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. The term “distracted driving” may be hard to define, but, simply, it is the act of driving while being engaged in any activity. Stephanie Hanes describes in her article, how texting is a deadly epidemic. The distractions occurring while we drive on the road endangers the lives of drivers and passengers around us. Andrew Lavallee explains in his article “Companies build Services to End Texting and Driving,” how texting is wildly popular these days. David Andreatta points out some activities which drivers are engaged in while on road, in his article “Texting and Driving Can Spell Disaster.” …show more content…
The several effects of distracted driving are deadly. Andrew Lavallee points out that “texting while driving is unsafe. Not only are a driver’s eyes off the road, one or both hands are off the wheel.” “We think it is incompatible with safe driving” (qtd. in Lavallee). “Study upon study showed that talking on a cellphone was far more dangerous than she’d realized – that a driver on a phone had the same reaction speed as someone legally intoxicated, that those talking on a phone behind the wheel are four times as likely to crash” (qtd. in Hanes). Stephanie Hanes also mentions that, “Unlike a conversation with a passenger, the electronic conversation takes a driver into a virtual space away from the road.” Subsequently, this causes severe problems and deadly
One simple text message could ruin your future, the life of your loved ones, or even a complete stranger in a matter of a moment. As the popularity of technology, social media, and cellphones increases, so does distracted driving. In 2016, many people believe texting and driving is a quick and convenient way to communicate, but don’t realize the dangers it involves, especially when done behind the wheel. The increased number of car accidents over the last several years is heavily linked to texting while driving, and it is important to spread awareness so the likelihood that this will happen will decrease. There are many different perspectives on using cell phones and other tech devices while driving, and each of the following articles provides an argument that is supported with
Studies also show drunk driving is actually statistically safer than texting and driving. In my observation as my family was traveling to Wisconsin, I put tallies on my notebook to record the results of passing drivers. The results were surprising in that 1 out of 8 kids and 1 out of 5 adults in passing cars were distracted while driving. These statistics are actually scary to me because I will never know which one will make a mistake when I am around them on the road. The negative effects this problem causes death and serious injury to themselves and others. It also effects the distracted drivers by placing others around them in harm. As more people text on the roads the drivers will get too familiar texting and driving. According to most statistics, that’s when most mistakes happen. Phone and car companies allow this behavior to happen simultaneously. Phone companies are making their product easier to be distracted, as the technology is addicting to use for the consumers. The notifications from the phone distract most humans from accomplishing their tasks. The phone pings or sounds and the driver looks down. Car companies are now installing Wi-Fi in the newest cars of our generation. The WI-FI is active for all passengers. The distraction element is also active for
Distracted driving is something really deadly but people don't really pay any mind to it. Distracted driving is when the driver is distracted by anything that could distract them. There are different types of distractions. There are visual, manual, and cognitive distractions. Visual distractions are when you take your eyes off the roads, manual is when your hands are being taken off the wheel, and cognitive is when your mind is being taken off of driving.There are a lot of things that could distract someone from driving. Some things would be eating, music, doing makeup, cell phones, and even messing with your radio or navigation systems. Cell phone use is a major cause of distracted driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents are caused by distracted
Texting and driving involves all three types so you can predict the outcome isn’t too much in our favor (Distracted Driving, 2015). According to the National Safety Council (NDC), the big myth today is that people are capable of multitasking, and even worse multitask while driving, but in fact, the human brain cannot do such a thing. People may be walking and chewing gum at the same time, but that is because those actions involve both a thinking task, and a non-thinking task. Driving and talking on the phone at the same time is risky though because it requires both to be used. Instead of attending to both actions simultaneously, the brain quickly shifts between two cognitive activities (The Great Multitasking, 2010). Taken from a new report from the NSC ,drivers that tend to talk on cell phones often enter a state of what is called “inattention blindness” and when this occurs, they may fail to see up to 50 percent of what is ahead of them (NSC Looks Inside, 2010). The United States Department of Transportation says, "text messaging while driving creates a crash risk 23 times higher than driving while not distracted,” (Distracted Driving, 2015). That makes driving
That is equivalent to downing four beers and then getting behind the wheel.”. Texting while driving is considered to be the highest form of distracted driving. In 2002 2,600 people died from distracted drivers and in 2011 3,331 this number has gone up by 22% in the last 9 years. In 2002 drunk driving accidents have killed 12,405 people but by 2011 that number has decreased by 25% to 9,296. This shows that texting while driving is on its way up and may continue to get worse. The National Highway & Transportation Administration (NHTSA) declares that 1.6 millions accents are caused by texting and driving every year, thats almost 25% of all automobile accidents (Masters).We already know that texting increases chance in an accident, well so does dialing by 2.8%. Also so does talking and listening at 1.3% and reaching for your cell phone at 1.4% (Texting). On November 28, 2010 Nina Todd was leaving her mother house with her two sons, when Karli Brown struck her car head on. In result of the accident Nina’s
When a cell phone rings in a movie theater or at a Library, we are annoyed, but at least our lives are not at risk of death. When we are driving, however, selfish cell phone users are more than annoying: They are putting our lives at risk. We have all seen distracted drivers texting and driving or talking on the phone they resemble drunk drivers, swerving in the lanes, or running red lights. States have passed bills to hopefully reduce the amount of texting drivers. Laws are needed because people who drive while using their cell phones are never really paying attention to what they are doing while driving which can end up getting someone injured or even worse dead.
Texting and driving has statistically become a top name in the distracted driving category. Sixty percent of all fatal crashes were due to distracted driving and out of 60 percent, 18 was caused by texting behind the wheel. Over the years, texting and driving has been compared to being equivalent, or even worse than driving under influence.
According to distraction.gov, during 2013, 3,154 people were killed and 424,000 were injured in distracted driving accidents. For most people, this would scream that familiar “stop the texts, stop the wrecks” slogan. Sadly, not all distracted driving can be pinned on just texting or cellular device use. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines distracted driving as any time “when drivers divert their attention away from driving tasks to focus on another activity.” That means eating, drinking, fixing your makeup, combing your hair, reading your map, or simply changing the radio station can be counted towards distracted driving. Those things and many others, just like texting can cause wrecks.
Driving while distracted is deadly. Texting is involved in about 25% of all car accidents in the US and that is only texting. Activities such as tuning or listening to a radio, eating and drinking, monitoring children and pets, or even conversing with a passenger, all of these mentally engaging activities, reduce driving performance leaving you at a greater risk for crashing.
Talking on a phone or texting is acutely menacing and dangerous. The CDC states that more than half the deaths related to driving are caused by distracted driving such as Speaking or texting. This year a little more than 3,000 people were killed and about 400,000 were injured, writes the NHTSA. In their annual report it is also written that, It takes only seconds of distraction for a crash, and the likelihood of crashing while texting in increased by 23x, while for talking on a phone only expands the risk by only 2. Many people think that nothing will happen to them, and that texting and chatting on a phone is not dangerous, However accidents placed 4th for the number of kills last year, behind Heart Attacks, Respiratory Illnesses, and Cancers.
What is distracted driving? Distracted driving is any activity that diverts a person’s attention away from the task of driving. All distractions endanger the driver, passenger and bystander safety Types of
First and foremost, the risk of using a phone while driving is a big chance of an accident more than what the people think. According to the Harvard study “Texting while driving and other forms of distracted driving are responsible for more than 1 million crashes, 400,000 injuries, and 3,000 deaths in the U.S. each year—and those numbers are likely to in...
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
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
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.