Texting Caused Death in South Dakota Shouldn’t Have Happened

There is a lot of national interest in the case of a motorcyclists death in South Dakota this past week. The driver of the car that hit him was texting and speeding. As was reported by The San Francisco Chronicle:

Authorities say 21-year-old Brent O'Neal was driving 60 mph in a 30 mph zone and was texting on his cellphone when he caused a chain of accidents in central Sioux Falls on Wednesday.

O'Neal's car hit three vehicles and Philip Sorensen's motorcycle before crashing into a light pole. The 33-year-old Sorensen died later at a Sioux Falls hospital.

There are so many reasons why this type of collusion should have never happened. Hopefully, it will lead to South Dakota joining the states that have banned texting while driving.

It is time that we do everything to get the message out. Groups that are helping include: The Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation, 60 For Safety, and EndDD.org

If you want to take action to help end distracted driving, here are two ways you can get started:

• Make a pledge—Make a commitment to do something to end distracted driving. Submit a written pledge, or share a video pledge.
• Share the featured “Faces of Distracted Driving” video.

Here are some other thoughts on the topic:

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month in Texas Too, Jeff Weinstein | April 02, 2012 11:34 PM

Cell Phone Use and Driving – A Deadly Combination, Jeff Weinstein | April 02, 2012 5:50 PM

Simple Q for Teens – Ask them how many Text Messages they send a Month, Jeff Weinstein | March 28, 2012 11:49 AM

Should We Just Shut Off The Cell Phones and Drive?, Mike Bryant | January 13, 2012 9:01 AM

Stops The Texts Stop The Wrecks Mike Bryant | November 25, 2011 9:04 AM

Texting and Driving: Do You Know how Dangerous it is?, Mike Bryant | November 07, 2011 9:33 AM

Texting and Walking Can Be Dangerous,Mike Bryant | September 14, 2011 9:09 AM

Driving While Distracted? It Causes Deaths. Mike Bryant | August 18, 2011 9:52 AM

Want to Text and Drive? Watch this First., Mike Bryant | July 11, 2011 9:19 AM

Real Life Reasons Not to Text and Drive, Mike Bryant | April 26, 2011 9:37 AM

Texting – More Deadly than Drunk Driving?, Joe Crumley, September 22, 2009 7:01 AM

Study Shows Texting While Driving Highly Dangerous, Rick Shapiro, July 29, 2009 8:00 PM

Texting By Drivers Proven to Be Extreme Hazard, Mark Williams, July 28, 2009 5:41 PM

Ignoring the Dangers of Texting While Driving May Lead to Serious Consequences, Will Parker July 30, 2009 4:53 PM

Texting and Driving – More Deadly than Drinking and Driving?, Jeremy Thurman, September 20, 2008 3:18 PM