No phone zone, or at least no text zone

Ok.  So today is Oprah's big No Phone Zone day.  I've mentioned before that I am not as in love with her as she is with herself but I think this is a fantastic initiative she's pushing.  It's one I need to be better about for sure.  On the way home from dropping the kids off at school this morning I was listening to Oprah's XM radio channel and Dr. Oz had an expert on discussing the dangers of texting while driving.  HOLY. SHIT.  For reals.  Did you know it's safer to have nearly twice the legal limit of alcohol and then drive than it is to be texting while driving?  I didn't.  I've texted while driving.  Lots.  And I've done it with all three kids with me.  NEVER again.  Dude, that guy threw out stats that were really scary.  That's all it took for me. 

I got online to see if I could find those exact stats to post and it wasn't on Dr. Oz's page but I did find this.  And I signed it.  Here is the link to Oprah's No Phone Zone Pledge.  There are different levels so if you're not completely willing to give up your phone in the car, you can at least start with pledging to not text.  It's worth taking a look at for sure. 

Even if you don't have your kids in your car, I have mine in my car.  And I don't want to be on the road with you if you're texting.

I don't want to be all preachy but geez.  These can't be ignored.  Read if you're interested:

•Talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25% of car accidents.



•One-fifth of experienced adult drivers in the United States send text messages while driving.


•In 2008 almost 6,000 people were killed and a half-million were injured in crashes related to driver distraction.


•At any given time during daylight hours in 2008, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone.


•4 out of every 5 accidents (80%) are attributed to distracted drivers. In contrast, drunk drivers account for roughly 1 out of 3 (33%) of all accidents nationally.


•Texting while driving is about 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated.


•People who text while driving are 23% more likely to be in a car accident.


•A study of dangerous driver behavior released in January 2007 by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. found that of 1,200 surveyed drivers, 73% talk on cell phones while driving. The same 2007 survey found that 19% of motorists say they text message while driving.


•In 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 10% of drivers are on handheld or hands free cell phones at any given hour of the day.


•A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Motorists found that motorists who use cell phones while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.


•In 2002, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis calculated that 2,600 people die each year as a result of using cellphones while driving. They estimated that another 330,000 are injured.


•According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, drivers talking on cell phones are 18% slower to react to brake lights. They also take 17% longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked


•Of cell phone users that were surveyed, 85% said they use their phones occasionally when driving, 30% use their phones while driving on the highway, and 27% use them during half or more of the trips they take.


•84% of cell phone users stated that they believe using a cell phone while driving increases the risk of being in an accident.


•The majority of Americans believe that talking on the phone and texting are two of the most dangerous behaviors that occur behind the wheel. Still, as many as 81% of drivers admit to making phone calls while driving.


•The number of crashes and near-crashes linked to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening. Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.


•Studies have found that texting while driving causes a 400% increase in time spent with eyes off the road.