Common sense dictates that texting while driving a car is an
extremely dangerous proposition. But now there is a chance to see it in action.
A texting-while-driving simulator enables volunteers to test
their skills while onlookers watch the monitors to see how drivers are doing, The
simulator will be at Texas Wesleyan from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, in
the Sid Richardson Center.
Statistics show that 75 percent of teenagers text, and an
average of 3,417 texts are exchanged monthly per teen. That works out to seven
messages per waking hour. Texting has been on the rise among teens and is
considered the top communication choice.
Estimates indicate that texting takes the driver’s eyes off
the road for an average of five seconds – but at 65 miles per hour, it only
takes a car one second to travel the length of a basketball court. Regardless
of age, sending or looking at a text, tweet or email while at the wheel can be
deadly. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, those who text
while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash.
The simulator is provided by AT&T as part of their
campaign, Texting & Driving: It Can Wait. Monday’s event is presented by
AT&T, Texas Wesleyan President Frederick G. Slabach and the Student
Government Association.
