Texting and Driving

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The Causal Analysis of Texting and Driving

Cell phones have evolved since the introduction of this invention. We used

phones for the sole purpose of calling people. Now we can use cell phones for internet use, taking pictures, and most importantly texting. Texting began to take off as a trend specifically for teenagers. ! Teenagers are notorious for multitasking throughout the day. As talking on the

phone emerged as too time consuming, texting began to exist as a convenience. Texting plays a vital role of communication in daily lives. Due to the fact of convenience and texting playing a vital role of communication, teenagers and young adults started to text and drive. ! On September 22nd, 2006, there was a tragic texting and driving accident.

Jackie Furfaro, a Utah resident said goodbye to her husband that morning as he left for work. After her shift of work had ended, she came to her house surrounded by police officers. There the police waited to bestow the saddening news of her husbandʼs death. What was the cause of this accident? A nineteen year old male named Reggie Shaw was texting while driving. Due to his impaired vision, he crossed the center lane and ran into Jackie Furaroʼs husbandʼs car. After he crossed the center lane, then the car landed in the oncoming trafficʼs lanes. After the crash, many investigations took precedence. Reggie did not show any accounts of being drunk or high, but his phone records did present he was texting until the accident occurred. As a punishment for the crime, Reggie had to do hours of community service and jail time. As of 2008, Reggie is a spokesperson in national meetings and schools to voice the heavyweight matter of texting and driving.

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In this news story, the immediate cause is the person that was texting and

driving, Reggie Shaw. While texting and driving, Reggie had increased his chances of crashing by twenty-three times higher than if he was driving normally. Along with the chances of crashing being higher, Reggie had reduced his reaction time compared to what it could have been if not impaired. The remote cause is compromised cognitive abilities. While texting, the driver does not have the mental capability to successfully to do both activities. The tissue in the brain is strained to solely focus on texting and driving. People that text and drive tend to have the mindset that they are able to text and drive without any conflict. Since the distraction of texting is overpowering, our cognitive abilities in the brain produce a slower reaction time along with higher probability of crashing. ! The main cause of this accident was Reggie Shawʼs decision making. The

texting would not have taken place if Reggie Shaw did not decide to pick up his phone and text while driving. He had the choice to determine whether he wanted to answer a simple text or focus on the importance of driving cautiously. The contributory cause would be the speed of the car while texting. If Reggie was driving at a slower speed, there may have been a possibility the impact of hitting the car might have been reduced. ! Texting and driving is a serious, life threatening endeavor to encounter. When

texting and driving, there are multiple reasons how the fatalities can occur. Though learning of the fatalities, it gives our younger generation a chance to learn about preventive measures to this conflict.