It is now against the law to text while driving in Tennessee. I own a cell phone, and I text at times, but never while I'm driving. I also don't like talking on a cell phone while I'm driving, but every day as I drive about 20 miles to and from campus, I see many drivers on their phones, engaged in conversation and not always paying attention to the road in front of them.
It is a hard law to enforce since people can always say they were dialing a number on their cell phones instead of texting. Teaching college students has made me aware of how many of them cannot put their phones down during class. A lot of them are addicted to text messaging. I have a rule that if they text during class, it counts as an absence, which hurts their grade. Some think it is harsh, but it's for their own good. If they are texting, they aren't listening to what we're discussing or working on their assignment that is due at the end of class and not a minute later.
I can't enforce what my students or anyone else chooses to do in their cars, but I hope they are paying more attention to the road and the cars around them than their cell phones.
The PSA video below was produced in the United Kingdom, and it's very well done. It sends a message about the possible deadly dangers of texting while driving. The video is graphic and has an 18 or over warning label on youtube.com. It is not nearly as graphic as a real traffic accident could be, but hopefully it makes people think about what consequences their actions could have.
1 comment:
OMG! I know! I also count my students absent if they text or use computers for nonclass stuff. This is so scary. I have to say that I may be one of those engaged in convo while driving. It's almost as if I can't drive if I'm not on the phone. It should totally be illegal. Thanks for posting.
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