Last year Gov. Phil Bryant banned texting and driving in Mississippi.

But from our offices on East Jackson Avenue, just past Boure’ and Rafters, we can see from tinted windows that many drivers in Oxford are still paying more attention to their phones than the road.

This past Friday we noticed several people who were driving slower than usual, and had their eyes on their phones rather than the road. It is safe to assume more drivers were using their mobile devices than we saw.

Drivers should abide by the law, putting their phones down and paying attention to their surroundings while traveling around Oxford. Especially in our town, where pedestrians walk the Square and college students bike to and from class on campus, it is important to keep your eyes on the road.

No text message is worth risking your life or the life of others. Next time your phone goes off, keep it in your cup holder and wait until you’ve stopped at your destination and the car is not running to check your messages or respond.

Some people have a program on their phone that automatically sends an “I’m driving and will get back to you shortly” text when someone texts them. That’s an option if you’re concerned about immediacy and not wanting to ignore someone.

Not only will refraining from texting while driving help you follow the law, but it also will make our community a safer place for you, our children and our college students.