{Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and . The opinions are my own.}
As you know, if you've been reading my blog for a while, I have four (now) grown children. Lucy and Jonathan are both still at home and Jonathan, will be eighteen in December. He won't get his drivers license until then. (I know. Meanest-mom-in-the-whole-wide-world.)
Jonathan, Lucy, Adam, & Amy. My four.
Most of the time, I communicate with all four of them via text. In fact, I prefer it. If they're out in the world (which is pretty much all the time now) they will check in with me daily via text. Of course, I know that's the way they "talk" to their friends and each other. Texting is here to stay. At least in our family.
I stress to them that even if we're in the middle of a text "conversation," which we often are, they absolutely, positively must not text and drive. I've lived long enough to know that not just teenagers, but most people think that they're the invinicible ones. The statistics tell a completely different story.
Texting while driving is involved in 100,000+ vehicle crashes each year, often causing injuries and deaths. Sobering, no? It is for this mami.
I've decided to participate in campaign because I don't think any text is worth dying for. Seriously, anything you have to text, can wait. Anything. AT&T's goal is to save lives. I'm on board with that.
I love my people. (Do you see those faces?) But I promise, no one's feelings will be hurt and nothing catastrophic will happen if they don't respond immediately to that last text message. And truly, I dread that someday there could be a "last text message."
I'll be honest, if I'm driving and I receive a text, I am always tempted to answer immediately. I think it's that Cuban "good manners" thing. It just seems polite to answer when someone speaks to you. But I swear, texting while driving does not fit into the "polite thing to do" category.
Please, don't text and drive. No text is worth dying for.
I'll be posting more about the campaign in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, this is what you can do to get involved:
- Go to
- Take the no-texting-and-driving pledge.
- Share your promise with others via Twitter (#itcanwait) and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ItCanWaitNoTextingWhileDriving
I want to keep having these kinds of conversations with my kids. For a very, very long time.
I agree 100%. I do not believe in using a phone while driving, period. It’s not just about texting and driving. It’s also about surfing the internet and driving or looking up a phone number and driving. Anything you need to do, you can do while safely pulling off to the side of the road to peruse your phone. This is the reason why when I get into my car, before I start the car, I turn on the DRIVE SAFELY app on my phone and then go on my merry way. This app does an ‘auto respond’ to any text I may receive while driving and it provides those folks with any message I set it up to respond with. I’m on board! And thank YOU for doing the same!
You have a very beautiful family and I don;t blame you for wanting to keep those types of conversations.
You have a beautiful family. Your oldest daughter looks just like you. I agree no texting and driving. Only my oldest son drive and thank goodness he is a nerd and wont even pick up the phone onless he is on a red light. My Daughter won’t be driving until she is at least 17 I have a few more months to worry about that. I wish my husband would take this oath, he thinks nothing will happen because he can multitask, OK. I pray every time he gets in that car. However, he bought a motorcycle recently and believe it or not I am so much more at ease when he in on it, because I know he can’t be on the phone or text while driving that. Texting and driving is illegal in Miami but tell him that.
I agree 100% with what you and AT&T are doing. Not only did I take the pledge and share the pledge but got my son to also. Life is short, a text can wait. Thank you. Mary D.