Are you a thumbbody?

Last month I wrote about discovering the Thumbs on Wheels campaign we saw as we drove the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I was delighted to learn that there's a group called Thumbs on the Wheel that's working to educate drivers and kids on this important practice.

The folks at Thumbs on the Wheel (TOTW) acknowledge it's a personal choice to drive safely. They offer a few simple rules that encourage safe driving and maybe even lessen road rage:

1. Keep your Thumbs on the Wheel every time you drive.
2. Put your phone away - seriously, it will be there when you get there.
3. Smile at thumbbody at every stoplight.
4. Show anybody how to be thumbbody today!

Sales of T-shirts and other merchandise help spread the word. Some of the proceeds of each sale go to organizations including: The Joshua Chamberlain Society aiding wounded veterans, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Humane Society, and local schools.

Whether you buy the merchandise or not, the idea is a good one and I encourage you to spread the word. And keep your thumbs on the wheel.

As TOTW says:

Be Safe. Be Happy. Be Thumbbody!

Thumbs on the wheel

Texting while driving is a hazard. No exceptions. Texters may say they can text without looking. I don't believe it.

As we put 3,800 miles on our van over the last two weeks, we had plenty of opportunity to observe distracted driving. Cars slowing down, speeding up, slowing down. Cars swerving onto the shoulder and jerking back. Even worse, cars swerving into another lane of traffic. Sometimes a cell phone was the culprit; more often we observed the driver texting.

When we entered the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we saw signs saying the Turnpike was a text-free zone.  Other signs called for 'Thumbs on wheels.' We loved the idea and adopted it, even though we only have one cell phone between us and neither of us knows how to text.

For all the good it did, I yelled 'thumbs on the wheel' to offenders as we passed them. Even if they couldn't hear or understand me, I felt better. Our van has plenty of buttons to push, and since the vehicle is new, we aren't familiar with what they all do. Experimenting with those buttons while driving could be as hazardous as texting. 'Thumbs on the wheel,' we reminded each other from time to time.

Thumbs on the wheel. It's a good idea. I hope it catches on.