Since 2011, Delaware has had a ban on texting and driving. So why is it that on any given day at any given hour and on any given roadway people are driving with their heads down and their eyes not focused on the road way? What could possibly be so important that you have to look at it while driving? Recently an associate at AAA gave a presentation to about 300 high school students on the dangers of distracted driving. When asked if they had been in a vehicle with a distracted driver, almost 90 percent said yes they had. When asked who the driver was, about 50 percent said it was their parents. Let me say that again, 50 percent of the teens said their parents were driving distracted with them in the car. What kind of example is this setting for young drivers? It solidifies the “Do as I say and not as I do” argument. Let me state for the record if you cannot devote your full attention to driving because of some other activity, it’s a distraction. Take care of it before or after your trip, not while you’re behind the wheel. To the parents who are texting and driving with your kids in the car — Let me ask you this, do you want to be responsible for the crash that injures your child or your child’s teammates? No? Then please put down the phone. It’s fair to say that driving is an activity that requires your total attention. Make sure you give it the respect it deserves. Every time you get behind the wheel, just drive.

Ken Grant Public and Government Affairs Manager, AAA Wilmington