Central Illinoisans reminded to paint their thumb red

Posted on December 16, 2014

Red Thumb Day is a reminder to not text and drive.(Flickr)

By Terry James

BLOOMINGTON – Texting while driving is equal to drinking four beers making you 23 times more likely to have a crash.

  That terrifying statistic should lead you to paint your thumb red.
Painting your thumb red is a movement started to help remind people not to text and drive.  Spokesman Jeremy Tucker says seeing your red thumb should remind you to put the phone down.

"We are challenging America to mark their thumb red whether it's a red band, sticker, nail polish, or whatever, get creative, and it's to help you to remember to put your phone down when you are behind the wheel and keep your eyes on the road," says Tucker.

Tucker reminds us that texting while driving is a choice and doing so can save lives.

Terry James can be reached at [email protected].

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