Texting is a distraction that inhibits a driver’s attention to solely not on the road. When someone is paying attention to the road and the road only, they are being observant to everything around them, other cars, signs, traffic, etc. When someone takes that attention and gives some of it to another detail (such as a cell phone) they are taking away attention that should be used to focus on what’s going on around them. The fact is that in 2008, “5,870 people died [from crashes] involving a distracted or inattentive driver…” (Tirey)
Texting puts the lives of the drivers around them at risk. If someone is texting and veers into the lane next to them, sometimes the driver in the other lane cannot move over and suddenly there is a crash and perhaps one or both of the people involved dies. This is what happened to a teenager in Rogers, Arkansas. Her name was Mariah West and the last text she received before she lost control of her car and died was “Where U At.” AT&T is now working with the mother of that teenager to help spread the word about texting and driving. Allstate is also making commercials on this widespread epidemic.
Teenagers and young adults may think that they are grown up and can handle adult responsibilities but the fact of the matter is no one should be texting and driving period. It is not an adult privilege; it is a habit that many people need to break. The