On the Top Five Reasons Teens Crash on Utah Highways, I noticed that it says “Driver Distraction 7.5%”. I wondered if that included texting and assumed it did. I’m guessing that the majority of those crashes were because of texting. There are so many people who don’t realize that it is a huge distraction and looking away for a few seconds, can make a difference. In my own life I have seen many teens around my age texting and driving and thinking it doesn’t matter when it really does. One text message could make the…
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…
Cell phones and driving is a problem for teen drivers because teens usually have phones with them all the time. If you have a notification, you are tempted to check it, maybe answer a phone call? If teens are doing this on the road, it could turn into a more serious issue than it already is and be the reason for car crashes.…
I will admit that I have fallen into the temptation of texting while driving, and I am not proud of making such a dangerous choice. Teens, in general, are very proficient when it comes to texting and they tend to believe that it has no impact on their driving skills. Many people tend to focus the texting while driving issue on teens; however, teens aren’t the only ones texting behind the wheel. One can easily do their own study by just observing other drivers…
Do you check it and text while you’re driving, or do you wait until you are done driving? According to Erin Shumaker, on average, about 9 Americans are killed every day from motor vehicle accidents that involve being distracted driving by using a cell phone, texting, or eating. So that means over 3,000 deaths per year are because of driver’s being distracted by their phones. Texting while driving is not only dangerous, but has become more mind controlling to younger people in today’s society more than ever. Shumaker adds in his article that the age group most likely to send a text or email while driving is the ages between twenty one and twenty four and the risk of crashing are four times more if using a cell phone. Certainly a discomforting statistic for most that would seemingly be made aware to younger age drivers, but only becomes more of a growing problem every year.…
One way people get distracted while driving is texting. For the last ten years texting while driving has cause death of many young people. This is why I try to keep my phone in my cup holder because I do not want to be the next victim of texting driving. Young people will never get the point that texting and driving will kill them. Some young people head is so hard that they feel like nobody can tell them anything. The ones…
Most of the teens that drive are using their phone while they drive like texting, talking , changing songs, or even watching videos. It is important that people don’t be on the phone while driving it can cause risk to other drivers. “2012 Consumer Reports National Research Center survey of U.S. automobile drivers between the ages of 16 and 21 about distracted driving. Nearly 50 percent admitted to talking on a cellular telephone while driving and some also said they had used text-messaging, email, or mobile device applications, yet most respondents believed these actions to be dangerous.”(Consumer Reports) We have to teach young drivers not to use their cell phone while driving the text message can wait it's not worth taking another person's life or even your own life.…
Distracted driving is not only teens but it is adults as well. In the state of Florida there is no ban or law keeping anyone from texting and driving. They tried before for a bill with texting and driving and if convicted they would face up to $250 or to 30 days in jail. This bill did not last very long and today texting and driving has caused more wrecks. While driving, adults and teenagers cannot resist the urge to pick up their cell phone and send a text or respond to one, and as soon as the driver’s eyes meet their cellular device, their focus on the road is drawn away. There should be a law for this because more and more innocent people are losing their lives over someone whom is texting and driving. If we had this law it would help our rates come down and Florida would have safer roads. Of course some opponents feel that creating a law against cell phone use infringes their personal rights. Others think that banning someone from using their cell phones is equivalent to telling someone that they can't adjust their radio or chat with someone else in their car. Which is all reasonable statements but their missing the fact that this is killing the lives of innocent people and must be stopped for the stake of the citizens in Florida.…
More car accidents are occurring because texting while driving is distracting teens behind the wheel. Accidents are occurring because cell phones are taking teens minds off the road. Teens are more focused on their cell phones than thinking about everyone else around them. Texting behind the wheel is putting the driver, the passengers, the pedestrians, and the other drivers on the road at risk of harm. Teens are putting everyone at risk of harm when they take their eyes of the road to look for their phones or look at their messages. Cell phones may be distracting teens while driving, but enforcing laws do not stop people from texting behind the wheel.…
A teenager just learning to drive does not know what to pay attention to, or what to do if a situation erupts in front of them. Having a cell phone in their hand will only make matters worse. The attention span of most teens is already low to begin with, so keeping phones away from them while driving will help them stay focused on an important task such as driving. They may say they know what they are doing and that they are good drivers but anybody, even the most experienced drivers have to pay attention to the road ahead of them. As a teenager myself, I know I face strong consequences from my parents if I am ever caught texting and driving. I believe that all states should have cell phone laws and that they should result in loss of driving privileges if you are caught not abiding to those laws. Driving is very vital to daily life, as you may need to go to many places that are not in walking distance; but when driving, you have more than just your life at hand, you are also driving around many people and one mistake could take your own life or somebody else's. People need to realize that and know that they should give all of their focus on the road when behind the wheel of a car, that will make the…
When a teenage driver is manually distracted, it means that they are using their hands for something rather than steering the vehicle. Most teenagers today are more worried about “Instagram” and “Snapchat” rather than paying attention while driving. When a teenager’s phone rings, they will more than likely answer it, no matter if they are driving or not. According to “Because Texting and Driving Kills,” “Five seconds is the minimum amount of time a teenager is distracted if texting and driving. At 55 miles per hour, the teenage driver travels the length of a football field without looking at the road” (“Because”). Some teenage drivers think that only texting is a distraction and talking on the phone isn’t. Those teenagers are sorely mistaken because according to The AAA Guide to Teen Driver Safety, “Talking on a cell phone can double the chance for an accident.” While teenagers may have their eyes on the road while talking on a phone, they do not however have their hands on the…
A reason why texting and driving is a serious issue is because it causes a disproportionate amount of accidents every year. In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and 421,000 were injured in distraction-affected crashes (NHTSA). It’s a shocking realization that so many lives are taken every year over something that could have been simply avoided, yet the number of accidents still continue to rise. Part of the reason that so many lives are being taken away is because driving while using a cellphone is a distraction that can inevitably hinder…
Distracted driving has always been a problem with our country since cars were invented but recently it has become an even bigger issue, now it is the leading cause of teen deaths. In our day and age cars have gotten faster and technology has gotten more advanced. We now have cell phones that can do multiple things and our cars also have their own technology. Cell phones pose the main threat towards distracted driving especially for teens. Since phones have been getting more advanced and being able to do more things on them, teens are especially susceptible to being on their phone while driving.…
When drivers are busy reading, drafting, or sending a text message they are not fully paying attention to their surroundings. "Texting while driving causes a 400 percent increase in time spent with eyes off the road "(Thomas, 2009). Anything, at any time could happen and it could easily happen in the few seconds drivers eyes are on their phone instead of the road. Looking down from the road for a second seems harmless but not when driving involves full attention. "46 percent of teens say they text message while driving" (Thomas, 2009). That is 46 or 51 percent of the teen drivers on the road that are not directing their attention to the road, causing dangers to not just themselves and others, but also leaving them briefly out of control of their vehicle.…
Teens today have been in many crashes or died because of the carelessness of themselves or others. The main reason for this is because they are not paying attention when driving and not being careful. Cell phones are major distractions when driving. A report from the University of Utah say when motorists talk on cell phones they drive like an elderly person because their reactions are slower. The quarterly journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society said that when they tested teens on a driving stimulator and talked on their cell phone, they are breaking slowly like an elderly person.…