Did you know that one
out of four accidents are caused by texting while driving? To save your life switch your
cell phone to the "off" position, and place it out of reach as soon
as you get in your car.
I was
driving my brand new 50 year Anniversary Ruby Red Mustang with my husband in
the passenger seat on a bright clear sunny day with temperatures in the 40's on
April 18, 2015. We were waiting patiently at a yield sign for the traffic to
clear when we felt a heavy jolt on our seats. The SUV behind us had plowed into
the back seat of our new Mustang. My husband immediately called the police. I
quickly got out of the Mustang and walked behind my mustang before the driver
backed up and left the scene of the accident. I looked at the driver, a young
woman around 21, and noticed she was texting!
I quickly
took a picture of the back of my new Mustang which had her license plate
embedded in the bumper of my car. Her SUV was not damaged other than her
missing license plate stuck in the back of my formerly new now damaged Mustang.
The back of it looked like a folded accordion. At least no one was hurt.
The police
and fire department were there within 10 minutes of the accident. We showed the
policeman her license embedded in our Mustang. The policeman removed it from
the back of the Mustang with great force handing it back to the SUV driver,
instead of impounding the evidence!
The young
woman a few minutes later, told me how sorry she was about damaging my new
Mustang. She said, "I was on my way to College to take my final exam as I
have been sick. My final was postponed until today!"
The young
woman's mother showed up and didn't want her daughter to sign the police report
admitting her guilt.
My damaged
new Mustang was driven to the dealership and then to the local repair shop.
Meanwhile
the young woman who ran through my new Mustang with her SUV while texting had
her insurance company representative call me. She said, "It was your fault
and the police do not count as witnesses. Our insurance company will not pay
the claim!"
I told her
insurance agent I had a passenger in my car who was a witness as to what her
client had done to my new 50th Anniversary Mustang and her clients license was
imbedded into the back of my car. I had taken a picture to prove it!
After her
call, I called my insurance agent and told him what she had said and asked him
to handle it!
It took 6
months and over $12,000 to repair my 50th Anniversary Mustang to look like new!
The fire department sent me a bill for $200 and the repair shop gave me a bill
for $200 after the insurance was paid.
My
insurance company paid the claim and eventually forced her insurance company to
reimburse them for their client's damage to my Mustang.
Most
people are conditioned to respond immediately to the needs, alerts, and
messages of other people. Just like a lab rat addicted to drugs, our brains
have been rewired to respond.
In the United States drivers who are texting cause 1 out
of 4 traffic accidents a year.
That's 1.6 million crashes every year. “Nearly 330,000
injuries” and deaths are “caused by texting while
driving”.
Is your life worth not being able to wait a few minutes to respond to the ping or alert
you've just received?
One thing
I've found useful is to switch my cell phone to the "off" position, and
place it out of reach.
If you
need your phone for navigation, disable the alerts from all apps other than
your map app. They'll be there when you arrive at your destination. Most importantly...
you will arrive at your destination safely!
Madeline
Frank, Ph.D., is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner,
teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune
Up their Business". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints
necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her book
"Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available wherever books are
sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com
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