Essay On Texting And Driving
and ____ will be evaluating me this evening. I want to begin by asking you all to do something for me. Think of a moment that you have experienced that you consider life changing. For some, this might be the birth of your first child, graduating high school or college, deciding on your future career, meeting the love of your life, or getting your first big job opportunity. All the examples that I mentioned have something in common. They’re monumental moments that we planned for, that we put time and energy into with the hopes of making our dreams possible. Hopefully, all of these moments have changed our lives for the better. It was through researching this project that I realized that this isn’t always how life works. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how we plan it ... it doesn’t matter how we envision it. Sometimes, the moments that change our lives happen in spite of our most intricate plans. Tonight, I want to talk to you about texting and driving.
Last year, the cellular …show more content…
company AT&T debuted a ten minute documentary entitled “The Last Text.” The video features a group of individuals whose lives were all changed in a matter of seconds. The real stories depict the circumstances of individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by texting behind the wheel. Right now, I want to show you the 90 second version of this video **SHOW VIDEO**
Now, I want to take some time to shift the focus to cell phones.
Recent studies have accentuated how much of our lives are centered around technology. Our society is becoming increasingly fast paced -- we live in a world of multi-taskers, filled with people trying to do as much as they can, as quickly as possible. Cell phones are the ultimate medium to make this attainable. They can be utilized for a wide variety of reasons, whether it be to keep in touch with friends and family, google a random statistic, download music, or remain updated in the world of social networking. Texting has become the preferred channel of basic communication, especially amongst the teenage generations. In the age group of 12-17 year olds, a reported 80% own cell phones, which has increased from 45% in 2004. 88% of all teen cell phone users also use text messaging. Unfortunately, this tendency has become intertwined with driving, causing the convenience cell phones allow to also become a highly dangerous
activity.
Texting while driving is now the leading distraction for taking the driver’s eyes off the road, followed by talking on the phone, eating, drinking, adjusting a GPS, and even applying makeup. I’m going to provide you all with some statistics, and they might sound like a bunch of numbers, but they’re all equally important. Statistically, it is young drivers between the ages of sixteen and twenty four were the most likely to use a cell phone while behind the wheel. The average amount of time it takes to read a text is 4.6 seconds. While that doesn’t sound like much, a car travels the entire length of a basketball court in just one single second at 65 miles per hour, which is the typical highway speed limit. Essentially, by reading just one text message, you are traveling that entire distance blind. Additionally, driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity focussed on driving by 37%. This greatly reduces your cognitive ability to be aware of your surroundings, making your reaction time to be comparable to that of a 75 year old elderly driver. Through sending just one text message while driving, you are automatically 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash. The Allstate Foundation recently released a survey in which 82% of teens reported partaking in texting while driving. This was contrasted by only 23% of drivers admitting to drinking and driving. We all know the statistics of drinking and driving -- we’re aware of the impairment that alcohol places on our cognitive skills, severely inhibiting our ability to function as a driver. While drunk driving is often considered the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents, it is actually only the cause of 33%. 80% of motor vehicle accidents are caused by distracted driving. Studies have proven that texting while driving is substantially more dangerous than driving drunk. In a recent test conducted, it took a driver under the influence an extra 7.5 feet to intentionally use their breaks to stop while driving 70 miles per hour. This increased substantially when they surveyed a driver who was texting -- it took them an additional 23.5 feet.
I know that I just gave you a lot of statistics, and that might seem confusing and overwhelming. But after hearing these statistics, I’m sure some of them have shocked you. But I’m also sure that you’ve heard a lot of this information before. You might be sitting there, thinking that these statistics don’t apply to you. That you’re good at texting and driving. That when you send a text, you always make sure you look up frequently, that you’re totally in control of your surroundings. I’m even willing to bet that a solid percentage of people in this room have their phone’s keyboard memorized, and can type out an entire story without glancing at the keyboard once. But if I can stress anything enough, it’s that no one thinks it will happen to them, that everyone thinks they’re above these statistics. The thing is, it really doesn’t matter how you plan it. In 2009, almost 6,000 people were involved in fatal crashes linked to texting and driving.
If you google texting and driving, the amount of stories that are available are countless. There is a tragic amount of personal stories providing evidence for this topic. One that I found particularly interesting occurred in 2010. As a woman was driving down a road, she struck a young landscaper head on, killing him on impact. According to witnesses, the man was completely visible. After feeling something hit her car, the woman exited her vehicle, confused, unaware that she had hit someone. There were no visible skid marks from the vehicle, indicating that she did not even attempt to stop prior to the crash. Because she was so consumed in sending her text message, she was completely unable to try to prevent the situation.
