The very admirable Cooper and Emily (of The Motherhood social networking site) have begun a new safety behind-the-wheel campaign:
The idea behind Mom Sends the MSG is that auto safety begins with US. Kids model OUR behavior... and if WE'RE setting a bad example by being scofflaws behind the wheel, how can we expect our kids to follow the letter of the law (and safe driving) once they get their licenses?
This is a subject that is near and dear to me (as my own daughter will attest). We live down the hill from a middle school, and when we were shopping for our house, we didn't think to visit between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. Had we seen steady of procession of cars barreling high speed up and down our street each morning, I don't think we would have bought it!
Over the years, I've written plenty of rants about the way people drive around schools: the folks who seem to think that red zones don't matter when they are dropping off or picking up their kids... the ones who park in crosswalks... make illegal U-turns... and jaywalk. (And don't get me started on people who don't stop at stop signs!)
I am outraged by parents who do all they can to ensure their own kids' safety -- but don't give a hoot about anyone else's.
And then there are cellphones. I have to confess that in the past, I have tweeted from the car while stuck at a red light... but I ended that practice a long time ago. One factor was last year's train accident a few miles from my home, when it turned out the operator had been texting someone instead of paying attention.
But another factor is that I simply cannot handle the distraction. I don't even like talking on a hands-free cellphone when I'm driving and recently stopped bringing my bluetooth along. (So if you are trying to reach me between 7:30 and 8:30 on Monday through Friday, leave a message... I will call you back when I'm safe at home.)
I'm happy to take the pledge to model good driving behavior - and urge you to do so, too here.
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