We know the guy, he is driving in
the lane next to us, and sometimes he is driving in our lane. His head or eyes
are looking down, with an occasional glance up to get his bearings. He is “Dexter
the Texter”, and he is gunning for us. Dexter is engrossed in some meaningless
conversation, when BAM! He rear-ends the car in front of him because he didn’t
notice that traffic has stopped. This is all too real, and there isn’t enough that
can be said about the dangers of texting and driving, just wait for the next headline
related to it to understand what I’m talking about.
Austin already has a ban against
texting and driving, but it is a constant battle for authorities. People still text
and drive as if it is their God given right, and new drivers are hitting the
road every day. The new drivers are young, and like most youngsters, they hate
authority, plus texting is in their DNA, or it would appear that way. Representative
Tom Craddick recently filed legislation to ban texting and driving throughout
Texas. In an article titled, “Bill filed to ban texting while driving in Texas”, that is posted in the Houston Chronicle on November 12th, 2012, Craddick says "Driving
around town or from Midland to Austin, I see so many drivers distracted by
their phone," Craddick said after filing HB 63. "These drivers are
taking their eyes off the road and jeopardizing the safety of themselves and
others. Writing a text or checking your messages is not worth injuring yourself
or someone else. I believe a ban on texting while driving will help save
lives." Craddick makes some great points, how many times has someone caused
or almost caused an accident because they were texting. Talking on a phone
while driving is distracting enough, but when someone is texting while driving,
their focus becomes fixed on the texting, and not the light that turns red, or
the child who chases their ball into the street. Killing someone is a horrible
way to learn a lesson, and a horrible way for someone to lose a loved one. So don’t
be a Dexter, and put away the phone while driving, and Go to Distraction.gov for
more information.
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ReplyDeleteJohn Olson’s “Dexter the Texter” is a great commentary about the seriousness of texting and driving, which is unfortunately becoming a bigger and bigger problem not only Texas but across the nation. John brings humor to the opening paragraph with a nod to the popular television series, writing.... “he is Dexter the Texter, and he is gunning for us!” While this is somewhat comical, it is an effective attention grabber, which is essential for any editorial.
ReplyDeleteJohn then goes on to cite articles and quotes from legislator Tom Craddick, which brings authority to his piece. By citing this article, he makes his commentary more credible than it would be if it were merely pure opinion. John also offers a website, distraction.gov, as a tool for more information on texting and driving, which I think is great because it leaves the reader with a means to implement changes he talks about making.
I wholeheartedly agree with John’s article. In fact, I am embarrassed to admit that I am a Dexter the Texter on occasion. Before reading John’s piece, I didn’t know that Austin had a ban against texting and driving! The one thing that I was left wondering, is whether the author agrees with this legislative approach to the problem, or whether he thinks it is a moral obligation on the individual’s part. I think that’s the biggest question I found myself pondering after reading this. It kind of ties in to the philosophical question, “do just people make a just society, or does a just society make just people”? If laws are in place against texting and driving, will people only follow them for fear of punishment? Or will they realize that it’s a matter of safety and personal responsibility?
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJohn's post addresses the issue about the danger of texting and driving. This is a serious issue and is a leading cause for many accidents. I liked how John pointed out that "Dexter the Texter" was sending a meaningless text, because I believe that many texts are meaningless and are not worth risking the lives of others. To build his credibility, John quotes Representative Craddick's viewpoint on texting and driving and why HB 63 was filed, a bill against texting and driving. I agree with Craddick when he says that banning texting and driving will help save lives. I must admit that I have been involved in a fender bender because of me texting, but after that I quickly learned my lesson. I thought, what if it was not just a little accident and I had actually injured someone? How could I live on knowing that I had taken away someone's life because I "had" to send that meaningless text? John also tells of two very realistic scenarios in which someone could be seriously injured due to texting and driving to drive home his point. I believe people will not do the right thing and stop texting and driving if there is no punishment involved, because facts have not deterred people from texting and driving. Sadly, I believe force may be the only successful way to make people stop this behavior.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to AT&T's "The Last Text" documentary, which is a powerful account of how people's lives have changed for the worst because of texting and driving. I immediately thought of this video after I read John's post and believe that it shows just how dangerous this act can be.
John Olson in his blog "Texas Govt. Today and Tomorrow" posted about a concern that all Texans should be aware of, especially since we may be the people to be concerned about. In his article "Dexter the Texter!" he brings up the issue of texting while driving, something that legislation has been battling for a while now.
ReplyDeleteJohn uses an article in the Houston Chronicle, and specifically quotes from representative Tom Craddick to support his commentary's main point regarding the danger of texting, bringing credibility in the fact that it's a view from a politician involved in the texting legislation. He then includes a website with more information about the matter, giving a reader another source to dive deeper into the matter.
I cannot help but agree with John's view. I do not text and drive myself, but I have been in the same car with people who take their eyes off the road, put their knees on the steering wheel to keep the car straight, and start texting. It is truly a terrifying thought knowing that he is completely unaware of what's happening in front of him while looking at his mobile device. While laws are in place to counter this, they are really only enforced in school areas in Round Rock at least. You aren't even allowed to talk on the phone in school zones here. But elsewhere, people can be seen doing it all the time. I believe that stricter enforcement of these laws, as well as harsher penalties, will truly make it not worth looking at your phone while you are on the road, even though the occasional wreck put on TV should already be incentive enough .