Put your damn phone down and DRIVE!

Before you read further, yes this is one of my angry posts, so beware. I am FED UP with people who feel the need to talk on their cell phone endlessly or worse, text while they are driving. A study came out last week that our states Highway Patrols and a multitude of law enforcement agencies sponsored that concluded that "talking while driving" or "texting while driving" is many times more dangerous than drinking and driving. We all know how the world feels about driving drunk. Isn't it about time we passed laws to deal with these talkers and drivers? I say yes. Am I innocent of these crimes? No, I'm not. I'm not going to be a hypocrit and say I haven't done it, but I am making a concerted effort to turn my phone off in the car and not answer it if it rings (if I forget to turn it off). How many accidents have occurred as someone is trying to find their phone in their console, look to see who is calling then ultimately answer. In the mean time that light has turned red in front of them and they slam into the back of a stopped car. I still say my mailbox was demolished this fall thanks to a teen texting while driving, eventhough she won't admit it. I never see this kid "not" messing with her phone. This is the 1 time she wasn't? Yea, right! I have a preteen now obsessed with cell phones. She is mad at me because I don't let her take it to school or other places where it isn't appropriate. "Why do I have it then?" she asks. You have a cell phone so "I" can get a hold of you when you are at a friends, the skating rink, etc. You carry it when I say carry it. She witnessed us almost get hit on I-70 this past weekend as I was passing a car the guy started veering over into the passing lane. I swerved and as we passed, we saw him messing with his phone, while he had a book sitting on the steering wheel! After this, she told me how stupid that guy is. "Yea, he is. What are you going to do when you are driving in a few years?" "I'm not going to read or mess with my phone, that's for sure!" she told me. I guess time will tell. MY PLEA TO ALL, PLEASE QUIT TEXTING/TALKING AND DRIVING. IT'S NOT WORTH IT!