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Essay On Distracted Driving

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Ever since the creation of portable technology, people have found a way to distract themselves from the responsibilities of safely operating a vehicle. The first distractions while driving a vehicle began with something as simple as the car radio. As technology progressed, the devices became more complex and required more attention to operate them. Recently, the biggest distraction for drivers is using smartphones to send text messages or to interact with others through social media. People fail to realize the dangers that are associated with distracted driving. The Department of Transportation reported 100,917 distracted driving crashes in 2014, resulting in 483 fatalities and more than 3,000 serious injuries. Compared with 2013, distracted-driving crashes in Texas have increased by 6 percent (“Cell Phone” 2008). The broad meaning of the phrase, distracted driving is any activity that could divert a driver’s attention while operating a vehicle. My paper will focus solely on distracted driving while using a handheld electronic device. People that use a mobile device while driving are completely aware of the consequences that can result. However, they consciously choose to put themselves at risk without regard for others on the road. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, nearly 45 percent of Texas drivers admitted to using a mobile phone while driving, even though 83 percent of them agreed that talking on mobile phones while driving is dangerous (“Talk, Text”

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