In the car world, when we talk about a number like 4.6 seconds, we’d all guess that we’re talking 0-60 mph times for a Ford Mustang, maybe a Camaro or a Nissan Z. But today we’re talking about something imminently more dangerous: texting and driving. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, established by the National Safety Council (NSC) more than 10 years ago.
According to NHTSA, distracted driving claimed more than 3,000 lives in 2019, and the organization is calling texting the most alarming of them all. If you asked your average person how long it takes to send or receive a text, they’d probably guess 1 or 2 seconds. But in the 4.6 seconds it actually takes, at 55 mph you’re covering an entire football field “with your eyes closed.”
If you’re going 84 mph, it’s almost two football fields.
