Texting and Driving

You know, I used to find it completely absurd that anyone would try to text and drive at the same time. In my mind, that was nothing short of an accident waiting to happen. Then, as texting became a more normal mode of communication with me, there was a subtle shift in my thinking. While I would never try to send a long message while driving down the road, I have certainly been guilty of reading an incoming message while driving. I have occasionally even typed out a short message while driving--a quick yes or no response or an, "I'm on my way" to let someone know I was in route.

While I could try to justify this behavior, the truth is, it is both dangerous and illegal in the state of Tennessee. I was reminded of this recently by the electronic sign on I-40 which pointed out that texting while driving is against the law here. Curious about the specifics of the law, I looked it up. I was surprised to find that legally, even reading an incoming text is against the law while driving.

You can read an overview of the complete law here. And in the meantime, put down the phone and hang onto the wheel.