Distracted Driving
Lexie Mendick
The University of South Dakota Improvements in vehicle safety are a huge public health concern that impacts every individual behind the wheel of a vehicle. New technology systems developing are increasing the risk of injury in motor vehicles across the United States. Drivers are becoming more focused on the gadgets and multiple distractions in the vehicle, rather than the driving itself. Distracted driving can be considered as eating, using a phone, talking to peers, smoking, or any activity that requires a person’s attention while driving. The most prevalent distraction is the use of cell phones and electronic devices. According to James & Joseph Bernstein, “the impairments associated with using a cell phone behind the wheel are on par with those of drunk driving, and the US National Safety Council has implicated device usage in 26% of all vehicular crashes” (Bernstein & Bernstein, 2015). Distracted driving can be difficult to decipher what is considered a distraction while on the road. Distracted
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The high school programs were set up to help students prevent injuries from distracted driving (Adeola & Gibbons, 2013). “Although both impaired and distracted driving require significant attention when comparing preventative measures against preventative injury among teens, it has become increasingly important in recent years to recognize distracted driving as a public safety issue and to act accordingly” (Adeola & Gibbons, 2013). The Center for Injury Prevention and Policy offers prevention programs to high-schools in the effort to reach out to teen and young adult drivers about the risks of distraction while driving. Although many programs have been set up to help decrease numbers on distracted driving, none have been proven to be effective with decreasing injury due to distracted driving (Adeola & Gibbons,
In the scholarly journal “Distracted Driving: Prevalence, Problems, and Prevention”, Tiffany Overton, who has an MA and MPH degree, wrote a research report with her colleagues that clearly stated the impact cell phones have on drivers and provided potential solutions to the issue. They begin their report with a short introduction that briefs the acknowledgment on the negative impacts of distracted driving. Continuing on, Overton and her associates outline the topics their research report covers in means of identifying distracted driving and ways to reduce the issue in the United States. They define distracted driving as “eating, applying makeup, reading, smoking, and talking” (Overton), however, “the most prominent activity fuelling research
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.
Copeland’s article about teen driving claims that teens know the consequences of distracted driving. However, they continue to use their phones and participate in such behaviors. Copeland states that most
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).
Annotated Bibliography THESIS STATEMENT: The use of a cell phone while driving has been proven to be more dangerous than driving while legally intoxicated. The United States Government should ban all cell phone use while driving because it is a danger to public health. Centers for Disease Control. (2016). Distracted Driving.
“ Distracted driving kills” ( Distracted driving7). Distracted driving affects people of all ages but, “ our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are most at risk” ( Distracted driving7). This happens as soon as a person enters their vehicle and start to drive. Their eyes begin to go off the road which soon causes a head to head collision. Later on as technology improves and advances, cell phones have become the most common type of distracted driving such as eating or drinking or watching videos on their phone for an example, “ because text messaging requires visual, manual and conductive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarm distraction” (Distracted driving 5). This shows that many are risking their life and others around
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.
GHSA examines the problem of distracted teen drivers so they can find the problem and address it (“Governors” para. 1). Teens are the number one distracted driver at the
In this age of multitasking, the use of cell phones is combined with assignments like cooking, driving, babysitting, walking, doing college assignments and even eating. Whereas the use of cell phones while doing some chores might be simply annoying, the consequence of using cell phone with driving can be fatal. Recent polls by the Pew Research Center and other researchers show that about fifty to ninety percent young Americans admit using their cell phone while driving. This includes about thirty six percent who said they texted or typed something whiles driving. (Lopresti-Goodman, Rivera, & Dressel, 2012). The practice of using phone particularly texting while driving has increased the number of distracted driving accidents. When the cell phone records of people involved
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.
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.
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.
Cell phones are just one of the many distractions in everyday lives of all Americans. Many people know that texting while driving can be a very dangerous thing to do, and unfortunately it claims several lives every single day. Yet people still do it. Statistics show “even as deaths from roadway accidents are in statistical decline, America wrestles with the epidemic of cell-phone-distracted drivers,” (Stuller Para 1). Police have been cracking down on drivers that use their cells phones during driving. Studies show that it only takes about four to six seconds for someone not to be paying close attention to their surroundings on the road to cause an accident. Studies show “In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, while more than a half million others were injured.” (Stuller Para 22). People die in crashes every single day because of distracted
Drivers may talk to others in the car, use a phone, eat, do makeup, text, or blast their radios all in the process of driving. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States for people between one and sixty-five years old, high-quality transportation research is essential to public safety (Bagg, 2006). Eighty percent of all crashes and sixty-five percent of all near crashes had drivers that looked away from the road to perform a secondary task. (Bagg, 2006). The secondary task distraction that most frequently resulted in a crash or near crash was hand-held wireless devices, the researchers report.
“In a split second you could ruin your future, injure or kill others, and tear a hole in the heart of everyone who loves you,” (Heit). This specific quote shows how the results of distracted driving not only affects you, but also those around you. Distracted driving has been a serious concern for many years. This subject has been an issue because of the dangers it brings to the safety of others. One major type of distracted driving includes texting and driving. which is becoming more popular in today’s society because many have cell phones. Another type of distracted driving is drinking and driving, this continues to stay a topic for many years. Although drinking and driving and texting and driving carry many similarities with the