This summer, an eighteen year old driver from Massachusetts became the first from the state to be convicted of motor vehicle homicide as well as negligent operation of a motor vehicle from texting. He lost control of his car and crossed into the opposite line of traffic, killing a 55 year old father of three upon impact. After searching his phone records, police confirmed that he had sent and received texts at the time of the crash. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and lost all driving privileges for the next fifteen years.
While there is still not a unanimous law impacting texting while driving, many states have made noteworthy strides in recent years. Thirty states have completely outlawed texting while driving, while seven have outlawed it amongst new drivers. There is a federal ban prohibiting texting while driving by truckers and bus drivers. The penalties range anywhere from a warning, to a suspension of their license. There has recently been a much greater amount of information than ever before regarding the risks associated with texting and driving. Many cell phone companies are launching campaigns, and are not sugarcoating the statistics. They are fully aware of how dangerous this phenomenon is, and wants everyone to be educated as well. As previously mentioned, the world of technology can be a wonderful thing. There are a handful of Apps you can download to assist in preventing texting while driving. Some apps make it so you cannot access the text messaging feature on your phone. Others read your texts out loud for you, as well as type a response for you by simply talking into a microphone. However, keep in mind that the single, most effective method to prevent distracted driving accidents is to remain completely aware while you operate your vehicle. Every text can wait. If something is urgent, pull over to the side of the road to make a phone call. No text is worth your life.
I want you all to do one last thing for me. Think about the people that you care about most in the world ... your parents, siblings, children, additional family members, significant others, your roommates, or your best friends. Now imagine how different your life would be if something happened to them. Finally, imagine how you would feel if what happened to them could have been entirely prevented. Think of how you would feel if you found out that the tragedy responsible for taking your loved one away from you only happened because someone was simply not paying attention to the road while they were driving, which is their sole responsibility as a driver. Tonight, I’ve given you a lot of statistics, a lot of numbers relating to reaction time and risk factors and various percentages. But, in the words of Laurie Davis, who lost her mother, Julie Davis, due to someone who was texting and driving, “it’s not about numbers. When you hear that there’s been an accident or fatality on 495, it’s not about using a different route. It means that somebody somewhere received a phone call, saying ‘I’m sorry, there’s been an accident, and your loved one didn’t make it.’ Even if you ignore all the statistics and believe that the risk is low, that it won’t happen to you, the potential consequences are huge. What you think might be an innocent call or text could have a deadly consequence. You’re playing russian roulette with your life, and everyone else’s on the road. I would not want to be responsible for causing this amount of pain to someone I love, or to someone who had people who loved them. It’s not worth it at all. It wasn’t worth my mothers life.”
Last year, the cellular …show more content…
company AT&T debuted a ten minute documentary entitled “The Last Text.” The video features a group of individuals whose lives were all changed in a matter of seconds. The real stories depict the circumstances of individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by texting behind the wheel. Right now, I want to show you the 90 second version of this video **SHOW VIDEO**
Now, I want to take some time to shift the focus to cell phones.
Recent studies have accentuated how much of our lives are centered around technology. Our society is becoming increasingly fast paced -- we live in a world of multi-taskers, filled with people trying to do as much as they can, as quickly as possible. Cell phones are the ultimate medium to make this attainable. They can be utilized for a wide variety of reasons, whether it be to keep in touch with friends and family, google a random statistic, download music, or remain updated in the world of social networking. Texting has become the preferred channel of basic communication, especially amongst the teenage generations. In the age group of 12-17 year olds, a reported 80% own cell phones, which has increased from 45% in 2004. 88% of all teen cell phone users also use text messaging. Unfortunately, this tendency has become intertwined with driving, causing the convenience cell phones allow to also become a highly dangerous
activity.
Texting while driving is now the leading distraction for taking the driver’s eyes off the road, followed by talking on the phone, eating, drinking, adjusting a GPS, and even applying makeup. I’m going to provide you all with some statistics, and they might sound like a bunch of numbers, but they’re all equally important. Statistically, it is young drivers between the ages of sixteen and twenty four were the most likely to use a cell phone while behind the wheel. The average amount of time it takes to read a text is 4.6 seconds. While that doesn’t sound like much, a car travels the entire length of a basketball court in just one single second at 65 miles per hour, which is the typical highway speed limit. Essentially, by reading just one text message, you are traveling that entire distance blind. Additionally, driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity focussed on driving by 37%. This greatly reduces your cognitive ability to be aware of your surroundings, making your reaction time to be comparable to that of a 75 year old elderly driver. Through sending just one text message while driving, you are automatically 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash. The Allstate Foundation recently released a survey in which 82% of teens reported partaking in texting while driving. This was contrasted by only 23% of drivers admitting to drinking and driving. We all know the statistics of drinking and driving -- we’re aware of the impairment that alcohol places on our cognitive skills, severely inhibiting our ability to function as a driver. While drunk driving is often considered the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents, it is actually only the cause of 33%. 80% of motor vehicle accidents are caused by distracted driving. Studies have proven that texting while driving is substantially more dangerous than driving drunk. In a recent test conducted, it took a driver under the influence an extra 7.5 feet to intentionally use their breaks to stop while driving 70 miles per hour. This increased substantially when they surveyed a driver who was texting -- it took them an additional 23.5 feet.
