The Consequences Of Distracted Driving

Texting and driving. Not only texting but simply just a quick glance to check a notification, or listening to music and looking down quickly and changing a song, all can lead to a persons life ending in a second. Texting and driving is now the leading death among teens. Studies show that atleast 3,000 teens are killed every year in texting while driving related accidents. Research by Virgnia Tech estimates that people are twenty three times more likely can be involved in an accident if using their phones while driving. It has become a dangerous distraction to drivers. Even if a person does not do these things while driving they can still fall victim to the consequences of the person coming at them head on who has decided to act irresponsibly while driving. Many states have passed laws about being on cell phones while driving, and it may help the issue somewhat, but it is still a major problem for

People texting and driving cause them or other people to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars. Whether it is on repairs or tickets or even hospital bills. 1 out of every 4 accidents in the United States are caused by distracted drivers ("Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving"). Do you really know how dangerous texting and driving is? People texting and driving can cause many bad things but, can be solved by having more laws and higher fees.

They walk in front of cars and into street signs, falling off curbs and walking into tree limbs. They are distracted pedestrians who, while texting, talking on the phone, listening to music or even reading, have sustained serious injuries, some of which fatal.

Distracted driving is very dangerous, and, while there are many distractions, some are avoidable. Many car accidents are caused by drivers who are distracted by something. One of the main distractions in this day and age would be the cell phone, which most everyone has. It is a person's means of communication, as well as a calendar, alarm clock, camera, et cetera. However, is it worth risking the life of the driver and the lives of others?

The majority of accidents involve drivers distracted by hand held or hands free cell phones. Cell phone use while driving is dangerous because it increases car crashes, poses a higher risk of danger, and it affects a driver's driving performance. In 2013, the nation's biggest cell phone companies launched the first joint advertising campaign against texting and driving. Verizon, Sprint, and T-mobile, united behind At&T’s “It can wait” campaign. Distracted driving is dangerous not only to the driver but to everyone in the car.

Unfortunately, there are many people affected by distracted driving. Everyone has their own story on this. Sadly, some have been affected more than others. Here is only one story out of thousands. Elene had a five year old son, Jamie, and she had arranged for her sister, Angela, to pick him up after school one day. She picked him up and they were off driving on the road. The last thing her sister remembers is reaching for her phone, which was lying on the seat next to her because it was ringing. As she reached for her phone, she made a turn and lost control of her vehicle causing her to crash into a truck. Angela ended up being in critical condition, but survived; however, Jamie was killed. Elene, talking about her sister, says that Angela, “lives with the pain of knowing that one moment of distraction behind the wheel took Jamie’s young life.” She talks about how much this has impacted her and her family's life. She says, “Every day I think about my son, and every day I wish that he was here and that I was just a mother of a 17-year-old, taking him to soccer or whatever he would be doing in his life now. I don’t know what my son looks like anymore.” Bratton goes on saying that, “she hopes her family’s story serves as a warning to drivers to make safety a priority and avoid every possible distraction behind the wheel” (Garske). This is a very touching story. It shows that in one second, lives can be totally changed. No matter how important a text or phone call is, it is never more important than a person’s life.

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).

Imagine a world where everyone arrived safely to and from their destinations and cities nationwide staunchly enforced the safest method of driving for all citizens. Picture living in a community without the constant fear of being harmed by everyday travels and precarious fellow drivers. The thought of this being true and eminently lessening the amount of yearly fatalities provoked by car accidents may seem exceptionally ridiculous, but by establishing a law against distracted and intoxicated drivers, this feint fantasy can become a reality. A law forbidding the act of operating a vehicle while using electronics and/or while under the influence of drugs should be instilled so that the overall number of automobile related deaths and injuries

