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Texting While Driving Should Stop

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A filthy, crowded highway filled with so many cars it becomes a death trap. A high pitched noise rings out over the honking horns and disgruntled snickers. “New message” the screen flashes in colors and pictures that could make a blind person stop and stare. A tempted driver reaches over to sneak a “quick” peak at their box of hindrance. The driver continues to glare at their screen for a measly five seconds. Without knowing it they have already traveled the distance of a football field by going at a constant speed of fifty-five miles per hour (“Featured Video: Stairs”). As they continue down the road their chances of a fatal accident are increased by twenty- three percent (“Texting and Driving Safety, No Texting and Driving”). Distracted driving is impacting more than just young and foolish drivers. By understanding who it is affecting and why it is affecting them we can move forward in a solution to this issue. “Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving” (“Distracted Driving | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Texting and Driving”). Distracted driving can occur in three main types: manual, visual and cognitive. Manual distraction is when you take your hands off of the wheel, visual distraction is when you take your eyes off of the road, and cognitive distraction is when you take your mind (focus) off of the road (“Distracted Driving | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration”).

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