Conversations Can Kill Persuasive Speech
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 1
Conversations Can Kill Shanna Downs AC1302344 SP180.0.3 Principals of Public Speaking Resources Assignment 07 Speech July 29, 2013
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 2
Conversations Can Kill Raise your hand if while driving your quick reflexes have stopped an accident with another driver from happening? Raise your hand if the other driver was on the phone? This is why you must remember, when behind the wheel, conversation can kill. The main reason that this happens is that the driver is distracted by the phone. If you have loved ones in your life that are young they are affected most by this distraction. …show more content…
The scariest thing of all is this distraction may cause death. Using a cell phone while driving distracts the driver.
Cell phones draw a driver 's attention away from traffic, road conditions and vehicle operation. Some studies have shown this may increase the likelihood of an accident by four times the normal rate. A large part of this distraction involves the need to physically handle the phone. This may cause the driver to remove their hands from the wheel or their eyes from the road. While listening to the person speaking or while answering a text the driver becomes less likely to hear another driver 's horn or an emergency siren. When thoughts are focused on the conversation, especially if it is upsetting they are less focused on driving. This leads to multitasking. Multitasking should not be done while driving. A study has reveled that drivers who believe they are skilled at multitasking actually are least likely to be able to do so safely. The more people multitask by talking on cell phones and driving, the more they lack the actual ability to multitask. During the study 70 percent of participants thought they were above average at multitasking, when a mere 6 percent actually were. If you believe you 're the rare multitasking pro who can safely use a cell phone while behind the wheel, think …show more content…
again!
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 3
Speaking of an inflated perception of abilities, teenagers are affected the most by the dangers of cell phone usage while driving. Teenagers perform the act of using cell phones while driving more than any other age group. Almost 50 percent of teenagers are texting while driving. This leads to a very high fatality rate. Teenagers have the highest percentage of death in regard to crashes caused from cell phone usage while driving. Each year 21 percent of fatal car crashes involving teenagers were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow by as much as 4 percent every year. In all cases of these crashes they could have been avoided eliminating many unnecessary deaths. Drivers using cell phones cause many accidental deaths. The alarming fact is that deaths caused by cell phone usage while driving is on the rise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 's statistical projection, an estimated 34,080 people died in car crashes in 2012, compared to 32,367 the previous year. The National Safety Council estimates 25 percent of all crashes involve cell phone use. These estimates conclude that the death toll rose by 429 more deaths than in 2011. That means 8,520 people would still be alive today if someone would have put their cell phone down. Now I would like to tell you the story of David Tome. The Patriot-News wrote this story in 2008 and to this day it stirs many emotions in most that hear it. The day is October 21st 2008. A police officer by the name of David Tome was assigned to investigate an accident with his partner, which had occurred a few days earlier. The officers dressed in orange and lime green
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 4
safety vests and were placing orange traffic cones up in order to block the right lane for their investigation.
The men were taking all safety procedures necessary to avoid anyone getting hurt. Along comes Joanna Seibert in her Saturn using her iPhone and traveling 69 mph in a 55mph zone about 9:30 a.m. She then went through the cones hitting and killing David. Joanna was convicted of vehicular homicide and is now in prison leaving her children without a full time mother. While her children are still able to see her and she will be released one day, David 's children were not so lucky. They will continue the rest of their lives without a father. This senseless death could and should have been avoided. There is always an alternative to using a cell phone while driving. You can pull over to the shoulder or off the road to take that call or read or send a text message. Better yet, wait until you have reached your destination or until you make a stop and check your phone. Turn the phone off while in the car, to avoid distracting yourself while
driving. It is up to each and every one of us to inform others of the dangers of using a cell phone while driving. Inform your kids, friends, family, co-workers, the people around you anywhere at any time. This is a serious problem that will not go away on its own. Educate those around you, enforce consequences, and most important, practice what you preach. Remember conversations can kill!
References
Cell Phone Accident Statistics and Texting While Driving Facts. (n.d.). Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers - Pittsburgh Attorneys. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html
Hartman, D. (n.d.). Accidents Caused by Cell Phone Use | eHow. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you.. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5188398_accidents-caused-cell-phone-use.html
Kemeny, M. (2009, October 29). Dillsburg woman will go to trial in crash that killed York County police officer | PennLive.com. Central PA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - PennLive.com. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/10/dillsburg_woman_will_go_to_tri.html
Rodriguez, J. A. (2013, January 25). Multitasking and Distracted Driving: You Are Not the Exception | Safety content from EHS Today. EHS Today Home Page. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://ehstoday.com/safety/multitasking-and-distracted-driving-you-are-not-exception
Conversations Can Kill Shanna Downs AC1302344 SP180.0.3 Principals of Public Speaking Resources Assignment 07 Speech July 29, 2013
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 2
Conversations Can Kill Raise your hand if while driving your quick reflexes have stopped an accident with another driver from happening? Raise your hand if the other driver was on the phone? This is why you must remember, when behind the wheel, conversation can kill. The main reason that this happens is that the driver is distracted by the phone. If you have loved ones in your life that are young they are affected most by this distraction. …show more content…
The scariest thing of all is this distraction may cause death. Using a cell phone while driving distracts the driver.
