our lives without any thought that in this world that we are all in some way connected. The reality is that we receive what we emit. Whenwe are kind to others, we attract kindness. When we take time to show we care about those around us, someone will take time to care for us. Maybe they’ll be kind and responsible to someone you or I care for.

Facts About Texting & Driving

• The United States Department of Transportation notes that cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half million injuries and take 6,000 lives.
• According to FocusDriven^®, up to 80 percent of all crashes involve some form of driver distraction.
• During any point of the day, 11 percent of drivers are talking on their cell phones, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• A study from the University of Utah indicated that the reaction time of a teen driver using a cell phone is the same as that of a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone.
• According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an auto crash than driving when intoxicated.
• The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute installed cameras on dashboards inside truck cabs. From the video footage, on average it took five seconds with their eyes off the road when driver’s experienced distractions. The distance covered in five seconds of driving at 55 mph is equivalent to the length of a football field.

Sources: AAA, United States Department of Transportation, University of Utah, FocusDriven^® Nationwide Insurance study, National Highway Trac Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Please let me challenge you today:

• Who do you know that seems connected to their phone?
• Would you agree that they are worth at least one-minute of your time?
• Are you willing to talk to at least one person about the dangers of distracted driving?

Let’s choose to share the message of safety. If we don’t, someone we know might be involved in a driving while texting incident.

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You and I…we CAN be a difference

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Anthony M. Davis, BCH, CTACC, MSCA

Mr. Davis is the Director of the Center for Personal Leadership and Development. He is a nationally-recognized Leadership, Success Coach and Stress Coach in Charlottesville, VA.

He helps clients find the life they want to live…and LIVE it! Being comfortable where you are is like watching airplanes fly by. Once you make the choice to get on the plane, then you have a ticket to see exciting places in life.

As a Board Certified, Clinically-trained Hypnotist, he works with clients that faced many years of abuse or personal trauma. Today, they live positive lives, enjoy healthy relationships and engage in exciting careers. Using a series of Transformative Life Centering processes, he helps them realize their inner worth and regain their lives. His clients include everyday people with everyday problems, celebrities and business professionals who travel from all over the U.S. to see him.  For more information, visit The Center for Personal Leadership and Development or Healing Hypnosis