Today, I’m preaching! What do you do to convince drivers how dangerous texting and driving is to the people traveling on the same roads that they are? On the way to school each day, we are constantly seeing people texting while driving.
Last week, on three different occasions I was almost run off the road while passing a driver who was texting. One was on a bridge with concrete sides and absolutely nowhere to go. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of it.
I don’t know if it will do any good, but I ran across these statistics that I found astonishing and would like to share with you.
• Cellphone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.
• Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting.
• One out of every four accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
• Texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.
• Answering a text takes your attention away from the road for about five seconds. Traveling at 55 miles per hour, that’s enough time to travel the length of a football field.
• Texting while driving causes a 400 percent increase in time with your eyes spent off the road.
These statistics aren’t just for teens. They are for adult drivers, too. One thing I think we can do as adults is to set a good example for young people by not texting and driving. Practice what we preach.
I’ve tried a few side dishes as of late that I think you might enjoy. Thanks for reading.
WINE GLAZED CARROTS
1 bag frozen baby carrots (can also use fresh)
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cups sugar
1 cup white wine
In a large saucepan, melt butter, add nutmeg and mix well. Remove from heat and add sugar, mixing well. Return to heat and add wine, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add carrots, cover tightly and simmer until carrots are tender.
GARLIC SOUR CREAM NOODLES
1 (8-ounce) package fettuccine noodles
¼ cup butter
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Cook noodles according to instructions, and drain and rinse. Toss with butter until melted. Then, add sour cream and seasoning.
SUMMER GREEN BEANS
1 (1 pound, 12 ounces) can cut green beans
½ cup bottled Italian salad dressing
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon horseradish
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic salt
Drain green beans well, and place in an airtight container. Pour Italian dressing over beans, and shake well. Marinate four hours in the refrigerator.Mix remaining ingredients well. Drain green beans well, and toss in sour cream mixture.
Refrigerate overnight if possible. Serve chilled.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
