Driving on the road, one is often faced with the urge to operate a cellphone. Some might use their phone to arrange a meeting, or to have a conversation with a friend. But whether you’re driving through town or on an isolated highway, there is always a risk of harm that could potentially lead to a permanent injury.

Also, there is significant risk to others around you, such as your friends in the car or people in other cars on the road. Being held responsible for the injury of another person is not a burden that anyone should have to bear, especially us young adults. Why is it that people need to read or send a text while driving a car?

At stoplights, it seems nice to politely respond to your friends and avoid being rude. But when you sit there and the light has already turned green, you’re being rude to the people behind you that have places to be and people to see.

Being behind the wheel of a vehicle moving at high speeds can be dangerous if you are not in complete control. As the number of distractions in your car increases, so does the risk of getting in an automobile accident. Everyone has the thought: “That will never happen to me!” but the reality is that it does happen and it could happen to you.

Would you rather break a limb, be temporarily crippled, force your parents to pay bills for your injury and the car and possibly other injured people, or would you rather have independence and a drivable car? Although car accidents aren’t super common, when they do happen the result can be catastrophic. The amount of devastation that is possible from a car crash is not worth a simple “hello” or “lol.” This year especially, many students from Liberty have experienced a car crash or have known someone that has been in a car accident.

Car crashes are serious and can devastate many lives. Don’t open yourself up to the risks of a car crash; a simple text is not worth a limb or a life. Like our good pals at AT&T like to say, “It can wait.”