Practice Safe Text (Editorial 2)

 

As of January 1^st nineteen states have banned this common activity that so many of us use while driving. This action has become such a part of our daily routine that we consider it necessary to perform, not just a bad habit. The popular art of texting is not a new term to us, but the thought of it being illegal in Nebraska while we press down on the accelerator is. Senator John Harms is pushing to make texting while driving illegal in Nebraska as well. He wants it to be a primary offense not secondary. With a secondary offense a person must be pulled over for another traffic violation such as speeding.

 

We all think, “Oh it can’t happen to me.” We continue doing it because the odds are not against us. After all isn’t everyone textually active, and especially when they drive? A common acronym in the textual world is STD. For those who are not textually active this means Sudden Traumatic Disaster. More and more people are suffering from AIDS. Acronym use In Driving Scene. This needs to stop. Our hands are getting out of hand. Why should we risk our lives for a few abbreviated words?

 

Viewing accident after accident in the last five years, Nebraska is beginning to wonder if they should join the busy states like California in banning its use in the car. “Why should we?” is the question that our fellow Nebraskans are asking themselves. Its Nebraska, the roads couldn’t possibly be busy enough for anyone to worry about multitasking right? Wrong. When you text and drive chances are you have one hand on the steering wheel if you are lucky, otherwise a knee, your eyes are not focused on the road, and your mind cannot possibly be thinking about driving. Well, if your hands are doing something your brain should probably be in on it too. Banning texting and driving would be a smart move by Nebraska. Even though it may be hard to follow the temptation to do so would decline if a person were to be fined.

 

Although it may seem very inconvenient and quite ridiculous, it’s really not all that unreasonable. How is driving a car sixty-five miles per hour and having your eyes on something else besides the road you are traveling on not ridiculous as well? It could almost compare to drunk driving. We might have a few P.O.’ed citizens running around if this bill were to pass but that acronym looks a lot better when you set it beside the other acronym R.I.P.