Texting and Driving In 2012, Texas college student Chance Bothe was texting that he needed to stop texting because he said that he could die in a car accident (Zafar, 2012). He was driving at the same time, causing him to drive into a cliff. He miraculously survived but not without serious injuries – traumatic brain injuries, a fractured skull, a crushed face and a broken neck (Zafar, 2012). In 2013, 19-year old Elizabeth Haley Meyers was on her way to Royal Farms in Maryland when she hit 30-year old Wesley Roberts who was driving his motorcycle. She was texting while driving. Roberts died, leaving behind his children, a brother, and a father while Meyers faced the possibility of being sentenced up to ten years in prison and having to pay thousands of dollars in fines (Valcourt, 2013). Indeed, texting and driving is a growing problem in our country. According to Pascual-Ferrá, Liu and Beatty (2012), 25 percent of vehicular accidents, that is, 1.6 million accidents, every year can be attributed to cellphone use and texting while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also stated that “teens are six times more likely to crash while dialing a cellphone and 23 times more likely to crash while texting” (Mays, 2014). The reaction time of a person who is texting while driving becomes similar to that of a 70-year old who is driving without a cellphone (Mays, 2014). Pascual-Ferrá, Liu and Beatty (2012) also found that the effects of texting and
Every day there are many that are killed from texting and driving. So many people get injured or even killed because of texting and driving. Several people are addicted to their phones, especially teens. Teens are obsessed with their phones, they are always waiting for some to text them back. Texting and driving is a distraction that everyone should avoid because it can result in injury or death to oneself or others. This may result in property damage, and the probability for one to receive legal consequences.
Texting driving is as dangerous as guns there are more accidents caused by texting and driving then there are injuries caused by firearms (Law Center). That's the biggest reason why texting and driving is such a huge problem. At any point throughout the day there are approximately 660,000 people on their phones while driving (Edgar Snyder & Associates). The reason for this is because over a quarter of all people who text and drive believe they can multi task without affecting their driving at all. These people don't find out the truth of this statement until it is too late. Imagine a world where you can feel safe on the road a world without texting and driving. I feel that I have
Statistics show that texting while driving is on the rise. In a published article, “Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States”, from National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2005 to 2008 car accidents involving a use of a cellular device increased by 28 percent, while drunk driving fatalities declined by 35 percent. In today’s world, many people are becoming attached to their phone, and they cannot put it down for 30 minutes. A study completed by Pew Research Center showed that 59 percent of young adults ranging from 18 to 34 years old are the most likely to text and
The act of sending electronic messages or texting is easily accessible to anyone that owns a cell phone. Often people are seen with the cell phone in one hand and texting while walking, eating in a restaurant with friends, working or shopping. It has become a part of everyday life. The convenience and the need to stay connected has made texting a useful method of communicating, that has increased dramatically with teenagers. “Adolescents report that texting is the most common way that they stay in contact with friends, sending an average of a hundred texts per day” (Delgado para. 1). This includes texting while driving. The effects of distracted driving from texting include legal penalties, increase in insurance premiums, motor vehicle crashes, and even death. Texting while driving has become a major problem in the United State and a simple LOL can have serious consequences.
Texting and driving was and continues to be one of the major factors of car accidents in America’s population. In the following advertisement named, “Phone in one hand, Ticket in the other” it is noted that texting and driving are frowned upon in our society, and the authorities are giving citizens tickets for texting and driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had created and promoted this ad to help decrease car accidents involving texting and driving, by informing the reader, you will be ticketed if you are caught being on your phone while driving a vehicle. The ad was first campaigned April 2015 by NHTSA. There are two messages being portrayed in this advertisement. First, the text of the ad, gets the audience thinking about two possible consequences of texting and driving. Secondly, the images demonstrate what may take place if you are using a cell phone while on the road. Lastly, both the text and images work together to get the message across that if you are caught texting and driving, you will be ticketed, and the use of a cellular device while driving can lead to a car accident. The, “Phone in one hand, Ticket in the other” ad successfully portrays its reasoning for being invented, and I believe the presence of this ad will decrease the amounts of accidents in America.
Well, maybe this one will. Imagine this is your child, grandchild, or bestfriend. “Where u at” – These were the simple last words that a senior in high school who was one day away from graduation, saw in this world. On that pivotal spring night, she was texting her friend on the way to the baseball game she was planning to attend. As she looked down at her phone to read the new text message, she lost control of her car. She slid across the median, hit a bridge, and was immediately killed. An Officer was one of the first to arrive on the scene. He later described the horrific scene to reporters saying, “When I got to the scene, her face was disfigured from sliding down the roadway. Lying in the roadway in a large pool of blood I noticed her shoes and I thought this is a young child. That’s the first thing I thought when I saw this. And at that point was when I noticed their cap and gown was still in her car. They were going to graduate the next day. It was just a really horrific scene all because of a senseless text message” (“Stories”). This is a sad story and the crazy thing is, there are so many more stories and testimonies of the harmful effects of texting and driving.