Cell phones draw a driver 's attention away from traffic, road conditions and vehicle operation. Some studies have shown this may increase the likelihood of an accident by four times the normal rate. A large part of this distraction involves the need to physically handle the phone. This may cause the driver to remove their hands from the wheel or their eyes from the road. While listening to the person speaking or while answering a text the driver becomes less likely to hear another driver 's horn or an emergency siren. When thoughts are focused on the conversation, especially if it is upsetting they are less focused on driving. This leads to multitasking. Multitasking should not be done while driving. A study has reveled that drivers who believe they are skilled at multitasking actually are least likely to be able to do so safely. The more people multitask by talking on cell phones and driving, the more they lack the actual ability to multitask. During the study 70 percent of participants thought they were above average at multitasking, when a mere 6 percent actually were. If you believe you 're the rare multitasking pro who can safely use a cell phone while behind the wheel, think …show more content…
again!
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 3
Speaking of an inflated perception of abilities, teenagers are affected the most by the dangers of cell phone usage while driving. Teenagers perform the act of using cell phones while driving more than any other age group. Almost 50 percent of teenagers are texting while driving. This leads to a very high fatality rate. Teenagers have the highest percentage of death in regard to crashes caused from cell phone usage while driving. Each year 21 percent of fatal car crashes involving teenagers were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow by as much as 4 percent every year. In all cases of these crashes they could have been avoided eliminating many unnecessary deaths. Drivers using cell phones cause many accidental deaths. The alarming fact is that deaths caused by cell phone usage while driving is on the rise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 's statistical projection, an estimated 34,080 people died in car crashes in 2012, compared to 32,367 the previous year. The National Safety Council estimates 25 percent of all crashes involve cell phone use. These estimates conclude that the death toll rose by 429 more deaths than in 2011. That means 8,520 people would still be alive today if someone would have put their cell phone down. Now I would like to tell you the story of David Tome. The Patriot-News wrote this story in 2008 and to this day it stirs many emotions in most that hear it. The day is October 21st 2008. A police officer by the name of David Tome was assigned to investigate an accident with his partner, which had occurred a few days earlier. The officers dressed in orange and lime green
Running Head: CONVERSATIONS CAN KILL 4
safety vests and were placing orange traffic cones up in order to block the right lane for their investigation.
The men were taking all safety procedures necessary to avoid anyone getting hurt. Along comes Joanna Seibert in her Saturn using her iPhone and traveling 69 mph in a 55mph zone about 9:30 a.m. She then went through the cones hitting and killing David. Joanna was convicted of vehicular homicide and is now in prison leaving her children without a full time mother. While her children are still able to see her and she will be released one day, David 's children were not so lucky. They will continue the rest of their lives without a father. This senseless death could and should have been avoided. There is always an alternative to using a cell phone while driving. You can pull over to the shoulder or off the road to take that call or read or send a text message. Better yet, wait until you have reached your destination or until you make a stop and check your phone. Turn the phone off while in the car, to avoid distracting yourself while
driving. It is up to each and every one of us to inform others of the dangers of using a cell phone while driving. Inform your kids, friends, family, co-workers, the people around you anywhere at any time. This is a serious problem that will not go away on its own. Educate those around you, enforce consequences, and most important, practice what you preach. Remember conversations can kill!
References
Cell Phone Accident Statistics and Texting While Driving Facts. (n.d.). Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers - Pittsburgh Attorneys. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html
Hartman, D. (n.d.). Accidents Caused by Cell Phone Use | eHow. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you.. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5188398_accidents-caused-cell-phone-use.html
Kemeny, M. (2009, October 29). Dillsburg woman will go to trial in crash that killed York County police officer | PennLive.com. Central PA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - PennLive.com. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/10/dillsburg_woman_will_go_to_tri.html
Rodriguez, J. A. (2013, January 25). Multitasking and Distracted Driving: You Are Not the Exception | Safety content from EHS Today. EHS Today Home Page. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://ehstoday.com/safety/multitasking-and-distracted-driving-you-are-not-exception