Saying things are dangerous is meaningless without the evidence and statistical support that backs the claims. A Federal Communication Commission to the House of Representatives produced multiple revealing statistical studies to present to the House in order to start considering a national law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2008 that driver distraction was the cause of 16 percent of all fatal crashes (Julius). In the 5,800 crashes created by distracted driving in 2008, 21 percent of those crashes resulted in a basic injury, and 515,000 people were wounded in serious injuries (Julius). Since 2008, more recent studies have been completed to more accurately show that distracted driving is truly a growing problem. A study by Virginia Tech Driving Institute revealed that those who resort to texting while driving are 23 time more likely to meet with an accident. According to a report by the National Safety Council, talking or texting while driving causes 28 percent of car accidents. The researchers at Virginia Tech also concluded that of all cellphone related tasks including talking, dialing, or reaching for the phone, texting while driving is the most dangerous. The large number of accidents and injuries are not surprising considering when texting, the driver’s steering capability goes

For car drivers out on the road, whether it is to school, work, or any other activity, there is a dangerous threat. The danger is held in most drivers’ hands. The danger is a cell phone. In 2013, doctors Lee, Champagne, and Francescutti reported that distraction driving was the cause for about 80% of all car crashes (Victoria, 2013). Drivers today are not careful enough behind the wheel, for many use their phones and feel comfortable about using their phone. Although that may be the case, using a cell phone while driving is extremely dangerous, and is usually caused by possession attachment and addiction to the phone.

When you drive to work, school, or even to run errands, how many people do you see on their phones while driving? The answer to this question can be quite scary. Cell phones are used by nearly everyone at any given time. The use of cell phones has grown tremendously throughout the past couple of years. People will use them at any time, even while they’re driving. This can put not only that person in danger, but everyone around them as well. Cell phones can be and are a major distraction while driving, and they should be banned.

During the past few years, consumers, politician, academics, and interest groups have expressed growing concern about the safety of using cell phones in cars and trucks. Cell phone usage while driving has become a growing threat to students and parents alike as the number of accidents in our community continues to grow. Some people say the use of cell phones while driving is not the only distraction to drivers but holding conversion with passengers, tuning to radio stations, and putting on make-ups also distract drivers’ attention from the roads. The use of cell while driving should be banned because it distracts drivers’ attention from the road, it prevents the use of both hands properly, and it causes death.

Have you ever had a family member or friend get in a car wreck by using a cell phone or any cellular device? Well phones these’s days are a lot of issues people are using them in their cars while driving people are getting in wrecks and running off the road and running into people causing accidents that shouldn’t even be happening by phones, You should read below of these’s reasons telling you why you shouldn’t be using a phone in the car or while driving it should change the way you think of things differently than before.

Distracted driving is when a person is driving and not focusing on the road and there surroundings. “The act of driving while engaged in other activities”. Types of activities done while driving takes drivers focus off of the road. Which makes driving very dangerous for the drivers, the passengers, and every bystander. Distracted driving is very risky and is known to lead to fatal car crashes. Methods of reporting distracted drivers are improving, but current estimates likely underestimate how often distracted driving causes crashes. According to the NHTSA, over 3,331 people were killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents due to people driving distracted. That means 10 percent of all fatal crashes, and 17 percent of all accidents that caused injuries are due to people driving while distracted. Young drivers are at the greatest risk for distracted driving incidents. According to the United States Department of Transportation, "text messaging while driving creates a crash risk 23 times higher than driving while not distracted." Despite these statistics, more than 37% of drivers have admitted to sending or receiving text messages while driving, and 18% admit doing almost every time they drive. Manual distraction is also dangerous. Manual distraction is when the driver takes one or both hands off the wheel for any reason. Some common examples include eating and drinking in the car, adjusting the GPS, or trying to get something from a purse or wallet from some place out of reach.

Another source, Insurance Information Institute (III) posted a document about cell phones and driving. According to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, “Over 254 million people subscribed to such wireless communication devices as cell phones as of February 2008, compared with approximately 4.3 million in 1990 in the United States” this shows that there is a dependence for cell phone and that mean that the phones are being used in operating a vehicle. Using the cell phone is not the most dangerous thing relating to cars but it’s the most frequent with accidents and so on. New York’s 2001 law stating that hand held cell phones are illegal when driving hasn’t really made a difference because or the frequency of accidents. People do get absorbed into the conversation and take their mind off the road. “A survey of dangerous driver behavior was released in January 2007 by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. The survey of 1,200 drivers found that 73 percent talk on cell phones while driving. Cell phone use was highest among young drivers. (Doc. 2)”