According to texting and driving statistics, every year, around 330,000 people die every year from texting and driving. This is around half of all the people who pick up their phones in the first place. Being on your phone draws your attention from the road, to your phone. Doisomething.org states, “When you text and drive you are 23 times more likely to get into a crash.” All it takes is a simple act of not watching the road. Being unaware while driving can put you, and other's lives at risk or injury or even death. This can affect your future, others around you, your friends, and your family. Texting and driving is a very big deal. Don't Text Drive states “5 seconds is the minimal amount of time a driver takes their eyes off the road. If you are traveling at 55 miles an hour, this would equal the length of a football field of not
Texting and driving has become a recent issue in today's society and is one of the largest epidemics to sweep our nation. The progression of text messaging, with more capable phones and larger numbers of people engaging than ever before, has turned into one of the largest distractions in our world. Many teens, as well as adults, have formed a habit of using their cell phones while driving their cars. Several people do not think that a quick text or even a glance at a phone while they are driving will do any harm. A great bit of accidents has taken place due to a careless individual that decided to look at their phone while they were in the process of driving. These days, phones have gotten even more
According to kelly (2012), about “six billion messages are sent a day and over 2.2 trillion in the US, (Kelly, 2012). The worst violators are high school seniors, 58% have said they have texted while they were driving within the month before the study (Bratsis,2013).” That is a lot of teens that are texting nowadays. The majority of teenagers argue that “texting and driving is a “common” thing to do.” but when not only their lives but also other
It is interesting to see that more attention is placed on violent deaths from shooting than other accidental deaths. On the contrary, traffic mortalities continue to be one of the most important causes of death in the United States, for example, in 2010, there was an estimation of 32,788 deaths (Ferdinand et al., 2014). Death from motor accidents is therefore a serious public safety issue that should be addressed. Recently, in the city of Laredo, two people lost their lives and one was left in critical condition after being hit by someone who was texting and driving (Gallardo, 2015). Texting while driving is increasing at an alarming rate and the devastating effect on public health and safety warrants a thorough study. Policy makers and all interested parties must come together to do a thorough study that will lead to laws designed to curb such preventable
Today there are many articles to read, videos to watch, and classes to take to learn about the consequences of texting and driving. In an article published by the “Alaska Dispatch News” a teen was charged with manslaughter for texting while driving. The teenager was texting and driving when he ran a red light and killed a 27 year old mother. According to the article the teenager stole his dads’ car and drove around town smoking pot with his friends without a diver license. Daniel Shorey the Assistant District Attorney said “he believes the case against Gross was the first fatal texting and
As cell phones become more popular, texting while driving is becoming the most widely known cause for car accidents among teens. The alarming rate of incidents where texting is involved is getting more parents worried and warning their children about the danger of texting while driving. Parents are urging the fact that drivers should pay attention to the road and traffic, not their phones. A popular study of 18 to 24 year old drivers showed that 66 percent of them have texted while driving. Since texting while driving is becoming more popular many states are passing a law to ban the use of any cell phone device while in a vehicle. Texting while driving is an important issue that is causing many deaths and those who cause these deaths and
Today, texting while driving out numbers the amount of drunk driving according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Texting while driving is six times more likely to cause a wreck than drunk driving. You are 23 times more likely to wreck if you are texting. Texting while driving is equal to driving bind for 5 seconds each text. Out of the worlds’ population of over 7 billion, at any given moment all over the world, over 800,000 drivers are texting. Drivers think they can handle looking away for a second to reply, or read a message. By doing this you are decreasing your break reaction time by 18% (national). “The concentration needed for safe driving makes texting safely at the same time impossible” (Bratsis 70). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (C.D.C.)
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
Does it seem like everywhere you go people are preoccupied with texting? Often people are seen with the cell phone in one hand and texting while walking, in a restaurant eating with friends, working or shopping. It has become a part of everyday life. The convenience and the need to stay connected has made texting a useful method of communicating, that has increased dramatically with teenagers. According to Dr. Delgado, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Perelman School of Medicine, “Adolescents report that texting is the most common way that they stay in contact with friends, sending an average of a hundred texts per day” (para. 1). This includes texting while driving. The effects of distracted driving from texting include legal penalties, increase in insurance premiums, motor vehicle crashes, and even death. Texting while driving has become a major problem in the United State and a simple LOL can have serious consequences.