The Epidemic Of Distracted Driving

Lately, cell phone distraction while driving has been a hot topic on the radio and television, with people giving their opinion or sharing experiences. Cell phone usage and other distraction are causing an increase in accidents. Text messaging has been around for about a dozen years , with public surveys showing overwhelming agreement that it's a dangerous distraction ( Halsey ).

You notice people walking and talking on their cell phone not paying attention or bumping into others. If a driver is talking on the phone while driving this increases the risk of injury to themselves including others. The risk a driver is choosing to take by talking on the phone while driving can cause the driver to be distracted enough to run a light or stop sign, move into another lane, and can ultimately cause a crash between another car. According to the NHTSA, over 3,331 people were killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents connected to distracted driving.

5. Driving while talking on a cell phone is as dangerous as driving drunk. According to

Distracted driving is the number one leading cause to accidents. Whether it be texting, calling, conversing, eating, grooming or reading. The National Safety Council, NSC, says that one in four car accidents are because of cell phones. Initial data from the National Safety Council estimates that as many as 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2016. That marks a six percent increase over 2015 and a fourteen percent increase over 2014. That is the most dramatic two year escalation in the past fifty three years.

According to “Pros And Cons Of Using A Hands Free Mobile Phone While Driving” many people believe that the real problem is not talking on the phone, but looking down to dial or find the number. So, since there are hands free options as long as that person uses them, using a phone while driving is safe. Though many believe that the only problem with using a phone while driving is having to dial or text, they are wrong. Using a phone slows the user's reaction times, unlike talking to a passenger in the car which does not. Making using a phone while driving still dangerous even though there are hands free

Within all age groups the number on record for the year of 2009 for people killed in car accidents caused by distracted driving was 5,474 and the amount of people injured was 448,000. (“Driving Distracted”) Drivers don’t understand why the number raises so much by just being distracted but studies show that operating a hand held device when driving makes you four times more likely to be in a car accident that will be serious or be fatal. (“Driving Distracted”)

Distracted driving has been a problem for a long time. It has grown in the recent years because technology has become mobile and smaller. Ashley Gaddis from Counterpoint says, “A 2013 poll conducted by AT&T found that half of commuters admitted to texting while driving” she also says, “By 2007, one in six fatal car crashes were caused by a distracted driver, resulting in over 5,900 deaths” (n.pag.). Distracted driving can be texting while driving or talking on the phone while you are driving. There are some opposers that think that hands free technology is a good way to avoid distracted driving. Geoff Tyler states that, “Hands free devices that are suitable for use in the car can make holding a phone conversation as close as technologically possible to holding a conversation with a passenger” (n.pag.). Even though hands free technology helps you talk and text easier, you still have to take your eyes of the road to use it.

The Reality of Using Cell Phones While Driving A. The following statistics will shock you enough to think twice about grabbing your cell phone next time you are in your vehicle. 1. The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. In 2013 alone 3,154 people were killed in distracted related car crashes. Plus nearly 330,000 injuries from accidents related to cell phones, that’s an increase of 10% since 2011.

Talking on the phone is one of the second causes of distracted driving in the U.S. today. Eating while driving is also another distraction. Texting while driving can/is very dangerous. Texting while driving is a very serious issue that is going on more and more in today society. I believe that talking on the phone is also another dangerous problem while driving.

Cellphone use while driving is dangerous because it increases car crashes, poses a higher risk of danger than any other distracted activity, and also affects the driver's driving performance. With all this being said in all distracted driving accidental or not should not be done. Why risk it?!?

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.

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.

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.

The use of cell phone is very dangerous for drivers while driving. The drivers are supposed to be alert and concentrated to their ambient surrounding. The use of cell phone catch their attention and make them less alert to their surrounding which can lead to serious destruction. The use of cell phone is more dangerous than the use of alcohol while driving. Because it took half a second longer for a cell phone users to react than a normal person and one third of a second longer than a persons in drunken condition.

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.