Stop and Text: Walking, Driving and Riding Require Your Full Attention

Road users sometimes develop bad habits, such as texting while walking, riding or driving, which put people around them in danger. Whether you use your feet, a bicycle or a van to get from place to place, try to be as safe as you can.

Many of us are guilty of what the title of this article speaks about. The temptation to answer or send a text message quickly while we are doing something else is not uncommon. TheCuriousJenny recently wrote about a new court ruling on texting while driving, which is designed to encourage persons to work with their loved ones to prevent accidents.

Texting - Wikimedia Commons GNU Free Documentation License Version 1.2 by Alton

While answering a text message may only seem to take a few seconds, a lot can happen in that time. If a message comes in and you really need to answer it, pull off to the side of the road. If you are on foot, put yourself in a position where you are safe and cannot put other road users in danger.

The time taken to glance down at a screen may seem small but lots of things can happen in a short period. If you live in an area where it is against the law to text and drive, don’t hold the phone in your lap so the police can’t see. That requires you to take your eyes off the road for even longer. Drive, ride and walk safely so you and others can arrive alive.