DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE
In fact, don’t do anything and drive. Don’t eat and drive. Don’t smoke and drive. Don’t file your nails and drive. Just keep your eyes on the road and your mind on what you’re doing. The exception is maybe listening to a little music or podcast or an audio book. That’s probably ok and might make the drive more enjoyable for everyone but be reasonable about it.
Everybody feels the need to multitask these days, and because driving feels like wasted time, we think we can accomplish other things while we’re on the road. It’s like driving is just a thing we do to get from point A to point B and we can’t be bothered with actually paying attention. We’re like our own chauffeur, letting one part of our brain drive while the other does whatever the fuck it wants in the mental backseat.
I’ll say it. I’m guilty. I’ve texted and driven, probably recently but as of writing this article, I’m making the public commitment never to do it again. I hope you will with me.
It’s just too dangerous, and I’m sorry, but there’s no text I could ever send or need to read that’s worth the risk of someone’s life. Yet, I see it all the time. I always wish I had a camera mounted to my dashboard filming at high speed so I can grab pictures of all the people I see with their heads down texting or not looking at the road. If your text really can’t wait, pull over.
Imagine if sending “LOL! :-)” to your BFF was the reason you took the life of the 8-year-old kid you just crushed with your SUV. In the moment, you might think “I can do this, I’m being careful” or “Nah, it’ll never happen to me, “ but it happens every fucking day. And if it happens to you or even because of you, there is no going back.
So how do you make this a habit? Put your phone out of reach when you get in the car. I recommend the glove compartment. If you use your phone for navigation, turn on the “do not disturb” function if you have it. And always try to enjoy the road as much as the destination.
For more, visit goodfuckinghabits.com
