Drive, Text, Crash

Alexa Albrecht
Alpha Omicron Pi

It is held with one hand, can be used at school, home, parties, your car, or anywhere you go. 

The one item and addiction you are unable to put down for a long period of time that can cause a citation, an accident or even your death. 

As students transition into the new year, they can look forward to the changes within themselves, their surroundings and technology.  

With the release of advancement in mobile devices such as the iPhone 4s, Android, Blackberry, etc. students are given more reasons to constantly text while driving. 

According to the Mobile Inquirer, texting while driving causes 6,000 deaths per year and 500,000 injuries. 

Using a phone while driving is a difficult habit to break when trying to get in contact with friends, family or co-workers you are driving to meet. Even a simple "on the way" text is all it takes for an opportunity to look away from the road and cause an accident. 

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the use of any handheld device are four more times likely to get into a car crash. 

When asking fellow Greek life members, they agree that texting and driving is not the best idea but tend to continue the act anyway.

Currently in 32 states, including Arkansas, texting while driving is completely banned. A citation for breaking this law can range anywhere from $50 to $120 which is not worth sacrificing the money you could be using for a fun weekend ahead. 

Even worse, this illegal act can also cause accidents that contribute to higher rates of insurance. 

Despite the amounts of money you can lose for such a simple act, the worst cost of all is taking someone else's life or your own. 

It is time to stop, listen, and take responsibility on the road no matter how much we love to rebel against the authorities.

Alexa is a sophomore studying public relations and advertising. You may contact her at aalbrech@uark.edu.