Texting while driving is dangerous, pointless

Most people do not think about the fact that every day we ride in automobiles that weigh thousands of pounds traveling at break-neck speeds with only a three inch wide swatch of fabric keeping us from flying through the windshield.

Technology is like a double-edged sword in the automotive world. On one hand, the major car companies have utilized computers to assist drivers with maintaining traction and to help stop the vehicle in a reasonable distance on sketchy road conditions.

On the other hand, the widespread use of smart phones has made every one of those safety features a necessity on today's roads crowded with people texting or checking their Facebook while driving.

I have never really been an Oprah fan, but I agree with three things she does; once a year she makes it rain like nobody's business, she promotes reading, and she campaigns to get people to stop texting while driving. The National Safety Council estimates that 1.6 million traffic accidents a year involve drivers using their cell phones or texting.

While I love my iPhone and sometimes send a text or make a call in stop and go traffic or at a stoplight, I make it a point to never text while driving at speeds that could flatten my car into a pancake if I drift off the road.

There is no status update that is so important that it cannot wait 10 minutes. The same goes for texts. The genius part of texting people is that you do not have to respond immediately.

In fact, waiting a couple minutes to reply will make people think that you have a life. Please do me a favor and put your phone down while driving. If not, at least make sure to hit my driver's side, because I don't want to limp away from your idiocy.