Disadvantages Of Distracted Driving

We all are probably aware that texting and talking on the phone is a distraction to all drivers and can be very dangerous. Also, we all know there are many other distractions besides texting and driving, and any type of technology can cause a driver to be distracted. Forty-one percent of all drivers use their hands to text in the car while driving, according to Greg Gardner (52). It can cause people to forget about pedestrians or their surrounding areas. People who are distracted often aren’t focused and don’t have both hands on the wheel. According to Bryan Wilson, people may say that cell phones are easy to be pointed out as a problem, but statistics show the damage cell phones can do to a person while they are driving (6). According to Simon Usborne, time spent not looking at the road while talking on the phone is 15% of the time (68). Also, while texting and driving the time spent not looking at the road is 30% of the time (Usborne 69). As technology improves more and more people may feel the need to use their cell phones while driving. According to Melissa Healy, cell phone use can be as dangerous as drunk driving (42). Tests should be done to compare the various ways of sober people under the influence driving also to compare the impact of texting and driving. This would give us a better understanding of just how dangerous driving and being on our phone really is.

Distracted driving can branch in several different categories, including, eating and driving, texting, playing with the radio, adjusting controls in the vehicles, having too many people in the vehicle, possibly having a pet in the car also, or drinking and driving. Distracted driving leading into the even larger mistakes that can take a life which are speeding, making the choice to take that text, or looking away from the road for just a second. Any of these mistakes can result in a loss of a loved one.

Distracted driving is the leading cause of car accidents in America, followed by speeding, then drunk driving. A study performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTAS) found that 80% of car crashes were a direct result of distracted driving. There are three types of distractions for drivers: visual, cognitive, and manual. Cell phone usage whilst driving meets all three criteria for a distracted driver. When a person is using a phone they will take their eyes away from the road to look at the device (visual), they will think about the content of what they are looking at and take their mind off of the road (cognitive), and they will also take their hands off of the wheel to use the device (manual). There are many other reasons that can be attributed to distracted driving, like applying make-up or loud passengers in the car, but cell phone usage is becoming a rapidly growing concern, especially with younger drivers. The NHTAS identified that drivers under the age of 20 make up the highest proportion of distracted drivers that were involved in fatal crashes.

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.

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.

The amount of car accidents that happen each year continue to increase. This continues to happen because of the number of people who consistently drive distracted everyday. This is due to a surplus of reasons, however, many fall subject to driving distracted because they prioritize their cell phones more than what is happening on the road in front of them.

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

All over the United States people are driving while distracted by one thing or another.

Multitasking while driving is a dangerous epidemic in the United States. Doing makeup while driving is a distraction, while applying makeup you have to take your eyes off of the road and look in a mirror. Getting dressed while driving is a bad distraction imagine how distracting it would be to put a shirt on while driving let alone how much you can’t see when it goes over your face. Reaching for items while driving like the radio and other items that might be around is taking sight away from the road and hands away from the wheel. Five seconds can be the average time your eyes are off the road while

Distracted driving have been a problem from day one of driving, but distractions associated with driving seem to be on the rise. According to U.S Department of Transportation, in 2009, 5,500 deaths and nearly 450,000 injuries occurred due to distracted driving in the United States. From 2010 through 2013, a total of 2,794,600 crashes occurred involving distracted drivers. Out of those, 211,000 crashes were found to have involved cellphone use (NCSA, FARS 2010-2012 Final, FARS 2010-2013 ARF, GES 2010-2013). Data from NHTSA also shows that traffic fatalities up 7.7 percent in 2015. That is from 32,675 reported fatalities in 2014 to estimated 35,200 fatal crashes in 2015.

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.

Distracting driving is a common occurrence with modern day drivers. Due to technological advances making electronics so easy to use on the go, many find themselves spending more time looking at their cell phone or navigation system than they do looking at the road. According to the NHTSA, distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,477 people in 2015 alone. Texting and driving is a common distraction, especially when it comes to the younger generation of drivers. Young drivers are oblivious to the dangers of what seems like such a harmless act. Studies have shown that one 1 in 4 accidents are caused by texting and driving. The number of people injured from distracted drivers in 2015 was 391,000. Over half of the nation’s car accidents are a result of texting and driving. Whereas drinking and driving may kill more people, the leading cause of car accidents is in fact texting and driving.

The popularity of car crashes have increased tremendously. Multitasking has had some unintended and even dangerous consequences. Reckless driving, often defined as a mental state in which the driver displays a wanton disregard for the rules of the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2012 driver distraction was the cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes. Distracted driving is caused by texting, kids in the backseat, and music and more.

alone every year. The issue of driving while talking on a cell phone has become serious enough that five states have passed laws prohibiting this type of act and making it a primary offense to do so. Not only are drivers talking behind the wheel, but many have admitted to engaging in even more potentially dangerous behavior with their phones such as text messaging and surfing the internet. A distracted driver is a dangerous one. If you are focused on a conversation and your eyes are not on the road, drivers cannot be expected to make a quick and safe decision should the need for one arise. The behavior of a driver while using a cell phone has been compared to that of one driving while under the influence. Studies have shown that those who use a cell phone while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than those who don’t.