text messaging Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Texas Fails to Pass a Texting Ban

Daun Thompson — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 04:34:26 +0000

How very disheartening it is that there will not be a texting and driving ban this legislative session in Texas. A bill that would have outlawed texting and driving statewide never even made it for a vote in the Texas Senate. The bill actually passed in the House but did not have enough votes (it was only short one vote) in the Senate. This bill would have banned texting and driving statewide. Now we have another two years to wait before another bill can be introduced. So, here we are, still texting in Texas.
Very sad, indeed, for those Texans who have lost loved ones due to distracted drivers. I have been following the progress of this bill like a hawk. And with so many testimonies and pleadings in Austin to push this law through, I had very high hopes that this would be the year.
On a positive note, many cities in Texas have created their own city ordinances regarding cell phone use while driving. While some cities only ban texting while driving, Austin and San Antonio are cities with a hands free city ordinance. Most of our larger cities do have an ordinance banning texting while driving, with exception of Dallas and Fort Worth.
Perhaps now that we will definitely have no state law regarding this issue, at least for the next two years, cities in Texas that do not already have a city ordinance banning cell phone use, will see how important it is and will implement one.
And, in the words of Forest Gump, “That’s about all I have to say about that.”
Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Texting in Texas – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Texting in Texas

Daun Thompson — Mon, 04 May 2015 17:27:38 +0000

It’s been a long time coming, prohibiting texting in Texas while driving a vehicle. Texas is one of the only states in the nation that has no state law regarding cell phone use when driving. Most states ban cell phone use, altogether, while driving. Of course, Texas does have a state law prohibiting cell phone use in active school zones where children are present. That, too, in the past, was only city ordinances. And now, for several years, has been a state law.

There is just one month left in the 84th Texas legislative session. For the third time, the texting and driving ban is in front of the Texas legislature. The house has already passed its bill and now it has been sent over to the senate state affairs committee. This new bill differs from the first one introduced. Initially, the bill said you cannot write, read or send a text message, even if you were stopped. The new version says that you can text wherever as long as you are stopped.

Well, at least it’s a start. At least we’re going to begin to evolve. Just looking at the number of senseless accidents and deaths due to cell phone use in Texas alone is staggering. So, still being able to text while sitting at a red light will only likely cause more road rage. As it is, the person behind you is already so impatient that they don’t even give you time to take your foot off the brake and put it on the gas pedal when the light turns green. They’re already honking at you, “What are you waiting for, lady, another shade of GREEN?” I hear in New York City, they honk at you when the cross-traffic light turns yellow. At least we’re not that impatient.

But, no one wants to miss their opportunity to get through the green light in an intersection when they are already running late for work. Now, with construction zones and lane closures, ramp closures, etc. So this will surely cause even more road rage than ever before. Austin and San Antonio, Texas, have both passed city ordinances banning cell phone use while driving, altogether. These cities are entirely hands free. And Austin’s city ordinance also includes bicyclists. So now the question is, “Who the heck is texting while riding a bike?” Now, that’s coordination! Maybe Lance Armstrong can do that. He’s about the only bicyclist that could keep up with the flow of traffic, anyway.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Texting in Texas – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Texting in America

Daun Thompson — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:02:28 +0000

Reading a Facebook post by comedienne, Jasmine Ellis made me realize how cell phone use is affecting all of us. She posted the she is “Aggravated by these Dallas drivers! How have I been rear ended twice in the last 30 days? And they actually say “I was looking down at my phone” and didn’t realize you stopped….. AT A STOP SIGN! You better thank God my bumper was there to keep your dumb (expletive) from rolling into the street!” Texting in America has to stop. We really need to evolve!

I realize I’m just bragging here, but I don’t text and drive. Honestly, I’ve tried it a few times and I could totally take out families, so I don’t do it. I’m not that coordinated. But, my teenage daughter has the ability to text while she’s not even looking at her phone. Now, that’s coordination! We were sitting at the kitchen table, having a serious conversation. She was looking me right in the eyes, and texting under the table at the same time! She calls it “multi-tasking.” I call it “grounded.” I think it’s just rude.

