The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Since the introduction of text messaging, our society has become a population of screen peckers, with deft little thumbs that can move at an unbelievable rate across a phone keyboard. The average text messages sent each day in the United States alone reaches 6 billion, with the amount of texts sent across the world reaching 2.2 trillion each year. With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that text messaging has become a problem while driving.

In 2011, 23 percent of car accidents involved a cell phone—that equals about 1.3 million accidents.  When you text, your eyes are off the road for at least five seconds. If you happen to be going 55 miles per hour, that means you travel the entire length of a football field without looking up once.

So, while you’re busying answering the text asking you “Wut up?,” your car is essentially barreling down a road at 55 miles per hour by its own free will because, with your eyes off the road for that length of time, you won’t be paying enough attention to stop it. Can you imagine all the different scenarios that can happen in a football field length of space? Cars can pull out in front of you. Chickens can cross the road. Children can chase their basketballs into the street. All possible accidents just waiting to happen, all because you want to type, “Nuthin, u?”

Texting makes you 23 times more likely to crash. With 1 out of 5 drivers admitting to surfing the web while driving, the road just got that much more dangerous. Think before you text. You might just be saving a life.

Chevy Traverse 2LT Named One of "10 Best Vehicles for Fall Tailgating"

Two less expensive trim levels slot in below the Traverse 2LT, but it offers the best tailgating accessories and options.

Seating: As many as seven passengers can stretch out in comfort. The second row is comprised of twin captain's chairs, while the third row is a split bench seat.

Cargo: There is more than 24 cubic feet of hauling room behind the third-row seat. With the second- and third-row seats folded flat, it can carry up to 118 cubic feet of cargo.

Convenience: Also standard on the 2LT is a power lift gate and rearview camera to aid in backing into tight spaces.

Features: Three-zone climate control lets passengers in the rear adjust the temperature to their liking. A Bose 10-speaker audio system provides the tunes. It has a CD player and auxiliary input jack. Upping the ante by $1,470 gains the Rear Seat Entertainment System with its Bose 5.1 surround sound, DVD player and an eight-inch color monitor, as well as a 110-volt household outlet. Every Traverse is powered by the same 3.6-liter V-6 engine that's married to a six-speed driver-shiftable automatic transmission. This combination delivers 281 horsepower.