Texting while Driving and Drinking and Driving

Being a mother, I am against texting while driving and drunk driving. Some people do not see the harm in texting while driving, their argument is that texting is safer then drinking while operating a vehicle. Is it safer? Are the laws really working in preventing drunk driving or texting while driving? And what can parents do to prevent their teenagers from texting while driving.
Believe it or not, texting while driving is just as bad as drinking and driving. Many teenagers see the harm in both but believe drinking and driving is more dangerous. A survey was conducted, “36 percent strongly agree that if they regularly text and drive they could be killed one day. In contrast, the majority of teens (55 percent) strongly agree that drinking while driving could be fatal” (Interactive 1). “Some teens still think the consequences of reaching for a cell phone are less severe than reaching for a beer bottle” (Stiles 2). “200,000 crashes each year are caused by drivers who are texting” (The National Safety Council 2). 200,000 of those crashes could have been avoided. Texting or drinking while driving distracts from driving and the reaction time to avoid an accident is slim.
For some people it only takes one DWI and for others it can take a few DWI’s before they learn that drinking and driving is against the law. I read an article on a man who got his tenth DWI, how does anyone get a tenth DWI? That man is a great example on how the law should be more strict towards people who drink and drive. Same with texting and driving, some states banned texting while driving but for the states that didn’t, they are a danger to everyone else around them.
Parents can talk and encourage their teenagers to put their cell phone away while they are driving. Parents can really make a difference, “67 percent of teens who often talk to their parents about driving strongly agree that if they regularly text and drive someday they will get into an accident. This compared with 56 percent of teens who rarely or never talk to their parents about driving” (interactive 3). Same with drinking and driving, parents who have talked to their kids about drinking and driving are less likely to do it then those who do not talk to their parents.
There has been many unfortunate deaths and accidents due to texting and drinking while driving. Everyone has their own views and opinions on this topic. I thought it was a very interesting topic because there has been plenty of accidents and deaths with texting while driving and drunk driving. You hear it all over the news and in the newspaper. It’s unfortunate that so many people believe texting is safer than driving drunk, DWI’s are not enough for some people, and parents do play a huge part in teaching and talking with their kids on driving safe. Everyone can prevent a crash simply by paying attention and not driving if they have been drinking.

"Texting While Driving vs. Drinking While Driving | HoumaToday.com." HoumaToday.com | The Courier | Houma, LA. 20 Sept. 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. .