Distracted Driving

I don't know about you, but lately on my commute to work, I have been paying attention to the number of drivers are distracted while driving. Whether it is actually reading a book while speeding down the interstate or texting and driving, it seems the trend is increasing. I have to make a concerted effort myself at times not to pick up my phone while my car is moving forward, though I still struggle during red lights!

I can remember way back in high school when the dangers were alcohol or even the one teen nearby who had reached way down to retrieve a CD to play while on a deadly curve and crashed ending her life. Back then, we didn't have cell phones so readily available.

Today, a typical teenager sends and receives about 100 texts per day, and more than half of all teens surveyed according to the CDC who released the results from an anonymous survey recently, state they text and drive.

Perhaps with the recent ruling of a Massachussets teenager to be criminally held responsible for texting while driving things may change. Aaron Deveau was sentenced to 2 1/2 years behind bars with a year to serve and the remainder suspended for the deadly crash that happened in February 2011 taking the life of a 55 year old man and seriously injuring his girlfriend. Deveau must also serve 40 hours of community service and surrender his driver's license for 15 years. He was only 17 years old when the crash occurred.

One split moment. One second.

If this doesn't send a message of the implications of making such a decision to text and drive, I'm not sure what can. I know it does me.