7 Ways to Break the Texting and Driving Habit ...

The very first thing you have to do if you want to stop the texting and driving habit is make a decision to break it. You have to want to stop or you won’t really follow through. Just like with any other habit, your desire to follow through is a major factor. If you are only doing this half-heartedly, you probably are not going to be successful. Treat it like you do when you are trying to break any other habit that is important to you.

This one is very helpful. Leave your phone in your purse when you are driving. This way you are not as likely to be tempted to text. It is a bit hard to form this habit but once you do, it will be second nature. You have to train yourself to ignore your message alerts but you can do it.

This one is very motivational for moms. It is even more so if you have children that are close to the age of driving. They are watching you. If you text and drive, they are going to be more likely to do the same thing. Our children are far more likely to do what we do versus what we tell them to do. The examples that we set speak loudly.

Texting and driving is becoming illegal in more and more states. In fact, it is currently illegal in 43 states according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, so the chances are high that it is illegal in your state. If you do live in a state where it isn’t yet illegal, it is certainly frowned upon at the very least. The reason it is illegal in so many states is that it has been proven dangerous time and time again. Do the safe thing and refrain from texting until you reach your destination.

I think you can learn a lot about how dangerous texting and driving is by watching other drivers who are texting and driving. Sometimes I pass drivers who are doing this and I realize why they were swerving all over the road. They are texting and are not paying attention like they should be. When you pass people who are doing this, observe them. Do they look like they are paying attention to the road? Can you see how distracting that texting and driving is to a driver?

If you have ever looked at some pictures of wrecks where texting was involved, it can certainly make you want to break this habit. Some of the pictures that I have seen are absolutely unbelievable. It is scary that being distracted for just a few seconds can cause such terrible wrecks and loss of life, but it can. Looking away from the road places you and everyone around you in grave danger. Those few seconds when you are texting could be the very seconds you most need to have your eyes on the road.

Many times we fool ourselves into believing that texting is harmless. We think that we are in control enough to handle driving and texting simultaneously. But the truth is we can’t. Statistics show this time and time again. Every time you text and drive you are putting your own life and the life of others in danger.

The reasons for breaking this habit are many. Have you broken this habit? What helped you to do so?