Now, reading that off the bat, my reaction is, wow who would be that stupid?

Think about it. You're driving, you're keeping your eyes on your surroundings OUTSIDE the car, not on the little device in your hand that needs quite a bit of concentration whether you can type and not look at it or not, you're still thinking about it.

There aren't supposed to be distractions while driving!! Massachusetts banned talking on a cell phone while driving (because it is a DANGEROUS DISTRACTION), although they allow the Bluetooth gadget thing. Massachusetts also banned school-bus drivers from texting, but why the hell stop there?

New Hampshire is now the 16th state to approve and pass a law outlawing texting and driving. I've never been more proud to live here. Its the Live Free or Die state, but its not cutting in on the "free" part. Its cutting off the "die" part, but nothing has changed about freedom.

Texting while driving, talking on a phone while driving, drinking and driving, getting high and driving, all distractions, all potentially harmful even deadly distractions. And lets not forget about, eating, drinking a cup of coffee, changing the radio station or the song on your iPod. All these things change the amount of concentration and awareness you have to give to where ALL of your concentration and awareness should be. Outside the car. Watching the road, watching cars behind, in front and beside you. Watching out for something running across the road, or traffic lights, stop signs, all kinds of things that your eyes and head should be focusing on.

Everyone knows drinking and driving is so often fatal.

Believe this: Texting now takes second place in that area.

Guess what else. You aren't unique, or special, or invincible. There is nothing that makes you different from any other driver when you get behind the wheel and text.

If you drink and drive, and get caught, or worse hit someone else you aren't going to be let off the hook. Almost no one can say or think, "Ooh nothing bad will happen", if they drink and drive. There is such a thing as false bravado.

The definition?? Sure thing.

Bravado

–noun, plural -does, -dos.

a pretentious, swaggering display of courage. So false bravado (and note, the not so false bravado, definition listed above) is definitely a euphemism for being cocky, overly confident, etc. About 158 billion mobile text messages were sent in the U.S. in 2006. Think about that. Lets say mm, 10% of those texts were sent by someone operating a motor vehicle. That is 15,800,000,000 text messages sent while someone was behind the wheel. I can't even say that number. That's a whole ton of potential and probable accidents. And some of those 15,800,000,000 texts caused an accident. Accidents from someone who decided it was ok to text and drive are not an unusual occurrence. They happen, they're very real, and you could be the driver or the victim. I make it a rule not to get into a car with someone before making sure they won't text and drive with me in the car. I'll text for you, I'll call for you. If you decide you want to keep control of your phone yourself, that's fine. I think I'll get out right here.