YOU can prevent accidents!

While I was at work last night, I overheard coworkers of mine expressing their feelings of disgust toward texting and driving. One of the women asked why people can't wait five minutes to reply to a text, and the other woman began telling a story of almost getting hit by a girl who was texting and driving. Their conversation got me wondering why people find texting such an urgent task--why do they put their lives in danger so often to send meaningless texts. Although some people may be less educated about the dangers of texting and driving, most Americans should have the common sense to not perform such a deadly task. Obviously, many drivers have an foolish sense of pride in their texting ability and continue to text while driving, putting many lives in danger. Just this afternoon, three young girls were hit by an adult male who was texting while driving. Please read the article and consider the main photo: 3 children hit by texting driver  The first time I saw the picture of the man sitting in the back of a police car, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. His life will never be the same again, but whose fault is it? Are the three girls who innocently crossed the street to go swimming on a hot afternoon to blame? Or did the vehicle possibly malfunction? Maybe, just maybe, the man, who at least subconsciously knew texting while driving was bad, is at fault for this incident. Clearly, he did not get in his car and pull out his cell phone this afternoon hoping he would injure people. As most drivers wish, he probably just wanted to get from one point to another without causing any form of injury or damage to himself or anyone around him. Yet, in just seconds, his life and the lives of three young girls are flipped upside down. This incident could have happened to any person, old or young, who decided to text and drive. Everyone who is behind the wheel, whether an avid texter or not, should deeply consider the consequences they will face once they possibly hit someone or something if they decide to pick up their cell phone. It is not just chance; it is preventable.