Essay about The Rise of Distracted Driving in the United States

In this article “Distracted Driving”, many distractions are mentioned other than just cell phone usage, such as changing the radio station or driving with kids in the back seat. It is stated that the dangers from distracted driving are because of the decrease in brain function and inability to pay full attention to the road. These practices lead to wrecks and in many cases death.

According to Ashley Gaddis from Counterpoint, “From 1999 to 2008, nearly fifty-two thousand people were killed in car crashes caused by distracted drivers” (n.pag.). Distracted driving started when technology became mobile and handheld. Many people have died and gotten injured from people not paying attention to the road. This problem has been growing as technology advances. Distracted driving is a big problem and there needs to be stronger penalties and laws in place to deter people from distracted driving.

Distracted driving is a major problem on the roads today. Not only is distracted driving dangerous for the driver himself but also for other people who happen to be on the same roads as them. The Annual AAA Foundation traffic safety culture index reports that 81.1% of drivers believe distraction is a serious problem and is a behavior that makes them feel unsafe

Although distracted driving is a problem for all drivers, it specifically is a major problem for teenagers. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for American teens. When it comes to distracted driving, young people are the most likely to text and talk behind the wheel ("Distracted Driving Facts"). In Idaho between the years of 2010 and 2014, the age group 15-19 experienced the most crashes, with the age group 20-24 coming second. Teenagers also contributed to 10% of fatal car crashes and a little over 15% of serious injury car crashes ("Distracted Crash

The risks of distracted driving are great and lead to unfathomable results. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), there are three main types of distracted driving. The first is visual - taking your eyes off of the road. The second is manual- taking your hands off of the wheel, and the third is cognitive - taking your mind off of driving (CDCP). While all of these exist amongst distracted drivers, the major distraction for most people is visual and manual. For example, whether an individual is changing the radio or the most common and dangerous thing, texting; particularly because texting involves all three forms. It involves

1). Texting and using a cell phone are the two most common distractions while driving (“Distracted” para. 1). It Can Wait campaign has started to stop drivers from using handheld devices (“Distracted” para. 3). Distractions affect one’s driving performance (“Distracted” para. 5). Drivers are distracted around half the time they drive (“Distracted” para. 5).15% to 25% of crashes on all levels are caused by distraction (“Distracted” para. 5). Texting increases the driving risk, even more than regular cell phone use (“Distracted” para. 5). When cops fill out crash reports, the states should keep track of them (“Distracted” para. 6). There are many distraction while driving that may cause the driver to take focus off the road (“Distracted” para. 8). Some distraction that everyone does is : changing the radio or a CD, talking to passenger, and observing the event outside the vehicle (Distracted para. 8). There are effects on telematics on driving behaviors (“Distracted” para. 9). Some say that the electronic device companies need to inform the public about the real use of these devices (“Distracted” para.

WARNING!! There is currently a dangerous epidemic outbreak of accidents caused by distracted driving all across the United States. Many believe that this outbreak only affects teenagers. Although, according to The Texas Department of Transportation in 2015 there has been over 105,000 of these accidents deals with teenagers and adults as the driver due to distracted driving. Safe driving is described as a complex procedure that requires 100 percent of focus and concentration. While, distractive driving is defined as any time the driver takes their eyes off the road for even a split second due to any distraction. These distractions can range from eating to using any electronic device and even talking to others inside and outside the car. There are countless of cases after cases about drivers being distracted and getting into fatal car

First, schooling teens in distracted driving won't be enough to change their habits. Drs. Coben says, “Young drivers are at greatest risk, both because they use cell phones more than older drivers, and because they are inexperienced behind the wheel." This is why teens are being piled with statistics and information all through intermediate, middle, and high school, but does this really make a difference? Many of our young people are becoming rebellious to the repeated efforts to inform them of apparent-or rather ensuing-danger. It makes you wonder whether or not

Distracted Driving: An Epidemic The majority of teenagers in the United States yearn to get their license; it is a right of passage to the open road, a statement of adulthood and freedom. Yet with this freedom comes the cliche trend of responsibility - a responsibility that manifests driving as a privilege, not a right. Yet despite such excitement that surrounds driving, there still exists a multitude of illegalities and neglectfulness when it comes to the practice. One such neglect includes distracted driving - a dangerous trend in society that has long been around.

These studies are not limited to only teens, but also include adults as well. Distracted driving is not an age specific problem. This problem can range from teens to senior citizens. Adults are just as likely as teens to have texted while driving and are significantly more likely to have talked on the phone while driving. The re¬sults in this report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between April 29 and May 30, 2010, among a sample of 2,252 adults, age eighteen and older. “Nearly half (47%) of all texting adults say they have sent or read a text message while driving” (Madden). Many cellphone owners take advantage of the technology by performing several kinds of tasks in many types of places, including in the car and while walking. Two places where attention should be paid to the fullest. Madden also explains, “That compares to one in three (34%) texting teens ages 16-17 who said they had texted while driving in a September 2009 survey.” This is rather alarming when a person considers how cars have changed throughout the years in number, speed, size, and the age of the operators. The driving age varies from state to state, but the average is fifteen and six months for driver training to begin. This seems quite young to be given this responsibly without the need for in-depth training covering

I am particularly interested in researching this topic because it is an everyday occurrence that I see individuals carelessly texting and driving not knowing that they are putting themselves, along with everyone else on the road in danger. People simply just don’t understand the true depths of this action. Through developing a data analysis on motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, I hope to build awareness to this issue and potentially save lives.

First, what is distracted driving? Distracted driving is any activity that takes the drivers attention away from driving. These distractions threaten everyone in the vehicle and the innocent bystander’s safety. Some of the distractions include: texting, eating and drinking, reading, watching a video, adjusting the radio, putting on makeup. These distractions take the drivers attention away from what they should be doing. In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in an accident involving a distracted driver. Around 424,000 people were

The Gale Encyclopedia of Public health article about distracted drivers using cell phones while on the roads showed the tragedy in the freeways that we use every day. Cell phone usage when driving reduces the drivers’ attention up to 50%, and they are at risk of an accident at 4 times higher compared to the drivers who do not use the phone while driving (The Gale Encyclopedia of Public health). Young drivers are the majority of the distracted drivers, since most of them use technology more than the older generations, this resulted the young drivers to be the most victims of accidents. It is still unknown the exact number of deaths, or injuries involved distracted drivers, however a study done by

Extensive research shows the dangers of distracted driving. Recent studies show that drivers using a phone are up to four times more likely to cause an accident and in these cases, the damage is comparable to someone driving while intoxicated (Governors Highway Safety Association). Drivers that engage in distracted driving activities pose a serious and deadly risk on the road. “The 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study” (Klauver et al.) showed that some form of driver inattention was present in nearly 80 percent of crashes. Now, not all of these drivers were talking on their cell-phones or texting. Some may have been simply adjusting their radios or changing their radio station, but ultimately, some form of distraction existed. With over 300 million men, women, and children using cell phones, driving while using a cell phone is an undeniable problem. The under-20 age group has the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes, with the 20-29 year old age gap falling right behind them( U.S. Department of Transportation). Studies show that almost 50 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while

The National Safety Council estimates that over 28% of all crashes are a result of distracted drivers, with over 200,000 accidents