I know that I just gave you a lot of statistics, and that might seem confusing and overwhelming. But after hearing these statistics, I’m sure some of them have shocked you. But I’m also sure that you’ve heard a lot of this information before. You might be sitting there, thinking that these statistics don’t apply to you. That you’re good at texting and driving. That when you send a text, you always make sure you look up frequently, that you’re totally in control of your surroundings. I’m even willing to bet that a solid percentage of people in this room have their phone’s keyboard memorized, and can type out an entire story without glancing at the keyboard once. But if I can stress anything enough, it’s that no one thinks it will happen to them, that everyone thinks they’re above these statistics. The thing is, it really doesn’t matter how you plan it. In 2009, almost 6,000 people were involved in fatal crashes linked to texting and driving.
If you google texting and driving, the amount of stories that are available are countless. There is a tragic amount of personal stories providing evidence for this topic. One that I found particularly interesting occurred in 2010. As a woman was driving down a road, she struck a young landscaper head on, killing him on impact. According to witnesses, the man was completely visible. After feeling something hit her car, the woman exited her vehicle, confused, unaware that she had hit someone. There were no visible skid marks from the vehicle, indicating that she did not even attempt to stop prior to the crash. Because she was so consumed in sending her text message, she was completely unable to try to prevent the situation.
This summer, an eighteen year old driver from Massachusetts became the first from the state to be convicted of motor vehicle homicide as well as negligent operation of a motor vehicle from texting. He lost control of his car and crossed into the opposite line of traffic, killing a 55 year old father of three upon impact. After searching his phone records, police confirmed that he had sent and received texts at the time of the crash. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and lost all driving privileges for the next fifteen years.
While there is still not a unanimous law impacting texting while driving, many states have made noteworthy strides in recent years. Thirty states have completely outlawed texting while driving, while seven have outlawed it amongst new drivers. There is a federal ban prohibiting texting while driving by truckers and bus drivers. The penalties range anywhere from a warning, to a suspension of their license. There has recently been a much greater amount of information than ever before regarding the risks associated with texting and driving. Many cell phone companies are launching campaigns, and are not sugarcoating the statistics. They are fully aware of how dangerous this phenomenon is, and wants everyone to be educated as well. As previously mentioned, the world of technology can be a wonderful thing. There are a handful of Apps you can download to assist in preventing texting while driving. Some apps make it so you cannot access the text messaging feature on your phone. Others read your texts out loud for you, as well as type a response for you by simply talking into a microphone. However, keep in mind that the single, most effective method to prevent distracted driving accidents is to remain completely aware while you operate your vehicle. Every text can wait. If something is urgent, pull over to the side of the road to make a phone call. No text is worth your life.
I want you all to do one last thing for me. Think about the people that you care about most in the world ... your parents, siblings, children, additional family members, significant others, your roommates, or your best friends. Now imagine how different your life would be if something happened to them. Finally, imagine how you would feel if what happened to them could have been entirely prevented. Think of how you would feel if you found out that the tragedy responsible for taking your loved one away from you only happened because someone was simply not paying attention to the road while they were driving, which is their sole responsibility as a driver. Tonight, I’ve given you a lot of statistics, a lot of numbers relating to reaction time and risk factors and various percentages. But, in the words of Laurie Davis, who lost her mother, Julie Davis, due to someone who was texting and driving, “it’s not about numbers. When you hear that there’s been an accident or fatality on 495, it’s not about using a different route. It means that somebody somewhere received a phone call, saying ‘I’m sorry, there’s been an accident, and your loved one didn’t make it.’ Even if you ignore all the statistics and believe that the risk is low, that it won’t happen to you, the potential consequences are huge. What you think might be an innocent call or text could have a deadly consequence. You’re playing russian roulette with your life, and everyone else’s on the road. I would not want to be responsible for causing this amount of pain to someone I love, or to someone who had people who loved them. It’s not worth it at all. It wasn’t worth my mothers life.”