Friends Don't Let Friends Dial and Drive

By markhongmd on January 02, 2014

Dialing and Driving - Just Say No

Today's New England Journal of Medicine reports the risk of crashing your car is 8 times higher while dialing your cell phone. Other dangerous activities were sending or receiving text messages, reaching for an object in the car, looking at a roadside object, and eating while driving. Not surprisingly, teenage and novice drivers were the highest at risk.

Even among experienced drivers, distracted driving more than doubled the risk of crashing. I know it's obvious and based on what we see in the roads of Phoenix every day, it's clear that many people don't care. But this study matters because it reinforces just how dangerous distracted driving has become, especially among teenagers. Next time you have the urge to dial or text while driving, ask yourself whether it's worth dying over. Friends don't let friends dial and drive!