The Major Problem that Is Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a major problem that has become more of a concern for people over the years. There are many distractions while driving for example cell phones, technology, global positioning satellite, kids and talking on the phone. Despite what officials may say there is a definite increase in automotive accidents due to distracted drivers from cell phones, texting, hands free cell phones and other distraction on the road.

Distracted driving has been a concern to people using cars since radios were put into cars around the 1930s. Throughout the years, many people have argued over the facts of distractions in cars. As the years have gone on many officials and people have made laws and rules to limit distractions while driving. For example on May 11, 2007, Washington was the first state to ban texting while driving. Since then there have been many advances in technology and therefore accadents from distractions in cars and have continued to increase (Hosansky).

In an article about hands free dashboard cell phones by Robert Rosenberger he talks about how hands free cell phones are assumed to be safer for people who are diving in cars. Hands free cell phones are overlooked as a distraction; therefore, no laws have been made in the United States to stop hands free talking. Even though many people assume that hands free cell phones are safer to use in a car than is a regular cell phone this is not the case. Many studies have been done to find out if there is a difference in a driver’s attention between talking on a hands free or non-hands free phone. The findings from these studies showed that both, hand held and hands free phones, impair drivers to the same degree. The reasoning behind this is because it is not the act of usin...

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...ery six fatal car crashes are due to distracted driving. The use of cellphones and texting while driving is a serious peoblem that is also a public threat. In the United States only thirty of the fifty states have put restrictions and bans for text messaging while driving. From 1999 to 2008 there have been a total of 51857 fatal car crashes due to distracted driving according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. From 1999 to 2008 there has been an increase of fatalites from distracted driving. The increase of fatalites has been around 10.9% to 15.5%. Although most of the fatalites from distracted driving in these years were in between 2005 and 2008 where there was an increase of 28.4 fatalities from distracted driving. An interesting fact about people who are most likely to be part of a fatal distracted driving accident are young, white, non-Hispanic males.