Texting can be deadly | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

David and Leslee Bird Henson worked hard and retired early to spend time with their kids and grandkids. They did humanitarian and temple work.

That life is over. A texting driver in St. George rear-ended a car, sending it out of control into Dave and Leslee. He was killed. She has a broken neck and back.

Distracted driving needs to stop — texting, looking at multi-function phones, applying makeup, etc. We live in an instant-gratification world and think we must have answers now, so we send and respond to non-urgent texts while driving. And somewhere near our several-ton vehicle is someone who could lose his or her life in a split second.

Texting while driving in Utah is illegal for everyone, yet talking on the phone while driving is distracting, too.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Please don't use your phone when you drive. Stay focused.

There is no message more important than your life or someone else's life.

Kaye Nelson

Provo