By now, there probably isn’t a driver in this country unaware of the dangers of texting and driving. No matter how many public service messages are put out there, the net effect is zero: drivers will continue to text and talk on hand-held cell phones behind the wheel. Why? Call it the “it can’t happen to me” factor, which is the same reason why people don’t wear seat belts. Here’s the bottom line: no one ever plans on having an accident, and using a cell phone behind the wheel increases you chance of having one exponentially.
That’s why we’re fond of this video, found on Autoblog, which shows new drivers proving to themselves that texting and driving is a bad idea. Imaging if texting while driving was a required step to pass a driver’s test – how do you think you’d do under the watchful eyes of an instructor, dodging cones while sending a text?
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Here’s another thing worth pointing out – in most of Europe, getting a driver’s license is a much bigger deal than it is here. First, you go to a formal driving school, where you’re taught not just the rules of the road, but essential skills like car control that we tend to ignore on this side of the Atlantic. In other words, each of the students in this film had substantially more experience behind the wheel than the average new driver in America.
We’re far too jaded and cynical to think this video will keep even one new driver from texting behind the wheel, but we’ll do our part to spread the word anyway. Don’t text and drive, and always wear a seat belt, because it can indeed happen to you.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
