“There is a time and a place.” A cliché of the highest order, and like most clichés—no matter how banal—it resonates with a certain amount of truth. The truthfulness of this particular cliché has never been more disturbingly apparent than when it is applied to texting and driving; an issue that is worth thinking about for those of us who work in public relations, given our need to stay hyper-connected and up-to-date.
According to AT&T’s It Can Wait initiative more than 100,000 car accidents a year involve drivers who are texting. I was reintroduced to this issue after watching Werner Herzog’s recent Mini-documentary/PSA called From One Second to the Next. This film isn’t one of those fear pedaling gore soaked movies that they used to show in Drivers Ed classes. It’s an in-depth look at some of the people who have had their lives changed by this reckless behavior: victims, their loved ones, and the well-meaning perpetrators who are trying to come to terms with profound guilt and regret. The real strength of the film lies in its ability to make you empathize; to see that the only difference between you and the people in the video is luck.
The film is around 35 minutes long and will be watched by thousands of Drivers Ed students around the country, but for those of us already on the roads, I recommend you watch it and spread the word. It’s an important reminder that no matter how busy or urgent you think an email or text is, if you are driving, it is never worth it.