The Epidemic of Texting and Driving Essay

Cell phones have become an essential part of many peoples’ lives as they are one of the main sources of communication. People are able to complete many tasks using their phones, such as making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails, text messaging, and even snapping photos. Cell phones are not only beneficial, but they are impactful in many ways. As many positive uses there are for cell phones, cell phone usage can be undoubtedly precarious while driving. Cell phone usage while driving is many times done irresponsibly and can put the driver at risk of getting injured. In addition to the driver getting injured, innocent pedestrians could also potentially lose their lives or be crippled due to a texting person who was driving at the same time. According to The Federal Communications Commission, “over 8 people are killed and approximately 1,161 are injured daily in incidents reported as distraction-affected crashes in the United States.” Texting while driving has become the number one distraction of drivers and main cause of car crashes. These crashes could result in hundreds of thousands of people either losing their lives or experiencing life-changing injuries. Although cell phone usage is an effective way to communicate with others and to complete certain tasks, it has become problematic for drivers in recent years as it increased the risk of injury and death while driving. For these reasons, texting while driving should be illegal and punishable by law.

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.

Simply putting down your phone and paying attention to the road is a decision that not only could save the life of a driver but could save a whole family and community a whole lot of hurt. At any given time during the day approximately 800,000 people across the United States are on their phone while driving, which explains why texting is the number one distraction for teens across the country (Don’t Text and Drive-Volunteer Society of America). However, we can change this. Educating teens about the true risks of texting and driving just might save a life. Any text can

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

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

Being a part of a car accident always has a great impact on you. But when you are the victim of a texting while driving incident it causes you to have a whole other perspective pertaining to that subject. Being in between the state of life or death brings out a different you. About 1,600,000 accidents per year are caused by the distraction of texting while driving. Most victims of an accident of this sort survive but 18% of these fatal crashes end up passengers pronounced dead on scene, this means that 3,328 of those passengers involved die. (Federal Communications Commission par. 1) Kena, a sister to a victim of a texting while driving accident, was traumatized with the way her brother, CJ, left this world. CJ was a brother, fiancé, and single father of two kids, who trying to save the life of his fiancée, got caught up in a devastating situation. CJ caused a horrible automobilist accident whilst using his cellphone. CJ had recently won custody of his two children and Kena was overwhelmed with joy knowing that finally her little brother, CJ, would be moving down her same neighborhood along with her nephews that now she could see on a regular basis. What had seemed to be a blessing for Kena, quickly turned into a nightmare on September 11, 2010. This day CJ lost his life leaving behind his fiancée and

The danger of texting and driving by teens as well as adults is very disturbing. As we do our investigation, both groups know they should not text and drive, however overwhelmingly they do so anyway, despite the danger it seems as if they cannot resist. We now know that texting while driving is not just a teenage problem it is a World Wide problem. Each day, an average of more than nine people is killed and more than 1,060 injured in crashes caused by distracted driving, according to the CDC. In 2011, 3,331 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver, up from 3,267 in 2010, according to the Department of Transportation.

Many people depend on cellphones for their communication need. Cellphones have many benefits for communication but can also be very dangerous if not used properly. One of improper use of cellphone is texting while driving. A study has shown that it is more dangerous than drunk driving.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distractions while driving were the cause of 3,328 deaths in 2012. An estimated 421,000 people were injured in car crashes due to a distracted driver. Texting while driving causes traffic ticket , increase in car insurance rate, and emotional distress.

In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that “8 people are killed and 1,161 are injured daily in the United States” (CDC). At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010 (DMV). Further supporting the fact that cell phones have become such a precious commodity that it is hard to imagine everyday life without them. Cell phones alone aren’t the problem, but when you add the cell phone plus a vehicle into the mix it’s just not possible to safely reach your destination. When you are operating a motor vehicle the task requires a person’s full mental capacity, so when a person is using their phone and driving they’re splitting their focus onto two separate task. “Among the various forms of distracted driving, texting stands out as particularly dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction, requiring the driver to take his eyes off the road, remove at least one hand from the steering wheel and take his mind off the task of driving” (Gormley 91).

People text and drive for various reasons; however, it’s never more important than a life. Texting is becoming the most popular form of communication; leading to increased texting while driving percentages. Mobile communication is becoming more and more popular every year. Now, almost half of all teenagers admit to texting while driving (The Cons of Texting and Driving, 1). The age group committing the biggest proportion of “texting while driving” incidents is teenagers. The main reason is that they see this as socially acceptable. If everyone is doing it, they feel that it is the accepted norm. This is wrong. Drivers, including teenagers, should set a good example in not “texting and driving”. If enough abide by this rule, a reverse in the trend to text while driving may occur. Always remember to set a good example, especially for teenagers (Leon Neyfakh, 1).

Texting and driving is the act of reading, sending and typing text messages, e-mails or using online websites while operating a motor vehicle. Many people have viewed the practice and it is very dangerous. It has also been ruled as the cause of some motor accidents that have caused deaths. In some states texting and driving is illegal and/or restricted. Texting while driving had lead to increased distraction behind the wheel. In 2006, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group conducted a survey of more than 90 teens from for than 26 high schools nationwide. The results showed that 37% of students consider texting to be a big distraction while driving, taking a lot of focus off the road and things that surround you. Another study that was don’t

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

Is picking up the phone to text someone back more important than life? Many drivers think so. Drivers are prioritizing their conversations more than the safety of themselves and others. This is quite a terrifying thought. Unfortunately, I have experienced what texting and driving can do to someone. I wish I had not seen what texting and driving can do, but I have. Seeing the damage it can cause has made me always keep my phone out of my hands when I am driving. Some of the people I know that was involved in a texting and driving incident were lucky to survive while others were not so lucky. I might not see eye to eye with whoever is reading this, but we do have a few aspects in common. Odds are both of us have a cell phone, have been in an automobile before, and have someone we care about. A combination of all of these could end disastrously. Although it may not seem like it a cell phone could potentially bring harm to the person reading this, their loved ones, another person on the road, or all of the above. A small device could cause much damage if the person utilizing it chooses to use it while driving.

Automobile crashes while texting and driving are something that has taken our country by surprise every year it been getting higher and higher.If people think they can safely text on their and driving, or just don’t think there is any real danger in the act does not matter. Texting and driving must be put to . To do this our government must make the laws to both add uniformity to the laws and punishments bestowed on the offenders. But, it is also vital that the government provide ample educational programs in order to spread the message about the dangers of tapping the keyboard while behind the wheel.

Imagine, your loved one is driving on the road on their way home from work. Their phones “dings” indicating that they just got a text message. They pick up their phone to read the message and then look back up at the road to make sure they are still driving straight. They look back down at their phone to start typing their reply to the message. Five words into the message they look back up at the road to see a another pair of headlights on an 18 wheelers heading straight towards them. Before they could ever think, they their car crashes into the 18 wheeler instantly. Your loved one dies on impact because of the collision. These type of accidents are the result of texting while driving. Texting while driving is an extremely dangerous and life threatening issue that needs to be put to a stop. On a daily drivers continue to put themselves and others in danger by paying more attention to the road than their phone. This act has been proven by much research that has been done to be a problem and a very deadly one, yet drivers continue to commit it knowing the risk of it.