Texting while driving is the equivalent of signing your own and someone else’s death wish.

People say, ‘it won’t happen to me’ in response to someone telling them that they might die if they drive while texting. That is what people respond with when someone tells them that they might get addicted to drugs. Why risk your safety by checking or responding to a text while driving instead of pulling off to the side of the road and safely responding?

According to recent statistics done by the Parkview Trauma Center, someone who is texting and driving is twenty-three times more likely to be involved in a crash than someone who is not texting. It has also been found that eleven teens die everyday from texting while driving. One of four accidents are caused by texting while driving. Teens are four times more likely to get into an accident than adults while texting.

Seriously, there is no text in the world that is more important than saving lives. Because of the new upgrade in technology, you can do hands-free texting. It is more safe to do that than actually look down and use your fingers. Or if you do believe that the text is more important than other lives, then just call the person. That way, your eyes are on the road and not down on a screen.

On Oct. 26, 2016, 7:45 am Wednesday, at the new Fry’s on Gilbert Road south of Ocotillo Road, a male motorcyclist was hit by a red 2006 Lexus.

It was reported that the driver in the car was texting while driving and tried to make a right turn into the Fry’s from the left lane. While still looking at the phone, the driver hit the motorcycle and the cyclist went flying. He was rushed to a hospital and was treated for severe head trauma where he, unfortunately, died.

All because of what? Some careless person thought that texting someone else was more important than saving that man’s life. Now, a family is missing a father, a husband, a brother, and a friend.

If you want to text and drive please use common sense. Pull off to the side of the road. The text is not going anywhere. But you are. Only you can control where you are going. You can not text and arrive safely at your destination. Or you can text and risk the chance of not arriving in one piece to the hospital.