The Periscope section in this week's Newsweek (Oct. 30) carries the story of Patrick Sims and warns about the hazards of text messaging while driving.
Sims is the Colorado teen who checked a text message on his phone, drifted into a bike lane and struck and killed 63-year-old cyclist Jim Price. He told the Denver Post:
“That day, that text message seemed important to me. Now I couldn't even tell you what it said.”
Newspaper stories at the time suggest his sincere apology to Price's widow after a preliminary court hearing convinced her and Price's daughters to ask for leniency in his sentence. The judge imposed 9 days in jail, 4 years probation, and 300 hours of community service.
Bike club visit
The community service portion of his sentence has brought him face-to-face with members of Price's bike club — Bicycle Douglas County — where he read a letter he'd written to Colorado legislators about the problems of cell phone use and driving. Primarily, though, he has delivered his message to high school kids.
As Newsweek succintly puts it, “texting and driving don't mix.”
It cites an increase in texting-related crashes and quotes the UK-based SMS Text News webmaster who can't believe that texting on the road is legal in most states.
In a post about the collision with the bicycle, Textually.org reminds its readers not to text message and drive.
I'd say that also goes for eating behind the wheel, applying makeup, reading paperbacks, fishing for a CD ….
See also: Playing on the cell phone: another light sentence in a bicycling death
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