Driving Distraction Essay

Nearly 6,000 people are killed connecting to the outcome of cell phone use while driving, according to Edmunds.com (7). Texting and talking on the phone throughout the time that a person is driving can have deadly consequences, but people still don’t seem to want to give up risking their life. There are many issues that can happen while on the road related to the usage of cell phones. It is important to stop people from looking at their phones while driving, because it is extremely distracting and not safe. Even hands free devices are not as safe as they seem to be. There have to be consequences for people using their cell phones while driving in order to improve the people’s safety. According to Edmunds.com, cell phones are known as distractions everywhere in the world and have created several concerns to several countries (9).

“Distracted driving refers to any nondriving activity that takes motorists ' attention away from the safe operation of their vehicles” (Leone). Every time a driver gets in a vehicle and decides to use a cell phone to have a conversation, either talking or texting, they put themselves and others lives in danger. The convenience a cell phone and the capabilities they offer have made them a substantial distraction and a cause of significant source of vehicle accidents and fatalities. There are three different types of distractions: visual, manual and cognitive. Cell phone use is the most dangerous distraction because it involves all three different types of distraction and plays a part in the increasing issue of distracted driving. Even

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.

“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

“A distracted driver may fail to see up to 50% of the available information in the driving environment. You may look but not actually “see” what is happening. Focus of the driver is not on the road or traffic and it becomes difficult to handle phone and vehicle at one time. Cell phones during driving also reduce the mental capacity of drivers as they fail to concentrate on minor or major activities happening around them. Cell phones distract drivers' attention resulting in comparatively slow response to traffic signals and other related traffic events. Studies have shown the fact that breaking reaction time is also slower while talking on a cell phone during driving. The perception, vision, general awareness, and concentration of the driver are impacted while communicating on a cell phone during driving. Especially during bad weather or driving on slippery roads, drivers engaging in conversation pay less attention to these areas increasing risks of fatal accidents.

Using a cell phone while driving has become the biggest manual distraction while driving.  According to a study, conducted by The University of Utah (2013),

Approximately 660,000 drivers try to use their cell phone while behind the wheel. Smartphones are a convenient way to stay connected with people all the time, but create a serious risk when you decide to interact with your device while driving. Statistics prove that using your phone while driving is a risk and should not be done. Cell phone distraction rates are high. The National Safety Council reports that the use of phones while driving, causes 1.6 million collisions each year.

Studies conducted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that using a cell phone while driving significantly impairs a driver’s reaction time and triples the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash, and text messaging increases crash risk by a multiple of 8 for all ages (NHTSA, 2009). Situational awareness is significantly decreased while engaging in distracted driving, and in turn inattention blindness is increased drastically creating a potentially deadly situation on the roads. A driver who is multitasking has less brain function available and thus literally fails to see or pay attention to things that are squarely in the field of vision (Texting and Driving, 2010). On the other hand there are those that may be able to multitask successfully though the challenge is

Once a driver gets on their phone, they also may decrease in speed because they are not focusing on the speedometer, which could lead to other drivers becoming agitated. Then the other drivers may exhibit road rage which could become dangerous to others on the road. A driver’s focus should always remain on the road. If one is on their phone they cannot see or hear what is happening around them. A driver being on the phone while driving is one of the biggest distractions drivers today face.

When people take their eyes off of the road, they are risking an incident or even their own life. According to icebike.org, “Texting and driving is 6 times more likely to get you in an accident than drunk driving.” When driving, you should always have both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. But when a phone is picked up, these things are no longer happening. Eyes are no longer on the road, but on the phone, and there is only one hand on the wheel now. This situation is already dangerous, but when people stare at their phones for a longer period of time, it really puts their life at risk. Even if it is only for 4 seconds! Not paying attention to the road could lead to getting into an accident. Drivers could be killed just by doing this. The road ahead of them could be completely clear, so they start texting on their phones, and when they’re not looking, a car pulls out or a pedestrian quickly crosses. That could lead to a collision, and could take not only the driver’s life but also the other person’s life as well. If only they were paying attention to the road instead of their phone. When drivers are on their phones, they are no longer focused on the road. It is pretty obvious that when people drive, their focus should be on the road. Though it’s not. It is instead focused on that phone that could take their life away from them. Many people still, however, text and drive despite these things that can happen.

Texting and driving or using a gps or radio while driving is a very dangerous thing to do, distracted driving can be dangerous yourself and the people around you. “One reason the majority of people are against this action is because it causes a great amount of car accidents every year.” (Copeland) When adults and teens are driving and they fell their phone vibrate or hear it ring their attention almost immediately taken off the road and is then directed at the phone. According to Erin Schumaker of the Huffington Post says that there were 341,000 vehicle crashes in 2013 that involved cell phones and texting. The lives of innocent people are being taken away every single day just because of drivers that are distracted by a simple everyday object

Its been about a hundred and thirty-nine years since Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone. The cellphone was made to replace the phone and its has become poplar. The progression of test messaging and social media sites through the more advanced technology has more people on their phones, becoming one of the largest distractions. Whether people think they can safely type on their phones while driving or just do not think there is any real danger in the act is a misconception. Being on the phone while driving is dangerous and needs to be

Texting while driving has developed into a growing danger amongst many drivers. Driving requires full attention at all times; moreover, texting impairs the drivers’ abilities, causing his or her reaction time to decrease dramatically. When his or her full attention is on the phone rather than on the road, the driver is unable to witness the traffic; therefore, causing a collision due to lack of focus. When both hands are on the phone texting, the driver easily loses control of the vehicle because of his or her inability to concentrate on the road. Improper driving is an unnecessary risk to

When a cell phone is used while driving, it distracts the attention of the driver, leading to car accidents. While using a cell phone many people tend to miss traffic signals, because they are not really concentrating on driving. The process of dialing or answering the phone can make them lose control of the vehicle as well. Even though the driver is looking at the road, he or she can easily get distracted by the conversation. This can result in fatal accidents.

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.