Texting While Driving Persuasive Speech

Distracted driving; most of us are guilty of it without even knowing it. Distracted driving is doing anything else unrelated to driving while behind the wheel. This could include: using a cell phone, changing the radio station, eating food, and even having a conversation. The most distracting of them all is using a cell phone because it requires the user to manually input information. The laws surrounding texting while driving are far too lenient when compared to laws on drunk driving, yet both can end in a car crash. People texting while driving should face steeper penalties than what is already in place because they are a danger to anyone around them. The small fines are not enough to deter people. While banning cell phones from being allowed in vehicles is not an effective approach to the problem, stricter laws should be put in place to make the roads a safer place. Texting while driving penalties should be treated with a similar severity that DUI charges are. The penalties for texting and driving need to be increased because it would make the roads safer, increase the government’s revenue, and help solve the problem of texting while driving.

Nearly 1.6 million car accidents are recorded each year, out of those accidents 330,000 result in injury or death (Edgar Snyder & Associates). Your life or someone else's life can change dramatically while driving just because someone was on their phone. Texting and driving is a real issue in our country and outside of spreading awareness or creating ineffective distracted driving laws. no one has really tried to solve this problem. Texting and driving is a problem because too many innocent lives are lost every day. The Government should implement an app that rewards people for not being on their phone while driving because so many people die every day from texting and driving.

Being the cause of a cell phone related accident can leave a person unable to handle the consequences of their actions. There is great concern regarding the dangers of distracted driving. This is made evident by legislation that has been put in place in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (2011), nationwide, 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have enacted texting bans. Current data from the National Safety Council (2010) suggest that each year, at least 1.6 million traffic accidents (28% of all crashes) in the United States are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting. The U.S. Department of Transportation (2011) states that nine states, the District of Columbia, and

Secondly texting while driving can put a loved one at risk. Texting while driving can put you and your passenger at risk. If you were to get in a accident because of texting and driving, you and your passenger can get hurt. In an article called 10 Programmatic Reason´s that will make you stop texting and driving right now it said ¨in

most daring things people can do on the road now a days. It is a tragic practice in the United States that needs to be stopped. It’s taking many lives of peoples family and friends around the United States today. This phenomenon of texting and driving exists and it isn 't a good thing. Although many people would agree that texting and driving isn 't a safe act many still do it. Most people feel discluded from the texting while driving danger and believe that they are safe drivers while texting. In a survey done by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “55 percent of young adults thought that it was easy to text and drive.” Texting while driving is a terrible thing to be doing, it impairs your driving and leaves you not paying attention to the main task at hand, yet it is becoming more and more prevalent across the United States. If you think that you aren 't part of the problem cause you can text and drive safely, you are wrong.

Title of speech: 1 Texting while driving Specific purpose: My audience will know the dangers of texting while driving, the effects it has on people and ways to reduce the accident rate due to texting and driving.

In 2011, 23% of car accidents were caused from cell phones; that is 1.3 million crashes. That number has now rose to more than 1.6 million automobile accidents in 2014. In this century most Americans own a cellphone. 34% of Americans say that they have texted while driving. Although a vast majority of teens text while drive, they are not the only ones. 27% of adults admitted to texting and driving. This is a bigger problem than most people realize. Most children follow the example their elders set. This means, if your child or even sibling see that you are texting while driving, they are more likely to do it to. 48% of children the age 12-17 said they have been in a car while the driver was texting. Many states in America are working hard towards this problem. Thirty-nine states prohibit all drivers from text messaging, thirty-two states prohibit novice drivers from using a cell phone, and ten states prohibit the use of cellphones while driving. Florida has even stepped up to the plate in the fight against texting and

Three out of ten people said that they could multitask while driving and therefore where not concerned about accidents. In a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, the United States had the highest percentage in comparison to anywhere else in the world. Thirty one percent of adults admit to texting while driving. Also in the United States, 11% of drivers from age 18 to 20 were involved in a crash while texting and driving. (Source 4) In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and 421,000 people were injured as a result of texting while driving.

while driving because of experience or levels of practice.” As beings that multitask daily duties flawlessly and with grace, texting while driving is not a flawless and graceful task. In conclusion, preventative measures such as the use of cell phone apps that prevent and encourage drivers to not text and drive, stricter laws and penalties, and education of the dangers of texting while driving will hopefully prevent and decrease drivers to not text while drive.

Distracting driving is a common occurrence with modern day drivers. Due to technological advances making electronics so easy to use on the go, many find themselves spending more time looking at their cell phone or navigation system than they do looking at the road. According to the NHTSA, distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,477 people in 2015 alone. Texting and driving is a common distraction, especially when it comes to the younger generation of drivers. Young drivers are oblivious to the dangers of what seems like such a harmless act. Studies have shown that one 1 in 4 accidents are caused by texting and driving. The number of people injured from distracted drivers in 2015 was 391,000. Over half of the nation’s car accidents are a result of texting and driving. Whereas drinking and driving may kill more people, the leading cause of car accidents is in fact texting and driving.

Texting while driving takes away the one thing that absolutely everyone counts on while behind the wheel, vision. No matter where the phone is placed, whether it is on the dash board or on the steering wheel, one’s eyes are not where they need to be. People’s eyes are supposed to be on the road at all times. Texting takes that away and it doesn’t matter how quick someone thinks they are, there is always a possibility. Just for that split second of reading a message that is so important, a crash could happen. Eyes are the most important thing needed when driving and when not on the road a lot of harm can be caused.

The distinguishing question I would hope to answers is that people should take text while driving more seriously to avoid car accidents and injuries. The focus of texting and driving rises frequently.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience that texting while driving is a dangerous task they should not partake in.

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that 515,000 people were injured in various car crashes in the United States due to texting. Around 28 percent of all crashes in 2008 were caused by drivers in the age group of 18 and 29, who admitted to texting while driving. (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/texting-while-driving-statistics.html)

Specific Purpose: To persuade my readers to not text and drive at the same time.