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Driving While Texting

I have observed drivers weave in out of a single lane of traffic aimlessly from time to time. The initial reaction is to think “is the driver intoxicated?” But countless times as I pass the driver that cannot control his/her vehicle from swerving, what I see is someone texting/emailing or using their iphone or other smartphone while driving. I have been guilty of this myself, and it is dangerous, and often times the driving habits of someone driving while texting mimic those signs of someone driving while intoxicated.

The New York Times has a great new interactive game that let’s you test your reaction time when you text while driving. If you play the game below, try to actually read the text messages like you would one from a friend, and when you text an answer, don’t just do whichever is shorter. The point of the “game” is not to win, but to just see potential consequences of texting while driving.

Interactive Game

Two new Texas laws reflecting phones are in effect: one banning teen drivers from using cell phones and text messaging devices; the other prohibiting drivers from using handheld cell phones in school crossing zones.