2 seconds
Reuters summarizes a texting and driving study by the Texas Transportation Institute:
Drivers were asked to stop when they saw a flashing yellow light, and their reaction times were recorded…
The typical time it took a driver who was not texting to respond to the flashing light was one to two seconds. But when the driver was texting, the reaction time extended to three to four seconds…
In other words, texting costs 2 more seconds of attention. Doesn’t seem like much, does it?
2 seconds in distance
A lot can be in 2 seconds. Much more than thin air.
At just 35 mph, a car travels more than 100 feet every 2 seconds. At higher speeds, 2 seconds are worth even more in distance. You can actually fit a lot into 2 seconds:
| Miles per hour | Feet | Cars | Bicycles | Caskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 103 | 7 | 18 | 15 |
| 55 | 161 | 11 | 28 | 23 |
| 70 | 205 | 14 | 36 | 29 |
2 seconds in consequence
A lot can end in 2 seconds. You could:
- Paralyze a student athlete from the neck down
- Orphan a 5-year-old girl
- Mentally disable a straight-A ninth-grader
- Widow a newlywed
- Extinguish a family of four
Or you might get lucky. You could die. That way, you won’t have to endure a lifetime of indescribable guilt caused by the 2 seconds you traded to tap out a few pieces of text.
Put the goddamned phone down while you’re driving.
(via TBR)