...Is It Really?

FIRST OF ALL LET ME SAY THAT I AM A PROPONENT OF OUTLAWING TEXTING DRIVERS. However, I am not in favor of using the might-makes-right method of advocacy. The use of unrelated materials to promote a point of view. After some research, I feel that a photo similar to the one below was used erroneously to emphasize the case against texting and driving.

The accident was reported in the July 29, 2005, edition of the "The Record", New Jersey’s second-largest daily newspaper. Thus, the accident occurred on Thursday, July 28, 2005 and was reported as follows:

"Friday, July 29, 2005
FRANKLIN LAKES – A Westchester County man died Thursday afternoon in a crash on Route 287.

"Joseph Gianelli, 58 of Irvington, N.Y., was pronounced dead at the scene after his Chevrolet Corvette struck the rear of a tractor-trailer at about 1 p.m., near milepost 65, state police said.

"The truck, operated by Clouis Oquinn Jr., 52, of Virginia, was parked on a northbound shoulder when the Corvette plowed into it. Oquinn was not injured, officials said.

"The crash was under investigation Thursday evening."

There is no mention of texting in the news report, and texting while driving wasn’t a common problem in 2005, especially for older individuals. Hence, it would appear that the texting story being posted and reposted on Facebook is manufactured using an unrelated graphic photo to punch up the story. The news report is damaging to the assertion of the captions for the story/picture claiming the accident was the result of texting while driving. Further evidence of the fallacious use of the photo is the claim the man’s head was found in the back seat of the Corvette. Corvettes, however, do not have a back seat.

So I would say, be honest with your posts, However, I must still agree - DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE.