Cell phones have become such an integral part of our day-to-day lives; some would argue that they are essential. They have opened up our options to stay connected with anyone around the globe at any time. Having the entire world in our hands may come at a cost though. Some people simply cannot put their phones down, even when they are behind the wheel. This has led to an influx of texting and driving related accidents. No text message is worth risking the lives of yourself or others on the road. Texting and driving should be illegal, considering that it is the cause of many fatal car accidents. Unlike driving while under the influence, this epidemic spawns all ages. An example of this would be a horrific incident in which a teen driver ignored her friends’ pleas to stop texting and driving. While distracted …show more content…
Some argue that before texting and driving became illegal, motorists didn’t have to hide the activity. Since it is now illegal, people keep their phones hidden, which makes them take their eyes off of the road completely to send a text. This logic is faulty though. They are basically saying that it shouldn’t be illegal because people will still do it; however, if there were a severe enough punishment to go along with the crime then people would be much less inclined to do it. Strict laws banning cellular use whilst driving have already helped prevent distracted driving related car accidents. In Alaska, anyone caught texting and driving can face up to a $10,000 fine and one year in prison, this resulted in a decrease of accidents. Meanwhile, in Virginia there is only a $20 fine associated with texting and driving and eight out of ten traffic accidents are related to distracted driving. A Harvard study stated that primarily enforced laws banning all drivers from texting were significantly associated with a 3% reduction in traffic fatalities in all age
In today’s world, cell phone devices take a big part in our lives. We depend on our devices for communication needs such as surfing the internet, making calls, and texting. Yes, cellphones are useful but also more dangerous when used at inappropriate times. One of the most dangerous time to use cell phones is while driving. Oprah Winfrey’s New York Times editorial essay “Dnt Txt N Drv,” explains the extreme consequences of texting while driving.
More than 3,000 teens die each year in Canada in crashes caused by texting while driving In 2012 driver distraction was the cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. the statistics above are from: http://distracteddriving.caa.ca/education/
As of January 2012, 9 states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands will have banned all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving and 34 states plus the District of Columbia and Guam will have banned drivers from text messaging. Laws for novice drivers are even more stringent, with 30 states plus the District of Columbia banning novice drivers from using cell phones and 41 states plus the District of Columbia banning novice drivers from texting while driving. It is likely more states will adopt some form of legislation targeting drivers’ cell phone use and/or texting in the future. Americans, when polled, are usually strongly in favor of laws curbing using cell phones while
At any given time, approximately 1 in 5 drivers around you are reading or writing a text message; quite scary, if you ask me. To put it bluntly today’s social norm is defined by how frequently you stay connected no matter the situation. The use of technology on such an often basis throughout the day, makes it tough for most people to know when to put the phone down. Eating and drinking while driving became such a normal habit, we did it sub-consciously. As a result, texting while driving became the norm like changing the radio station even though one is certainly more dangerous than the other, but until we say all distractions are unaccepted/illegal people will have a difficult time understanding how simple it is to prevent distractions on
The Texas lawmakers heatedly debated whether to ban texting while driving, which resulted in 102-40 for the ban. (Barnett) People seem to use the excuse of their unalienable rights to keep on losing themselves while driving instead of paying attention to whatever is ahead of them. That is also the reason why texting while driving is increasing the crash rates even outside of Texas, as you can see stated in "90+ Texas Cities are Hands-Free / Ban Texting and Driving", "In 2013 alone, 3,154 people in the U.S. were killed in
Texting and driving can be fatal and each day over 1,000 people get hurt due to distracted drivers. I’m sure you have been driving somewhere and have seen a car accident in your lifetime. Have you ever thought about what caused the accident? Possibly it could be caused by a distracted driver. [1] Before you ever text and drive think about the millions of people who die every year due to texting and driving.
The first solution to the problem of texting and driving is better knowledge about how it can be prevented before it even happens. Certain tools that could help would be videos, simulators, and phone tech assistance. There could be videos of someone who chose to use their phone while driving and the precautions of her actions and how they have greatly affected her life in the future. Simulations of how five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that 's enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.
These cell phones are a huge cause of many car accidents. Americans using their cell phones to text, call, or surf the internet while driving is the cause of up to about 80% of accidents (TextingnDriving par 1). So many people are seen using their phones while driving it is becoming impossible for police to gain control over the issue. People should not text and drive because, by altering their concentration it can result in dangers to themselves
Since texting has raised the chances of being involved in a car accident. Many states are now putting bans on using a cell phone while driving. Teens have
Texting and driving has caused many deaths among teens and others, and many families grieve every day, wishing that the worst action anyone can do while driving to become illegal. In the year 2009, 5,500 people died in texting and driving related accidents (Johnson, 2012). From then the numbers only go up because of the growth of technology. Since the issue has grown and causing more and more problems, laws need to change and become stricter to fit the new forms of
In the last two years, both Kansas and Missouri have passed laws prohibiting some drivers from texting and driving at the same time, while some of the other laws prohibit every driver from texting while behind the wheel. These different laws (proposed and/or passed) have provided much debate. For instance, “Missouri's current law against texting while driving only applies to those drivers who are 21 or younger. The law was put in force in 2009 and was the result of a quickly composed legislative compromise” (“Texting While Driving Debate… “ 1).
According to Inkteen.com “In 2009, 5,474 lives were taken and 448,000 people got injured from car accidents from being distracted while driving, says the government.” Being able to drive may be a dream comes true, but it could easily turns into a nightmare that is never woken up from. The use of technology has grown in constant for many years, distracting people from things that are important. Texting and driving is one of the biggest problems in USA. However, not only are drivers putting themselves in danger, they’re putting passengers in their car and other drivers on the road in danger, too.
III. Purpose Statement – Texting while driving is a serious distraction and one that could cost you your life or the lives of others. IV. Main Points (TRANSITION:
(Dreschel, 2014) b. Texting while driving not only threatens your life, but also everyone else on the road. c. (Statistic) Eleven percent of drivers aged 18 to 20 who were involved in an automobile accident and survived admitted, they were sending or receiving texts when they crashed. (Smith, 2014) d. (Fact) (statistic) Nearly half of US high school students aged ≥16 years old report texting while driving during the past 30 days. (O'Malley, 2013) e. (Fact)
Though laws have helped prevent cell phone use while operating a vehicle, cell phones still have only greatened the number of distracted driving accidents. Susan Henneberg is an author who focuses on writing about common issues in society. After hearing of a fatal distracted driving accident, she wrote of the accident, “The impact [of the crash] spun their car sideways into Shaw’s lane, and the trailing pickup truck plowed into the side of the Saturn, killing both men instantly”(Henneberg). Both of these drivers were physically hurt all because of texting and driving.