I am beginning to believe that some of us have become willfully ignorant to the dangers our cell phones pose. It’s use, at certain times, can kill you and everyone around you if you are not careful. Do you understand that driving while distracted by a mobile phone is the leading cause of vehicular deaths now in the U.S.? Do your children and grand children know this fact?

Read this. Go ahead. . . grab another cup of coffee and get comfortable. . . I’ll wait.

Cell Phone-Related Car Crashes Among Top Causes of Fatal Injury in U.S.

There is a quote from the Stephen King based movie The Lawnmower Man (1992) that my husband loves. “Technology will free the mind of man, not enslave it.” One drive to the grocery store or to a local park and I begin to wonder if sci-fi movies get future tech right. Specifically where this quote from Lawn Mower Man is concerned.

I think we are already enslaved. Seriously. Look up from your own damn device to see.

This morning a friend on Facebook shared this brilliant PSA. . . and yes I know that it is also a cleverly disguised ad.

Now we all have seen PSA’s (maybe not one delivered in such a clever way) and roadside billboard ads (oh the irony) addressing the very real and deadly consequences of distracted driving – but nothing drives it home like having an accident nearly happen to you or hearing about someone in your community who lost their life because of distracted driving.

You may have read or seen the video of the deadly crash that happened on a local North Carolina highway. It broke my heart to know that a bright and beautiful young woman lost her life and endangered that of another driver because of the tragic decision that a Facebook status update just couldn’t wait.

Incase the lesson here was too vague for you – Put your fucking phone down and DRIVE. It can and will kill you if you pick it up while you are behind the wheel. Now this warning isn’t just for your own safety – but for everyone else who shares the road with you.

How many times have you picked up your phone to text, look at directions, pick up/place a call while you were driving?  [anonymous survey]