Distracted driving is very dangerous to everyone on the road ways. Distracted driving is engaging in non-driving activities that distracts the driver from the primary task of driving (SIRS). In 2015, 3,477 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver (CDC). Each year about 421,000 people are injured in crashes involving a distracted driver (Edgar Snyder). Drivers would not be texting if their message was not very important. Distracted driving should be illegal and security devices in vehicles should be implemented in order to save lives.
Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic (Texting Thumb Bands). It is quickly becoming one of the nation’s top killers. Young drivers are at the greatest
…show more content…
Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using cellphones while driving. The next law is the All Cell Phone ban. Thirty-eight states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by teen drivers, and twenty-one states and D.C. prohibit any cell phone use for school bus drivers. The final law is the Text Messaging ban. Forty-seven states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers (Essex). Amazingly, people still disobey the laws and continue to text and drive. Crossing the center-line and hitting an eighteen-wheeler while texting is a great way to die.
Drivers can practice several safety tips to help them navigate the road more safely. First, use your cell phone for emergency situations only. Pull over to the right shoulder to make the important call. Next, limit the number of passengers in the car. It is a good idea after a football game for a group of teenagers to drive around town texting and driving. Driving with friends can create a dangerous driving situation because drivers are focused on their friends rather than on the road. Finally, avoid eating while driving. Food spills are a major cause of distraction. Pick up a big Mac and fries on your way home and eat it while you navigate the heavy traffic. Finding the extra fries in the bottom of the bag will taste good as you rear end the car stopping suddenly in front of you.
Voice control/hands free devices were promoted to
Laws should be created and enforced for people who are texting while driving because it increases death rates, accidents, and more money will be paid to repair the car. Distracted drivers could be driving while eating, talking to passengers, or using the GPS. However, texting while driving is considered to be the most hazardous act. When people use their phones while driving they are putting their life and the people around them at risk. According to statistics compiled by the Department of Transportation in 2018, 3,477 people died and another 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by drivers who were distracted because they were texting or using cell phones.
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.
Tom Vanderbilt, author of “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What it Says About us)” claims that text messaging while driving, or “distracted driving” is comparable to drunk driving in the 1950s. He says “The Science is clear, the laws were becoming clearer, but the culture against drunken driving hadn’t manifested” (Politico). I agree with Vanderbilt; it’s clear that distracted driving puts drivers and passengers at significant risk, yet laws are only now starting to appear concerning the issue, and it’s not yet culturally unacceptable.
We know that Florida ranks second only to Louisiana for distracted driving. Almost 50,000 car accidents were credited to distracted driving last year. Approximately 37% of the drivers say they text and drive. Law enforcement officials should be more aware of what people behind the wheel are doing. People ought to have consequences for their actions. If using an electronic device while driving, receiving a ticket, in addition to having your license suspended for 30 days would make one think before attempting to operate a motor vehicle. The second time one is pulled over for using an electronic device while operating a motor vehicle the consequence should be severer, for instance losing a driver’s license for at least a year. According to Florida law, police are forbidden from stopping drivers specifically for cell phone use since texting while driving is not a primary offense. This is completely unacceptable, however, if the police commenced pulling people over for being distracted whilst driving there
Distracted driving poses an immense problem across the United States, and the issue only seems to continue growing. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed” in cases involving distracted driving, and of those killed, “teens were the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes” (“Distracted Driving”, n.d.). These terrifying statistics cannot be ignored. Distracted driving is a national epidemic, and unless society addresses the problem properly and efficiently, the risky driving behavior will continue to plague our streets, endangering peoples’ lives and leading to more fatalities.
In a portable technology world, texting while driving is at its largest problem than ever before, especially towards the young inexperienced drivers.
7.08 Assignment – Argumentative Essay Final Draft It's no secret that distracted driving is a huge issue in today's world. In 2015 alone, more than 3,400 deaths and 390,000 injuries occurred as a result of distracted driving, according to dmv.org. Most people are aware of this nationwide problem, and while some people have taken the pledge to stop distracted driving behavior, many people have chosen to simply ignore the issue. Those people are a danger to everyone else on the road, and because it is not easy or ethical to force them to stop their behavior, the easiest and most effective option is to convince them to stop. Trying to convince people of the dangers of distracted driving can come in several forms, but the most noticeable and arguably
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
Personally, growing up around new technological advances such as the rise of social media has impacted my own life because I have seen friends of mine become distracted while driving firsthand, for this reason, I believe as a nation we should take action to minimize accidents caused by this epidemic. Some ways we can begin this effort is by teaching the negative consequences of distracted driving by accordingly enforcing laws, instituting fines, as well as making its awareness a mandatory topic in drivers ed classes and in driving tests throughout the country. Although as a society before driving we should encourage silencing our cell phones, using driving apps to avoid distractions, or setting up priority settings beforehand for emergency calls or notifications. By using a combination of assets such as law enforcement, government mandates, societal influence, phone settings, and spreading awareness we can better educate the public and end distracted driving.
“I’ll just die if I don’t have the new iPod” or “Everyone else has a smart phone” are the kind of statements teenagers have used on parents. This is not a new concept for children; parents everywhere have engaged in this type of battle with their children for ages. Parents, trying to give their children a better life than they had, usually indulge them. Are we really doing what is best or should we think before we please? The time comes for a teenager to get their driving permit. This is a rite of passage that comes with age. Parents spend hours instructing their teens on how to park, watch the speed, how to make a turn properly, and to watch the road. The time arises when one must let the child go with the keys. Mothers and fathers
Distracted driving, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include things like talking on your cell phone, texting, emailing and even eating (“Distracted Driving.”). Being distracted for even a few seconds can be deadly. Every day over 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in accidents associated with distracted drivers, according to the CDC (“Distracted Driving.”). This heartbreaking statistic could be reduced if States would do more to prevent distracted driving. Florida recently took action and banned texting and driving. This law, however, is not enough to reduce the tragedies caused by distracted driving.
The strongest distracted driving laws cover texting while driving. Every district, territory, and 46 states prohibit text messaging while driving for all drivers. However, Arizona only forbids this practice for its school bus drivers. Furthermore, Texas and Missouri prohibit texting by novice drivers. Only Montana has yet to forbid texting while
I believe that distracted driving is a problem. I also believe that teenage drivers are more of a risk than other adult drivers. The reason teenage drives are more risky is that teens don’t follow rules well, and they are not patient enough, teens make driving more dangerous than it should be.
In 2013, 3,154 people were killed from distracted driving in the United States while 10,076 people were killed from drunk driving. Similar numbers occurred in 2014 with 3,179 people killed by distracted drivers while 9,967 were killed by drunk drivers. Since drunk driving leads to three times as many deaths than distracted driving, talks of making their penalties equal should be dismissed. This, however, does not mean that distracted driving penalties should not change due to the high amount of injuries caused. In 2013, distracted drivers caused 424,000 injuries in the United States while drunk drivers caused 290,000 injuries.
When it comes to someone getting behind a wheel it’s a big responsibility, you are not a passenger that could be doing different stuff you are now carrying with several lives and people are waiting for you at home. Many things cross our minds exactly when we are about to drive, but we need to learn how to ignore them and worry about getting where we supposed to be. Nowadays many accidents that occur on roads are caused by distracting driving and it seems easy to choose to do something such as: texting, eating or drinking, talking to passenger’s etcetera. “The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans about the danger it poses” Not everyone realizes the danger it is being distracted while driving, but every distraction cause at least once to take our eyes off the road.