The One Reason You're Vex When Driving

The mobile penetration rate in Trinidad and Tobago was 160.0 (TATT Annual Report 2016). This is an increase from the previous year which continues the overall increasing trend. Similarly, the number of registered vehicles in Trinidad and Tobago was 397.0.

In other words, both mobile and car use are increasing. This increase is not a bad, it actually means more persons are able to afford these resources and its benefits.

The issue of texting and driving is one of responsible use. When texting and driving, the driver is visually distracted (looking at the phone), hands are off the wheel and focus shifts from the road to the phone. Travelling at 55mph equates to not looking at the road for the length of a football field.

When you know you’re going to drive, you can let the persons you talk to the most know that and let them know when you reached your destination safely. Alternatively, you can block all incoming calls and messages by going into airplane mode or simply turning off the device. This is a drastic step but prevents the phone from ringing.

Contrary to popular belief, the HuffingtonPost stated seniors over 55+ are most likely to be texting and driving, whereas, teens (18-24) were the least likely to text and drive.

In short:

“Don’t text and drive”

“Do use hands-free technology”

I’ll end this post with one of my experiences. I was driving on the highway and passed a car obviously swaying and going unusually slower than the surrounding traffic. When I looked inside the car, I saw a working lady texting on the phone, looking in the mirror and putting on lipstick and driving... all at the same time. She was also in the over-taking (right) lane too. Talk about multi-tasking, but this was dangerous to her and those around her.


Let us know your pet-peeves on the road in the comments below.