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…
According to the CDC, in 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in 2010. An additional, 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in 2011 compared to 416,000 people injured in 2010. In June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 49+% from June 2009. Research done by the CDC compared the act of talking on a cell phone or texting while driving in the United States and seven European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. They found that 65% of drivers in the United States ages 18-64 reported that they had talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed. There are risk factors that comes with this, as we all…
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…
There are a numerous amount of careless things a person could do; texting while driving is in my personal top five. So many people are glued to their phones now that they can’t go five minutes without their fingers frantically clicking away at the buttons or laughing obnoxiously to someone on the other line. Too many are dependent on technology, so much so that just answering a simple text could result in a devastating accident. Something that most don’t think about while driving is how using your cell phone can distract you for just enough time to realize that you truly have no time left. By the time the phone is put down and the driver looks up, it is way too late. If a person is caught texting or talking on their cell phone while driving, it is my opinion that they get their license taken away from them.…
Every day we witness multiple tragic accidents involving people texting and driving. In my paper I will be arguing that the state of Minnesota should act boldly to create tougher laws on texting and driving offenders, and also create laws to ban people from using hands-free cell phones in their vehicle unless needed for an emergency. Also it is to be determined the meaning of texting and driving, the people involved, the laws needed to enforce it, which is affected when someone is injured or killed; and what is being done about it.…
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:…
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.…
Distracted driving is dangerous because it can kill any driver or passenger; however, steps can be taken to reduce the causes of distracted driving and the number of fatalities that result from it. There are many different distractions behind the wheel, the one most people do and it is very dangerous is texting and driving. More and more Studies are found everyday this is not safe, people should care if they’re putting their lives at risk. “In Study 1, we found that males reported more frequent texting while driving and speeding than females and, in terms of age, sixteen year olds reported frequent texting while driving than older participants. In Study 2, which was conducted two years later, males again reported more…
Texting while driving is the act of composing, sending, reading text messages, email while driving. (Wikipedia)…
Thesis Statement – Texting while driving has become a problem into today’s society and has continued to happen. With, new technology gadgets constantly growing in this day an age. That according to a statistic In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. This represents a 6.7 percent decrease in the number of fatalities recorded in 2012. Unfortunately, approximately 424,000…
Since technology has advanced in society the use of a cell phone while driving has become the most discussed problem of distracted driving due to the fact that cell phones are an integral part of life for most people (Helbock, 2015). Since the use of handheld electronic devices while driving became illegal, police are catching more people texting and talking on the phone because it is easier to see someone holding a phone to their ear than texting behind the steering wheel (Williams, 2016). Thus, people are leaning towards texting believing they have less of a chance of being caught for distracted driving. Texting, as well as most other driving distractions, involves three physical and mental actions that all take attention away from the road and are a driving hazard. The first action is visual, texting causes the driver’s eyes to look somewhere else besides the road. The second action is manual, the drivers hand and or hands are taken off the wheel while the vehicle is in motion and is operating controls. The third action is cognitive, the driver’s mind is not focused on driving, but on the handheld device (Helbock, 2015). Drivers engaged in texting are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash compared to a non-distracted driver (CAA, Distracted Driving, 2016). Texting in a car results in…
After reading and analyzing the journals and articles, I now realize the serious consequences and problems that texting while driving, and driving underage can cause. There are many dangers that come with texting while driving that never occur to the people performing the action. "Nearly 5500 people were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2009, the Department of Transportation found." While most might believe that drunk driving is the culprit to most unforced accidents, they may not be educated enough to know that texting and driving is just as bad. Typically these bad habits such as texting and driving occurs in the younger generations such as my age, or young adults. In the state of New York the driving age has been raised to 17 or even 18. "The Arlington Va-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said yesterday the change would reduce crashes asking teen drivers and make the roads safer." Nearly 6000 deaths and 500000 injuries in 2008, resulting from just texting and driving! These results should not only be astonishing and shocking, but should stop people completely from texting and driving. Also distracted driving is playing a large roll on car accidents. "There is no safe what to drive distracted.", says DOT spokeswomen Sasha Johnson. "Hands free is not risk free." While driving the driver should always have complete focus and be paying close attention to the roads and their surroundings. New York State has recently raised the ticket to a maximum of $150 fine if a driver is caught on, using, or holding an electronic device. The state is hoping that by forcing the people to pay more they will be scared out of texting while driving. Although this should not have to have gotten so far, the state taking precautions is a very smart and strategic way of enforcing the law.…
Texting and driving, or distracted driving, is becoming a major issue in America. Many teens and young adults do it because they have this sense of unbridled invincibility. They do not understand the real life risk of the distracted driving and the costs of actually having an accident. If these people could realize these things they would turn off the cell phones while driving and completely focus on driving. Distracted driving is taking the lives of so many people and we have the means to stop it through…
As if drunk driving wasn't dangerous enough, put anyone with a cell phone behind the wheel and it gets much worse. "Vehicle crashes are one of the top causes of death for just 15-20 year olds" (Thomas, 2009). "Emma Vieira, 19, of Colchester, Vermont, left a woman in a coma and killed a dog as a result of an accident back in August of 2011. Vieira was texting at the time of the accident. About 6,000 deaths are…
In the story The Pact by Drs.Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt demonstrate how three young friends can stay together when the times get hard and fulfill their lifelong dream of being doctor’s. If they can accomplish their dreams and making it a reality so, can you by hard work and determination it will come true. This book shows how if you keep your mind set, you can go far and achieve greatness. This will help explain how they “beat the odds”.…