As modern technology has advanced over the years, the number of distractions to driving have increased. It is not only a phone call, or a conversation with a passenger, that can take attention from the road- but more contemporary forms of inattention, which stem from texting and driving. Being distracted while driving can lead to fatal results. Attempting to juggle operating a vehicle and typing out a text message is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than driving while intoxicated. Research has even found that the probability of a driver crashing is twice as likely if the individual was texting than if they were driving intoxicated. Many cities and states have implemented ordinances and laws in an attempt to ban electronic device use…
Over 100,000 accidents a year involve drivers who are texting. (www.itcanwait.com) Our natural instinct when we feel the vibration from our cell phones or hear our cell phones going off is to check it, right? We do this often, especially when behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Most of us do not see the danger we put not only ourselves, but others, in every time we check a text or email or phone call while driving. The advertisement, “Texting and Driving: SD Department of Highway Safety”, is a very touching and emotional advertisement aimed at educating the public of what could possibly happen when distracted driving occurs due to our cell phone.…
Each day we go about our lives without rethinking the repercussions that could arise from our routine actions. Roughly, over 8 people are killed and 1,150 are injured each day from vehicular crashes involving a distracted driver (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). “New research from AT&T shows nearly 4-in-10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving. Almost 3-in-10 surf the net. And surprisingly, 1-in-10 video chat (AT&T).” “7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving (AT&T).” “A recent AT&T survey found that 97 percent of teens say they know that texting is dangerous. The survey also found: 75 percent of teens surveyed say that texting while driving is “common” among their friends; Almost all teens (89 percent) expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less; And 77…
The lives of Americans are influenced by the technology that this society has created. When going to a restaurant you see a great amount of individuals that are so focused on their technology rather than the person that is right in front of them. But, something that is more of an issue is that we see individuals driving down the road with their nose stuck in a phone, messing with the car devices, putting food to their mouths, and so much more. We as individuals are so focused on everything else that is surrounding us in the vehicle rather than the road. So, what constitutes as distracted driving? There is a great amount of issues that associate with distracted driving.…
Adults and teenagers are making a choice everyday to take their eyes off the road, their minds off of driving, and their hands off the wheel when they text and drive. The dangers of texting while driving are known nationwide, but the numerous deaths and accidents don’t seem to be stopping anyone from texting while behind the wheel. Several major corporations have launched campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of texting and driving. Many states have enacted laws against texting while driving. Will making laws and educating the public stop this dangerous and deadly distraction?…
When trying to figure out ways to prevent distracted driving car accidents we often overlook the obvious: the perspective of the texter. My guess is that most people reading this are not teenagers, the most likely group to text and drive. The following essay was written before the recent efforts in Michigan to ban texting while driving. It has been edited for timeliness and length, but all the salient points remain. The essay was featured on Traverse City Record-Eagle’s website and was written by Traverse City West Senior High School junior Kelly Brown:…
Texting and driving go hand in hand for a lot of Michigan drivers. Too many people on the road are disobeying the law and causing danger to all. It could be the guy behind you, who for some reason cannot drive within the lines. Perhaps it is the lady in front of you, whose head keeps popping up and down as she tries to keep her attention on what she’s typing on her phone, and the road. Whether people think they have the skill to text and drive, or just do not see the existing danger, it does not matter. Over the past few years, automobile crashes due caused by texting while driving is an outbreak that has taken Michigan by storm. The dangers of texting and driving have cost thousands of lives. The number has been on…
Imagine being told that someone you love has been killed in an accident, that involved people who had been drinking and texting behind the wheel. This example goes to show that every choice comes with a price. In this case the driver chooses to go behind the wheel while intoxicated and chose to text behind the wheel that resulted in a horrific accident that hurt the lives of many. As of 2008 data from the article driving while distracted 6,000 people died in car accidents because of distracted driving. First, I will be informing you on the pros and cons of banning texting while driving, secondly, I will be informing you on phone usage, and lastly, I will talk about the reduction of accidents in areas that have cell phone bans.…
If all of us can take part in putting a stop to distracted driving (texting and driving), we can make our highways safer for all of us including the younger drivers, the elderly, the passengers, and the other people around us. Let's make this a better, safer place for us all. We can make it a place where people are not getting killed,not getting distracted, and first of all, people are not going to get influenced by…
How does Distracted Driving effect teens in society today? There are many distractions that teens face today. Research has given the basic reasons why there is distracted driving like: peer pressure, technology, speeding, violating laws, and driving under the influence. In the year of 2011 distracted related crashes have claimed 3331 lives and injured 416,387 people nationwide. With this drastic number of lives being affected many states have put more laws on driving, especially for teens, because the amounts of distractions on the road that are increasing every year. They also have made more social marketing ways to show teens how to prevent distracted driving and results distracted driving can cause. From this, teens will get a better understanding of the dangers they can cause by not being careful on the road. If teens are shown examples of another individuals tragedy because of distracted driving they themselves will take more caution. Teenagers need to understand that an automobile can easily turn into a weapon if the driver is not take all responsibly to give their undivided attention to the road they are traveling on. They need better guidance from adults on their lives as well. They should learn from example and not be the example.…
Central Idea: Texting is becoming an increasingly popular activity that is resulting in fatal accidents among those who partake in texting while driving and should be banned…
I have been noticing each and every day that there are more and more distracted drivers on the road. These drivers may be distracted by their radio, an in depth conversation with a passenger, children laughing or screaming in the backseat or even reading or sending text messages while driving. All of which can be potentially dangerous to the operator, their passengers, an unsuspecting pedestrian or other vehicle operators on the road. As a potential victim to an accident caused by distracted drivers, I am very concerned as we all should be. So the question I ask now is how can an operator safely drive while distracted? Is the convenience and time saved worth the dangers or deaths that can be caused to yourself or others? In order to safely operate a vehicle it requires a great deal of concentration, coordination, and quick reflexes to avoid potential accidents.…
A car in movement is a lethal weapon. When a person is using his/her phone at the same time, it is a lethal distraction. Cynthia, shared her tragic story with the public to help people realize what texting and driving has the power to do. Her son was waiting to turn left at a red light and the driver who hit them was texting and not paying attention. Cynthia later lost her son to this tragic accident (“Texting and Driving Stories”). Distracted driving accidents happen every day to innocent people. Over 3,000 deaths take place per year to this cause, yet the consequences are so minor.…
Distracted driving is unsafe and irresponsible. In just a split second, its consequences can change people life forever. However, as the technology level goes up, cell phone is the main devices that can use anywhere and anytime to get people connect together. People who violate distracted driving laws should be punished on the same level as DUI drivers.…
Recently “Texas college student Chance Bothe’s last words prior to driving his truck off a cliff were in the form of a text message: “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.” He miraculously survived, but Bothe’s story has become an ironic example of the dangers of texting while driving” (Zafar). Distracted driving has become a worldwide problem that is ending/injuring the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people each year. “A statistic from 2009 declares that in the United States alone 5,474 people were killed on roadways and an additional estimate of 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle…