Carly Roberts Ms. Strickland English 10 AE 4 April 2013 Driving While Intexticated Text messaging has become the dominating force of communication across the country. American teens send and receive an average of 3,300 text messages per month, that’s more than six texts every hour they are awake (Lazar)! However, the problem is not the amount of text messages delivered or received. Texting while driving is a growing problem that plagues a large percentage of the population. The risks of texting while driving are often unrealized, because it has not stopped drivers from sending a “quick” text from behind the wheel.
However, the use of red light cameras has resulted in more tickets being issued to motorist rather than providing safety. There has been rising controversy over the recent installment of photo enforced traffic light cameras for this reason. Red light cameras do not improve traffic safety, in fact they are only installed to generate revenue and have increased accidents. Supporters of the cameras claim they increase safety and reduce accidents. However, opponents argue the cameras only bring in revenue for cities and do not prevent accidents.
Some states are even going as far as to making this illegal. The National Safety Council's annual injury and fatality report, "Injury Facts," found that the use of cellphones causes 26% of the nation's car accidents, a modest increase from the previous year Background of the Problem Cell phones not only aid in business and personal convenience, they also provide comfort and safety. Unfortunately this has also caused
According to www.nationwide.com/newsroom/dwd-facts-figures.jsp, drivers that use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Texting/talking while driving puts our company at serious risk of injuring employees and losing business. Our new policy not only protects the safety of our employees, but ensures that our product arrives safely to its final destination. The policy only applies when employees are clocked in and on company time. However, company policy states that a sales representative can engage in an important business call only if deemed necessary.
These p-plate laws are affective in reducing accidents on the road, because they reduce p-plate drivers to a low speed as well as slow cars. Peer pressure is another important factor which can cause accidents on the road. The current laws help to reduce peer pressure, by not allowing p-plate drivers under the age of 25 no more than one passenger at a time under the age of 21 between the hours of 11pm and 5am. This p-plate law helps in reducing peer pressure related accidents, because it stops overcrowded cars and distractions from friends, which allows the driver to focus only on the road. Lastly, Drivers safety is an important issue within the current p-plate
This is the main reason that a lot of people want to have the driving age raised. They think that when these teens are a little older, their risk of crashing will significantly decrease, making roads safer for all. The problem with this logic is that the main reason that this age group has the highest crash rate is that they are the least experienced. If the driving age is raised, the only thing that will change is the age group of the inexperienced drivers. Instead, a good idea would be to increase the amount of time a teen needs a permit for, in order to get more experience before actually getting a license.
“At any given time during daylight hours in 2008, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone. This explains why twenty five percent of all car accidents in the United Stated were caused by cell phone related distractions while operating a vehicle. A recent study shows that you are actually about eight times more like to be involved in an accident while talking on a cell phone, and four times more likely while texting, than you would be driving with a blood alcohol level of .08.” (http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html). This just adds to the ridicule of using a cell phone while driving. If society and the laws are so against drinking and driving, why would they more then willingly allow and/or partake in an action that can be twice as deadly.
It is estimated more than 100 million people use cell phones while driving. This is issue should not go unsolved. Drivers who use cell phones are a major cause of car accidents. According to the article “III- Cell phones and Driving” 80 percent of all car crashes are related to non-attentive drivers. There are certain activities that may be more dangerous than talking on a cell phone.
Americans are drawn to cell phones for many reasons, starting with the benefits of endless connection to friends and family. In the era of smart phones, instant and universal access to information, news, and games on these devices also draws users into a deeper engagement with their mobile devices. Cell phones are so popular now; that the number of adults who own mobile phones has often outpaced the percentage of adults who are online. In a survey new, it was found that 82% of American adults (ages 18 and older) now own cell phones, up from 65% when we took our first reading in late 2004. Some 60% of adults now send or receive text messages with their cell phones.
We now know that mobile communications are linked to a significant increase in distracted driving, resulting in injury and loss of life. With this said some people believe that texting and driving needs to be closely monitored because of the risk it involves. While other people think that it is alright to use the phone while driving as long as we keep glancing at the road while replying to the text. Currently there is no national ban on texting or using a wireless phone while driving, but a number of states have passed laws banning texting or wireless phones or requiring hands-free use of wireless phones while driving. This epidemic negatively affects teens and their society and should be strictly avoided.