Since Texas is one of the few states that have no state laws on cell phone and texting use while driving, we are seeing that some cities have passed city ordinances banning their use. Denton, Texas has just recently passed one. Every two years bills regarding this issue are passed through the House, but are always vetoed. The latest bill, though, regarding a Texas statewide hands-free law was not vetoed. It has been said that the government shut down (bad timing) and other issues resulted in this important bill not being passed. Large cities like Dallas and even Fort Worth have no city ordinances.

37 states and DC ban all cell phone use by teen drivers. 18 states and DC ban any cell phone use for school bus drivers. To view a map of states against texting and driving, you can go to the link below. This site says that cell phones are responsible for one in four car accidents – and texting while driving is banned in most states. Twelve states and the District of Columbia don’t allow any handheld cell phone use while driving.
http://lifehacker.com/this-map-shows-state-laws-against-cell-phone-use-while-1469665547
The GHSA website (Governors Highway Safety Association) shows an actual chart, by state, of texting and hand held phone use. To view this chart, go to the link below. http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

Hopefully, while we’re waiting patiently for Texas to pass a state law regarding this important issue, all cities will create a city ordinance of their own.

So, don’t text or talk on the cell phone while driving. It may save your life and the lives of those around you. Including Jasmine Ellis’ life, who is a gifted comedienne. You can check her out at https://facebook.com/jasmimeEmedia or or twitter @jasminneEmedia.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Texting in America – ComedyDefensiveDriving.com

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Stop Texts Stop Wrecks

Daun Thompson — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 16:15:07 +0000

I saw a brilliant public service announcement on the telly last night. It was all about driving responsibly by executing texting abstinence. In other words, refraining from texting while driving. The PSA, Stop Texts Stop Wrecks ( stoptextsstopwrecks.org ) stated a few cold, hard facts about the results and statics of texting while driving. They compared other statics, such as robbery, lightning strikes and plane crashes. Apparently, one in 757 people are robbed, annually. While one in 750,000 people are struck by lightning, annually. And one in 29 million people are killed in a plane crash, annually. Still, more people are killed in car crashes, annually, and those chances increase 23 times when the driver is texting.

Some other facts about texting while driving on their website, which is a campaign by the Ad Council, the office of the State Attorney General and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), states that five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. And, when traveling at 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field (which is 300 yards). Reaching for a phone, dialing, texting and other uses of portable electronic devices (even GPS) increases the risk of getting in a crash by three times.

The website offers tips to avoid cell phone useage. Put the phone where you can’t see it while you’re driving. Turn off the ringer so you can’t hear it. If you can’t trust yourself to not reach for it, download an app that will not allow you to text while your car is in motion. Or have a passenger text for you. Haven’t you always want a personal assistant that you could dictate to, anyway? And, if anything is misspelled you can always blame it on them. Also, if someone doesn’t like what you’ve said, you can also blame it on them.

Personally, I don’t text and drive (not anymore, anyway). I’ve tried it a few times and I could totally take out a family. My daughter can text while she’s not even looking at the phone. Now, that takes coordination. She must get that from her dad’s side of the family, not mine. She and I will be having a serious conversation at the dinner table, she’s looking me right in the eyes as if she’s really listening, while she has her phone under the table, just texting her little heart out. She calls it “multi-tasking.” I call it “grounded.” I think it’s just rude, isn’t it?

So, practice texting abstinence. It may just save your life as well as those lives of others that are driving around you.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Stop Texts Stop Wrecks – Comedy Defensive Driving
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Trusting Other Drivers

Daun Thompson — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:35:37 +0000

Trusting Other Drivers

I don’t know about you, but I have trust issues. And I certainly don’t trust other drivers around me while they are texting, tailgating, road raging, etc. How comfortable do you feel telling the person driving you around that they should not be texting while driving? Especially when they have passengers in the car. What if that person is your new boss? Would it be a big faux pas to scold them? Perhaps the best measure would be to ask them to either wait until you’ve stopped, or to offer to text the message for them as they dictate. After all, isn’t that what they really hired you for in the first place? And, they’re supposed to be the boss, shouldn’t you be driving them instead? Ask them if you can drive while they text. Take some measures so you can begin trusting other drivers. And, if you just can’t help yourself, and you’re the “parent” type, you could bring up the fact that you have eight wonderful children (and perhaps even more that you don’t know about) who depend on you for food and shelter and what would happen to them if you were suddenly killed in a senseless accident all due to your driver’s bad texting habit?

