In today’s day and age, technology has drastically increased. People seem to rely on the use of their devices more than anything. Typically, whenever and wherever, everyone is engaged in some form of technology, cell phones in particular. From pagers, to car phones, to initial “flip-phones”, and now to smart-phones, people practically use up most of their daily time with these devices. Nowadays, a lot of people doesn’t even like to have phone conversations…they can deliver their entire thought through a simple text message. In some retrospect, that’s a very good thing; in others, it can be extremely crucial, especially when it comes to texting and driving. Texting and driving has been the leading cause of car accidents in the recent years, a great portion of them which have ended with deadly results. The “norm” is not so safe anymore, especially when it is done carelessly. Most people think texting and driving is underrated. Some feel that they are excellent drivers and can multitask without a worry in the world. There’s certainty that the victims of texting and driving had this same exact thought process. There may very well be excellent drivers who can text while driving; however, their driving skills will not prevent them from having accidents. There are always unforeseen circumstances that require immediate reactions while driving, for example, stalled vehicles, unexpected traffic, items in the road, just to name a few. By not giving driving the full attention that it requires, people often take their eyes off of the road for a few seconds just to send a text, but in reality, all it takes is a few seconds for accidents to occur. Texting while driving has become very persistent in the past years. Reading newspapers, watchin... ... middle of paper ... ... lead to a greater way of living down the road, when your teen won't feel the need to compulsively check emails, texts, Twitter and Facebook every few seconds. Tell your teen you'll be disappointed if they misuse their cell phone while on the road. Driving is difficult enough. Driving with your eyes off the road is a whole new, terrifying beast. Let them know they're smart, and smart decisions come with intelligence. Works Cited The Dangers of Texting While Driving, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving Distracted Driving, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, www.aaafoundation.org/distracted-driving Hartwell-Walker, M. (2012). Teens, Texting and Driving: Disaster in the Making. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 1, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/teens-texting-and-driving-disaster-in-the-making/00011379
Over the past two decades the use of cell phones has grown significantly and statistic from the past two years have proven that driving while on the phone or texting is becoming one of the leading causes of traffic accidents today. In 2011, a survey of more than 2800 American adults revealed that even thought they know that using a cell phone or texting while driving is distracting, they do it anyway, and teens surveyed admit that texting while driving is their number one distraction. "Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% ...
Jackson, Nancy Mann. ʺCell Phones and Texting Endanger Teen Drivers.ʺ Teen Driving. Ed. Michele Siuda Jacques. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from ʺDn't txt n drv: Why You Should Disconnect While Driving.ʺ Current Health Teens (Mar. 2011). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Texting while driving is national growing trend, and it is quickly becoming one of the country’s top killers. Most drivers think they can manage to text and drive and still stay safe on the roads; however, the numbers do not lie! According to the National Safety Council, 1,600,000 accidents per year are caused by someone who was texting and driving. Laws and penalties for this act are too lax, and tougher laws should be enforced.
One day Chandler Gerber 23, of Bluffton collided with an Amish buggy back in April of 2012. A three year old boy and a five year old girl were killed. A 17 year old boy who was in critical condition died several days later. Chandler was sending a text that said “ I love you” to his wife when he caused the accident. Drivers who were texting were 23.2 times more likely to crash to those who weren’t texting (Cell Phones and Texting). The increasing amount of crashes caused from texting and driving and growing and becoming more of a problem. Distracted driving is an increasing problem in the United States resulting in many accidents, but a solution to the problem would be banning cellphones while driving.
According to Stephanie Hanes in the essay “Texting While Driving Is as Dangerous as Drunk Driving,” a driver on a phone and those talking on a phone are four times likely to crash. This statistic shows how dangerous using the phone or even texting is while driving. As technology has increased, so has the use of cellphone. Distracted driving has caused an increase in car fatalities and disasters. However, distracted driving can be prevented if drivers take precautions, but no matter what we do, trouble will always be spelling on the road.
Texting while driving has been on the rise in the recent years, and we’ve all heard the sad and tragic consequences of the using a cell phone while driving. Many states have passed laws regarding the use of cell phones while driving and requiring the use of a hands-free device in your car. Some states have overwhelming fines per offense but some are just a minimal fee. Here’s the facts and figures of the effects of texting while driving.
Teens should be the last group of people to break this law. “Texting while driving makes crashes 23 times more likely”. As drivers become more experienced and older texting while driving increases. For example, “24 percent of 16 year olds said they text and drive, as opposed to the 58 percent of 18 year olds that don’t”. In general teens text much more than adults while driving. As a matter of fact, “82 percent of drivers between the ages of 16 to 24 have admitted to reading a text message while driving”. Not only are teens unexperienced but are trying to pull off the nearly impossible task while driving. Texting while driving is leading cause of death among teenagers passing the death rate of drinking and driving. Studies show that if this trend continues, more than 3,000 teenagers will die next year. For example if a driver sends a 5 second text message while moving 55 mph it is equal to driving a whole football field lengt...
“Hey guys look no hands”, is not something a family member or a friend never wants to hear from a friend or a loved one in a text message especially while that person is driving. The use of a cellphone is considered a necessity now a day among drivers that are currently on the road. People have to be socially connected with their friends all the time.
