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If you have a question for Ms. Magnolia, please mail it to P.O. Box 669, Vidalia, GA 30475, or e-mail to msmagnoliaadvance@yahoo.com.

Ms. Magnolia

Dear Ms. Magnolia, Two years ago, a young driver who was texting while driving crossed the line into the lane of my daughter and caused a three-car accident. They were in slow traffic and no one was killed, but

two other drivers ended up in the hospital, and the at-fault driver lost her license for a while and still has insurance problems. She would have had many more problems if her lack of responsibility had killed someone. She didn’t take the warnings seriously and usually texted when she drove, according to her friend, who was a passenger in her car at the time of the accident.

Please share these tips with your readers: Silence your phone when you are driving. If you must use the phone, for heaven’s sake pull off the road and stop the car. If you are using a navigation system, set it before you start the car. If necessary, ask a passenger to navigate for you, make or take a call or send a message.

And don’t be a distraction yourself. Don’t call or text someone when you know they are driving. Mom

Dear Mom, Thank you for your tips. Phone calls and text messages are the most common forms of distracted driving; 48 states and D.C. have banned texting while driving. If you’re riding with a distracted driver, remind them that road safety is the top priority. And if they’re still distracted, it’s okay to ask them to stop or pull over for your safety. Speaking up could save lives. Distracted driving can come at a hefty cost and isn’t worth taking the risk.

Letters have been edited for length and clarity.