Another Reminder Not To Text And Drive

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - I don't know about you but it seems more and more common that I am encountering people who are texting while driving - despite the known danger.

You may think that sending or reading a text only takes a moment - not long enough to cause a problem. But it takes five seconds to send or read just one text.

If you're going 55 miles per hour, that's like traveling the length of a football field while blindfolded. So it's no wonder that texting increases your risk of crashing by 23 times. Yet many people are tempted to text.

To avoid temptation, turn off your phone or put it on silent whenever you get behind the wheel and store it out of reach. If you need to text or make a call, pull over and stop somewhere safe and, by the way, if you are a passenger, don't let other drivers text behind the wheel…don't be shy.