Not only do you have to worry yourself about your own driver, you also have to be concerned with trusting other drivers around you. Especially the weaving and drifting kind. Drunk drivers, distracted drivers, inpatient drivers or even those pesky out of town drivers who don’t know where the heck they’re going in the first place. You know the kind that nearly miss their exit, so they cross three or four lanes of traffic so they don’t miss it. And, what are they even thinking, if they’re thinking at all? “I’m going to take this exit if it kills me…and kills everyone else in the way.” There are a lot of selfish drivers out there that take risks at others expense. And, with all of the new, hi-tech safety features in the car, maybe they think those safety features will save their life. That may explain why people take such crazy risks. The airbag alone could do some damage. It comes out as a controlled explosion. And, although it’s a better alternative than eating the steering wheel or hitting the windshield with your cranium, you could still come out of it with burns, a broken nose and that white powder all over your face. So, you may still be alive, but you’re hurting and now you look like a mime.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Comedienne / Writer / Artist / Mime

Trusting Other Drivers – Comedy Defensive Driving

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NO CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL ZONES – LOOK OUT FOR KIDS

Daun Thompson — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:28:12 +0000

With schools opening back up for business between August 27th and September 2nd, I will see a fair share of school zone violations in my defensive driving class very soon. Remember to pay attention and look out for kids in school zones. I will see violations such as speeding through an active school zone, not buckling up little ones and, of course, talking on a cell phone. This time of year, I may even see what I like to call the double-whammy. Speeding and talking on a cell phone, simultaneously. I think that’s what they call multi-tasking. But, be forewarned, both carry high penalties. I have a friend who got cited for the double-whammy, while he was talking to me (of all people) on the cell phone. He said “Hey, I’m being pulled over because I’m speeding through a school zone.” I told him “You should hang up the phone, Goober, or they’ll give you a ticket for that, too.” And this part made me laugh, “Should I tell him I’m on the phone with you?” “Right, like I’m a world famous defensive driving instructor…like he’d know me.” “Don’t give some cop my name…I don’t need him writing my name down in his book.” I see a lot of teachers getting pulled over in their own school zones. And I’m sure the students and faculty tease them until the day they retire. When I was a kid, our school mascot was actually hit by a car in front of our school. Luckily, he escaped with minor injuries. The name of my school was Lincoln High. Our mascot would wear a stovepipe hat and would sit for hours, slumped over in a theater chair. He was a great little method actor.
They’re also really cracking down on children not being properly restrained in the car. Parents may be fully aware of these laws and may comply. But what about the car pool driver? The ones that don’t know the laws because they have no children of their own. You know…the childless, happy people. They need to be educated as well. Laws vary by state, but in Texas a child must remain in a booster seat until their 8th birthday or until they reach 4′-9″, whichever comes first. And, everyone in the car must be wearing a seat belt. The driver would get the ticket for any child under 17 who is not buckled up in their car. And the fine is higher for each additional unbuckled passenger. There goes your Disney vacation money. So, if your kids resist the buckle-up, just use duct tape. It comes in all kinds of bright, kid-friendly colors now. When I was a kid, safety was an option. People didn’t have to wear seat belts until 1986. We had seat belts in the car, but they were conveniently tucked down in the seat. My mom’s arm was our seat belt. And now it’s just a habit with her…she’ll knock the wind out of you. My dad used to call my mom “The Seat Belt.” Now he calls her “The Air Bag.” Nice, eh?

Until next week…keep those little ones safe…pay attention and look out for kids, because they’re not looking out for you.

Daun Thompson

Look Out For Kids – Comedy Defensive Driving

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