Everyone knows you shouldn’t drive distracted. Looking down for even a second while eating, adding condiments to your hotdog, changing the song on your playlist or occasionally checking your text messages could result in lifelong injury or even death. Although, how serious is this in the modern day world? With hands free calling and other technological advances, is distracted driving not as big of an issue as it was 10 or maybe even 20 years ago? Distracted driving happens when a person is operating a vehicle and partakes in a different activity that divides his/her attention. This usually happens when someone is using an electronic related device. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other agencies there are three specific subtypes of distracted driving: visual, manual, and cognitive. (Distracted Driving, 1). Visual distractions occur when a driver takes his or her eyes off the road. Manual distractions occur when a driver takes his or her hands off the steering wheel, and cognitive distractions occur when a driver’s focus and/or attention are divided between driving and other tasks. (Distracted Driving, 1) Texting and driving ensues all 3 of these distractions. First, visually when you first receive the incoming message and your phone lights up, causing you to take your eyes off the road and look to see who it’s from. Then, manual the act of picking up your phone to respond, moving your hands off the wheel to partake in a different
In order to text a person has to visually see the message that is sent. The driver has to physically respond to the message.It may be something in the messages that upset the drivers which effects their ability to drive.Its hard to drive when a person doesnt have a clear mind or having angry thoughts. Cell phones are not the only distractions their is when it comes to driving. When every there an accident people stop traffic just to be nosey and see what is going on. Stopping to watch other accidents can cause another accident because everyone's mind is not on the road its on the accident scene.A driver can still be focused on the road and get into a accident due to the others drives around them. Being distracted can cause someone their life just because another driver's attention was on something
In this article “Distracted Driving”, many distractions are mentioned other than just cell phone usage, such as changing the radio station or driving with kids in the back seat. It is stated that the dangers from distracted driving are because of the decrease in brain function and inability to pay full attention to the road. These practices lead to wrecks and in many cases death.
According to Ashley Gaddis from Counterpoint, “From 1999 to 2008, nearly fifty-two thousand people were killed in car crashes caused by distracted drivers” (n.pag.). Distracted driving started when technology became mobile and handheld. Many people have died and gotten injured from people not paying attention to the road. This problem has been growing as technology advances. Distracted driving is a big problem and there needs to be stronger penalties and laws in place to deter people from distracted driving.
In 2009 1.56 trillion text messages were sent and although we can’t find out how many of those were typed or received in a car, we would say most of them were. The NSC says texting is involved in at least 100,000 crashes per year. Twenty one percent of car crashes, 1.2 million, involve talking on the phone even with hands free devices. Distracted driving in 2009 led to half a million injured and 5,500 killed, says the Department of Transportation. These facts led to the conclusion that the brain can not perform two tasks at once. It switches quickly between the two, the switch happens so fast that you believe you are multitasking and paying attention but you really are just missing chunks of important information.
Texting and driving is when you use your phone while operating a motor vehicle. When making this choice to do this, drivers often: drift off to the sides of roads, run stop signals, run into another car, etc. Using your phone any kind of way is distracting because you are taking your eyes off the road, and into a screen. Even though the time it takes to text is really small, that’s all it takes to causing a car accident. These behaviors are starting to get embedded in our social norms (Seiler).Texting and driving is growing more common because of the popularity of the use a cell phone and texting.
Distracted driving is a broad term to describe all of the distractions one can experience while behind the wheel of a vehicle. There are several distractions that can happen inside a vehicle. A common example of a distraction that can be experienced is texting while driving.The concept of people getting distracted while driving is certainly not a new one. There have been reports of accidents occuring as a result of a distracted drivers ever since the time of the first car. Though granted that
Texting and many other forms of distracted driving such as eating, answering calls, and listening to loud music can be detrimental to how you drive. Of all these texting is arguably the most dangerous. Those who feel it 's not dangerous to text and drive think they are able to multi-task good enough behind the wheel to be able to text. Well, this is
Distracted driving in America is not a trivial issue in today's society. On average, eight people are killed and one thousand one hundred sixty one people are injured due to accidents involving distracted drivers, particularly due to texting. Distracted driving is a huge issue in our society. The risks are great and lead to unfathomable results. Distracted driving has also taken such a big toll on our Nation, that laws have been put in place in hopes of preventing distracted driving.
A distracted driver is anyone who diverts their attention from driving by either talking or texting, talking or performing any other multitasking activity on a mobile device while driving. on a mobile device eitherRegardless if the device is a hand-held hands on or hand-freeoff or multitasking while driving. All distractions are dangerous, but text messaging is the most hazardous because it requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver (Distraction.govDistracted Driving, 2013). Regardless of the ageage, sex, or expertise of a driver; a distracted driver is a danger to society. When we drive distractedFor the distracted driver, the result is the same, and it is just an accident waiting to happen. The fact is that, and the growing number of life changing accidents is inis on the rise. This practice does not only affect the driver but “all distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety” (Distracted Driving, 2013).
Distracted driving affects all drivers from time to time and can come off with stiff consequences . Any activity that diverts attention from driving could put you and someone else in danger .Being distracted while driving , and the issues behind it could ruin someone's life.
The fact that distracted driving poses a significant risk is undisputable. According to Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, “driver inattention causes 80% of
Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/ The Centers for Disease Control has a page on its website that discusses the many different distractions that can occur while driving. There are three different types of and they are visual, manual, and cognitive distractions. The CDC explains that texting and driving is the leading cause of distracted driving and is a combination of all three distractions and takes your hands off of the wheel as well as your eyes and mind off of the road.
Distracted driving has been the most recent cause of accidents on the road presently. Of course there are many other reasons why drivers get into accidents, but it is mainly because they get distracted. Police in El Cerrito, California even gave more than 600 citations in April to drivers for distracted driving violations (“El Cerrito”).Also,“nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in the U.S. due to drivers being distracted”(“Distracted”).Distracted driving today causes many accidents through the use of technology, eating and drinking, and children in the backseat.
All over the United States people are driving while distracted by one thing or another.
Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing problems in the United States. It is starting to be considered as serious as drunk driving based on the dangerous outcomes. According to the Department of Transportation (2012), “distracted driving was a cause of roughly 450,000 accident-related injuries and nearly 5,500 fatalities in 2009 alone” (para. 1). Drivers who allow themselves to become distracted while driving are not only endangering themselves, but other innocent bystanders.