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Distractions while driving essay
Impact of texting and driving
The dangers of texting and driving
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The Effects of Texting and Driving Taking your eyes and mind off the road for more than 3 seconds raises the chances of ending up in a fatal accident (Ameen 7). Texting and driving has become more frequent. Many try to find loopholes in distracted driving. Statistics have been found that prove distractions effect the attention that is needed to drive a car. Teen and adult drivers need to realize the deadly effects of texting and driving. Texting and driving is not limited to teens. "48% of kids in their younger teenage years have been in a car while the driver was texting. Over 1600 children in the same age group are killed each year because of crashes involved drivers who texted. " 87% of teens say texting and driving is dangerous (Schuler 6). 18% still text and drive (Schuler 11). 20% to 25% of teens admit to sending a text every time they drive. "Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens plus, the number of teen crash fatalities tends to rise during the summer months according to a AAA analysis," (Schuler 5). Driving at night and driving with passengers effects the driver's awareness of what is going on around …show more content…
"Reading a text message while driving successfully distracts a driver for a minimum of 5 seconds each time," (Ameen 1). With the average speed being 55 miles per hour, in 5 seconds a car could travel the length of a football field (Ameen 5). "37% of brain activity is focused on texting instead of driving." The AAA has found distractions can last 27 seconds after it is done (Schuler 3). Manual attention, visual attention, and cognitive attention is affected by both texting and driving. Driving uses manual attention to steer the car, visual attention needs to be on the road, and cognitive attention is needed for navigation. Texting needs manual attention for typing the message, visual attention to see what is being typed, and cognitive attention to think about your message (Schuler
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality states that texting while driving causes nearly eleven teen deaths every day and 330,000 injuries per year. Almost 25 percent of all car accidents involve someone who was texting as they were driving; that is 1.3 million crashes. Texting while driving is the number one distraction for majority of drivers. Five seconds is the minimal amount of time a driver’s attention is taken from the road while using a cell phone. With that being said, if one is traveling at 55mph, five seconds is equal to driving the length of a football field without paying attention to the road.
All around the world, texting while driving has become an even more dangerous hazard than drinking while driving among teenagers and adults who openly acknowledge sending and reading text messages while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Texting while driving is arguably one of the most dangerous, selfish, and careless acts that a driver can take part in on the road today. According to Teens Against Distracted Driving, a study was done at the University of Utah that showed that while people are texting and driving, it reduces their attention level down to that of a person with an alcohol level of 0.08%, which is the legal limit to which someone can be
Texting while driving is a lot more dangerous than drinking while driving. Talking on the phone or texting while driving delays reactions. “Talking on the cell phone while driving can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as a seventy year old. Texting on a phone while driving is 48 times more likely to have a car accident (“Statistics”).” According to a study done by Rossi crashes happen every fifty five seconds all over this world. In ten years time it is estimated that there will be 16,000,000 car wrecks worldwide. Taking your eyes off the road for that short amount of times, it only takes just five seconds to check that one text message is twenty three times more dangerous.
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.
Car and Driver Magazine did a study on how long it takes to react and stop a car unimpaired, legally drunk, and responding to a text message. The study shows that the reaction times are increased while legally drunk, with a blood alcohol level of .08, and rises even further with texting. The article explains that text messaging is more dangerous than drunk driving because you are distracted in three ways instead of only two ways when under the influence of alcohol. While distracted by texting, you are distracted cognitively, unable to focus on your driving skills. You are also distracted visually by taking your eyes off of the road. Last but not least, you are distracted manually by taking your hands off of the wheel to send a text message. Manual distraction usually does not take place while driving under the influence. Teenagers are the highest population that texts while driving and eleven teens are killed each day. (Samakow)
One of the dangers of texting and driving is that it causes distractions. These distractions cause car accidents and unnecessary deaths of innocent drivers on the road. In a recent report done in 2011 The National Safety Council
Imagine running three football fields with your eyes closed. Now imagine driving 75 miles per hour on the interstate and closing your eyes for the length of approximately three football fields, or 4.6 seconds. This is effectively what happens when people text and drive. Texting and driving is a serious problem in the US and is resulting in too many deaths and accidents.
