Argumentative Essay On Distracted Driving

In today’s society, distracted driving is a major issue, one we have been struggling with since the invention of cell phones. In 2013 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in accidents caused by distracted driving in the US. While many methods have been used to try and stop distracted driving, people are still in search of the best way to go about it. Many believe that we will get the best results by distributing PSAs, or Public Service Announcements, across the nation through different forms of media. They believe that, by showing people the facts, they will become more educated on the dangers of distracted driving and cease to do so. However, I am not convinced. I believe that PSAs will not have the desired long term affect, and that there are better ways to go about decreasing distracted driving.

In fact, many claimed that PSA announcements did work. However, every study I read had recorded the short term effects, and no one seemed to know the long term. I however have observed the long term effect on my family and friends. Short term, the people who view the PSA have an awareness of the costs of distracted driving, and try to prevent it. However, this awareness only lasts as long as they remember to be aware. This could be anywhere between a month and even as short a time as five minutes. Another large reason that there will not be good long term affects is that, when people view a PSA or read an article about the dangers of distracted driving and past incidents, most people have the same mindset: “that won’t happen to me.” The problem is, that was the same mindset of the people that DID get in accidents or die because of distracted driving. It’s a mindset we can’t afford to have, yet can’t seem to