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Don 't Text, Just Drive : Texting While Driving

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Lone Star College Don’t Text, Just Drive: Texting While Driving Adam Polkinghorn GOVT - 2305 6005 Professor Ricard 14 April 2017 Adam Polkinghorn Professor Sarah Ricard GOVT-2305 6005 14 April 2017 Don’t Text, Just Drive: Texting and Driving “I hope you brought a phone charger!” Rachel said excitedly as she started up the car. “This is going to be a long drive and I can’t have my phone die, but, at least texting doesn’t use much battery.” George shook his head and plugged the phone charger into the cigarette lighter. “It’s a good thing I’m a great multitasker, even while driving,” stated Rachel. As Rachel pulled out onto a busy road, with her new cell phone in one hand and her other on the steering wheel, George …show more content…

683). It makes sense to target the next wave of young drivers with education on the dangers of texting while driving. Even if a small portion of younger drivers can be properly educated then they will be able to stem the increase of drivers that choose to text while driving. If they fully understand the dangers associated with driving while distracted, the more likely it’ll be that they choose not to be influenced by social acceptance of this dangerous habit. However, targeting the younger drivers with educational campaigns may not be the sole solution to deter this potentially life-taking habit of today’s drivers. Through the improvement and enactment of primary vs secondary laws and the enforcement of the former, would help minimize the number of accidents and fatalities. Ferdinand et al (2014) concluded, “Our analyses indicate that primarily enforced texting laws are associated with fatality reductions among younger individuals, both drivers and nondrivers [sic]” (p. 1375). By enabling law enforcement to better enforce a primary law that bans the act of texting while driving, the high number of fatal accidents would decline. But, some, if not most people nowadays, particularly the younger generation, would not respond as well to heavily enforced laws with accompanying fines. So, there must be a more attractive, extralegal option to discourage those who continue to tempt fate and drive distracted. Seeking out and choosing an extralegal option to implement

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