When people hear their phone ding, they immediately have the urge to see what is going on. “Seventy-seven percent of teens say they are more than confident”, and they think they are able to safely text while driving. “Fifty-five percent of young adult drivers say it is really easy to text and drive”(stoptextsstopwrecks.org), and they do not understand why it is such a big problem to do so. Teenagers are not the only ones who take part in the act of texting and driving, many teens have said they see their parents do it. Studies show that “5 seconds is the minimal amount of time your attention is taken away from the road when you 're texting and driving”(DWI:Driving While Intexticated). Say a person is traveling at fifty-five miles per hour, the five seconds they take to look at their phone is equal to driving the length of a football field without looking at the road. If the driver in front of the texter comes to an emergency stop, and they are not paying attention, he or she will have caused an accident because they were paying attention to a phone. Texting while driving causes about 1,600,000 accidents and 330,000 injuries per year. The accidents, injuries, and deaths are all a result of someone feeling the need to take their focus off the road, and place it on seeing what their friend texted
11 teens die every day as a result of texting while driving (Bands 2012). 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones (Bands 2012). Teens talk and text on the phone without realizing that it can cost their lives. Even the U.S. Government Website for Distracted Driving has proven that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in teens (Bands 2012). Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic, quickly becoming one of the country 's top killers. The main focus should be the road, but due to the possibility of the message containing tension or strain, it can cause an increase in anxiety or panic and may result in an
According to Ian Mulgrew, a journalist/author from Canada, many accidents are blamed on distracted driving and most of the distractions are caused by cell phone usage (Mulgrew). This shows that accidents are being caused by texting and driving. A majority of people have busy lives that leaves them to get things done while on the road. Texting or using a cell phone while driving is very hazardous to yourself and the people surrounding you. Most people are against this action is because it causes many car accidents every year. Did you know that texting while driving is one of the longest eyes-off-the road time of distracted driving activities? According to DWI, text messaging makes a crash up to 23 times more likely. While other activities like, dialing, talking or listening or reaching for a device is less likely. While driving, adults and teenagers cannot resist the urge to pick up their cell phone and send a text or respond to one. When a
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.
Most teens would say they couldn’t live without their cell phones, but most haven’t stopped to think that cellphones could cost them their lives. Over the past five years, a staggering number of teenagers have been involved in fatal car accidents that were the result of texting and driving. In the United States, car crashes are the number one killer of teenagers (WWL).
National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. To illustrate, Deianerah Logan was described as a popular 17-year-old high-school senior with a promising future. Although a sheriff claimed that Deianerah’s “life was taken way too early,” the only person who apparently “took” it was Deianerah, who was texting when she crashed into a school bus and died. You must drive for yourself and everyone around you. In fact, texting while driving leads to a decrease in reaction time by 37 percent. A driver’s reaction time makes a defensive driver, it includes the following: recognizing the light has changed, deciding to continue or break, or applying break. Shockingly, texting drivers take their eyes off the road for each text an average of 4.6 seconds -- which at 55 mph, means they were driving the length of a football field without looking. 4 seconds if all it takes to take a life or two
Ricks, Delthia. "Study: Texting While Driving Now Leading Cause of Death for Teen Drivers." Newsday. N.p., 8 May 13. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
The main distraction of driving is cell phones. Most adults and teens will engage in texting and driving. Due to the major issue of texting and driving many campaigns have been launched, one being launched by AT&T “when it comes to texting and driving, it can wait.” This campaign has many drivers take the pledge to no longer use their phone when driving, there is an available app that will send out automatic messages to anybody that sends a while the individual is driving. When someone is driving at the rate of 55 miles per hour for only 4.6 seconds, it will equal the length of a football field, 100 yards. So, even stopping full vision from the road for a few seconds will still risk serious danger. Another cause of distracted driving is being exhausted or tired, doing so will cause a much slower reaction time. The slower reaction time causes many of the accidents that happen when people are tired. Another possibility is falling asleep behind the wheel even for a few seconds you could drift, or swerv into another lane and hit another car causing a major or fatal car accident. When taking driving classes, the students within the class will hear the saying “stay alert, stay alive.” The final major distraction of driving is eating and drinking. One of the problems of eating and drinking while driving is that it causes both a visual and manual distraction. When removing your eyes from the road many dangers will be