Teenagers don’t want to be inconvenient with having to wait to respond to their friends about the latest party or school event that’s coming up. Driving is just as good of time as any to text their best friends about the upcoming weekend or update their Facebook status in the mind of a young adult. Even though most teens know they shouldn’t text and drive many are guilty of doing it several times a day. An overwhelming 75% of teens even admit to text messaging while driving (“Distracted Driving,” 2016). Young drivers are more likely to get into an accident due to lack of experience than that of any other driver on the road. Add in texting to the mix it is a recipe for disaster. About 54% of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths occur on Friday, Saturday or Sunday – with Saturday being the deadliest day of the week for teens (Hosansky, 2012). Teenage motor vehicle fatalities are at the highest in the summer months.
One of the major cell phone companies AT&T, has had enormous success in launching its “It Can Wait” campaign.AT&T is using its campaign to show ttenagers the damaging effects of texting and driving and what it can do to everyone around. Texting and driving should be tied into the school systems learning guidelines as most teenagers think that texting and driving is not as big of a deal as it seems to be. In a study done by() results showed that thirteen percent of drivers age eighteen to twenty involved in car accidents admitted to being on their phones at the time of the crash. And seventy seven percent of teenagers say they are somewhat confident in that they can text and drive safely. This should be a a major eye opener to all members of society. The new generation has very little real world experience in how texting and driving can really affect them and their
Texting while driving is referred to as distracted driving. "Distracted driving continues to be the number one leading cause of car accidents in America. Talking on the phone, texting, eating, reading, grooming, and talking are just some of the ways drivers get distracted behind the wheel. Drivers who use a hand-held device are 4 times more likely to get into a car accident than drivers that pay attention to the road ahead. Individuals who text message while driving are 23 times more likely to get into an accident. Do not risk your safety or your life. Put everything down and pay attention to the road ahead. It is the single most important thing you can do today to reduce your risk of getting into a
Texting while driving is a widespread epidemic in the United States that has unfavorable effects on our society.“Driving while texting is the standard wording used for traffic violations” (Bernstein). It causes many people to be distracted which can lead to accidents. “Eighty-nine percent of people own a cell phone” (Gardner). That is a plethora of people that are at risk of texting while driving. Also, texting has increased by ten times in three years(Bernstein). “The risk of a crash for those who are texting is twenty-three point two times greater than those who are not” (Gardner).Driving drunk only makes a person seven times more likely to be in a crash (Bernstein). This means texting while driving is three times more dangerous than driving intoxicated. One in five drivers admits to texting while driving(Gardner). This shows that that texting while driving is a widespread epidemic. When a survey asked teenagers whether they text and drive,“seventy five percent of teens admitted to texting while driving” (7).Distracted driving causes seventy-eight percent of car crashes(Bernstein). “No distraction causes as high of a risk of an accident as texting while driving” (Gardner). Also with these statistics, it is not hard to understand why accidents in teenagers that are driving have risen. The Bluetooth capability in cars gives a driver a hands-free way to talk on the phone, but is still not completely safe (8). Also, only 1 out of 3 US cars sold in 2009 had this feature. New systems are being developed that will use Bluetooth as well a global positioning technology to allow parents to monitor cell phone use and texting while driving (10).
One of the dangers of texting while driving at the same time is the attention it takes away from the road. A driver, who is focused on looking at their phone, is not paying enough attention to other cars or what is happening around them. Something as simple as a car stopping in front of them can cause serious damage to the driver and to the other car. “Texting” while driving is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the internet on a mobile device while operating a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, or train (Reuters). Many people and authorities have viewed it as a dangerous practice. It is on occasion like this, where familiarity with the road and surrounding will not make it easier for the driver to look at their cell phone. The probabilities of drivers texting on the cell phone and getting into accidents are only getting higher. Cell phone use while driving accounts for a major cause of
Fifty percent of teen drivers have admitted to frequently using their phones while driving; twenty percent of people have said they browse the web while driving, causing eighteen percent of these accidents to result in fatal injuries. In 2013 alone 424,000 people were injured in a driving accident where the driver was texting and not paying attention to their surroundings. People are constantly on their phones, never being able to put them away which leads them to text and drive, therefore making the roads unsafe and putting everybody else on the road safety in jeopardy.
An Adesman stated that, “A person who is texting can be as impaired as a driver who is legally drunk.” A car traveling at 55mph covers the length of a football field in five seconds. The average person who sends out text messages while driving spends on average about eight seconds of looking down at their phone. Approximately 10% of driving time is spent outside of their original lane, by drifting while texting. “There's a difference between driving and texting. When you’re driving your eyes have to be open and on the road watching the cars around you, road signs, and traffic lights. Along with your mind on the road and destination. Which means you are multitasking. When your texting your eyes are on your cell phone screen and key pad. Along with your mind on what you’re going to say next. So how can you do both?” This quote was written by Johnathan Anthony Burkett who wrote the story Neglected but Undefeated. The chances of getting into a car crash are increased four times more than those who are not distracted. Texting while driving involves manual, visual, and the mental ability of a driver which makes messaging while driving one of the worst distractions.