L
Clackamas Print
°Pi
Irresponsible texting causes risky drj
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Kayla Berg
L isa
S ellars
the C lackamas
print
Imagine trying to send a text
message while driving, looking up
from that text and realizing there’s
a freight train just a matter of feet
ahead.
Texting from behind the wheel is
a serious matter.
But if it’s so dangerous and dis
tracting, why are we allowed to
not only put ourselves in danger,
but also those whose lives would
be affected if our car swerved into
oncoming traffic?
Although at this time it has
not been made illegal in Oregon,
Washington and other states have
taken steps to try to stop drivers
from texting on the road.
In Oregon, if state lawmakers
have their way, it will soon be
banned.
Consequences
According to the Web site of AOL
Autos, autos.aol.com, this proposal,
if passed into law, could fine drivers
upwards of $720 for texting or hold
ing a cell phone to their ear.
Some might think that because
their texting seemingly does not
impact their driving, it is an accept
able activity.
The
Clackamas Print
The Clackamas Print
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Editor in Chief: Megan Koler
Copy Editor: Colleen Watkins
News Editor: Lydia E. Bashaw
A&C Editpr: Emily Walters
Sports Editor: Andrea Simpson
Feature Editor: Kyle Steele
Photo Editor: Kayla Berge
Opinion Editor: Armondo Borboa
Photo Associate: John Shufelt
News Associate: John Hurlburt
When you think about it, though,
driving isn’t solely about skill - it
has a lot to do with other motorists.
When looking at a phone instead
of the road, it is impossible to know
whether the person up ahead is a
decent driver.
Everyone has witnessed that one
motorist who waits to turn on his or
her turn signal until two feet before
the turn, not even breaking until the
next car is swerving.
My experience
Recently, a friend of mine, while
making a delivery for work, decided
to read a text message and ended up
hitting the car in front of her because
it had stopped for a pedestrian.
As she told me what happened,
we realized that I had written the
text she was attempting to read.
My friend later told me that she
usually texts during her deliveries
and that it is her “time to catch up
with friends.”
Two days later, that same friend
ran a red light.
She was sending a text to indi
viduals she knew who were sitting
in a car across from her at the inter
section.
I was following this friend to her
house several days after that when
I received a text message from her
telling me where to park.
Looking up from my phone, I
barely hit the break in time to see
that she had stopped at a red light.
I came inches from hitting her
new car.
A d M anager : Meredith James
S taff W riters / P hotographers :
Kenton Benfield, Robert
Crawford, Matthew Garrison,
Lisa Sellars, Jess Sheppard
P roduction A ssistant :
Mallory Bashaw
D epartment A dviser :
Melissa Jones
D epartment S ecretary ?
Pat Thompson
Unfortunately, the
incidents are not unusi
now that cell phones a
owned by every man,
and dog.
But regardless, I rai
effort to actually cal
with whom I am atten
verse.
A study done by
Insurance, in January
gests that 19 percent
text while driving.
Not surprising to m
of those drivers are
ages of 18 and 27.
I myself am 20 and
into this statistic.
That appears to be
age range where com
overshadowed by the
knowing what’s best
dency to not take resp
one’s actions.
Our choice
Maybe we need a I
that texting while driv
and irresponsible choit
Perhaps we need “tl
us down, like our elem
teachers once did, ant
the rules are and to no
A $720 fíne might
in order to finally mal
plate what it is we are
I think it would be
about these things bef
pen and consider whs
gambling.
Lives.
G oals : The Clackatn
to report the news in
unbiased, profession
The opinions expres
necessarily reflect th(
student body, college
istration, its faculty o
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