These drivers have the uncanny ability to squeeze through the smallest openings as they weave through every car that gets in their path. For example, poor eye sight can cause the driver not to see clearly of where they’re going. Tail-gating the car in front can also cause accidents. They always seem to be in the biggest hurry as they drive inches behind your car waiting for the opportunity to pass you. The third type of drivers is the elderly or old age drivers.
Many of us have witnessed drivers dialing and talking on cell phones, resembling drunk drivers swerving all over the roads. Strong regulations are needed because drivers using phones are seriously impaired and because laws on negligent and reckless driving are not sufficient to punish these driving talkers. Laws on traffic safety vary from state to state, and drivers distracted by cell phones can get off with light punishment even when they cause fatal accidents. Running red lights, failing to stop for a school bus and drunk driving are just a few examples. An increasing number of studies show that driving while talking on a cellphone can be dangerously distracting.
Because of the increased number of traffic accidents caused by cell phones, I believe cell phone use should be banned while driving automobiles. Using a cell phone while driving is not only a major distraction, but it can be extremely dangerous or even fatal. In a recent study done by Strayer and Johnson, they found that “cell-phone conversations made drivers more likely to miss traffic signals and react more slowly to the signals that they did detect” (Strayer and Drews 128). Awareness of one’s surroundings is vital in safe operation of an automobile. When a driver is talking on a cell phone, the phone conversation “disrupts performance by diverting attention from the external environment associated with the driving task to an engaging context associated with the cell-phone conversation” (Strayer and Drews 129).
“Incidents of “road rage” were up 51% in the first half of the decade, according to a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,” writes Andrew Ferguson in Road Rage (553). It’s sad that due to road rage many innocent commuters suffer the consequences. It has also happened to me while driving; because I’m driving to slow, the person behind me starts to blow the horn. And, it makes thing worse because then I will get mad and drive even slower. In Road Rage, Ferguson points out that in a recent survey that the Coalition for Consumer Health and Safety did, 64% of the people mentioned that they are driving less mannerly and more recklessly than they did about five years ago (553).
The driver could lose control of the car due to technical problems or weather conditions, an accident could happen because of other driver’s fault, breaking driving laws could cause unsafe situations. Yet so many deaths could be avoided by doing something as simple as putting a seatbelt on when getting into the car. Laws is not something too many people care about, but it is illegal in most states to drive in a car without having a seatbelt on. Not wearing a seatbelt may injure and even kill the driver and the passengers in case of an accident. Also, not being buckled up may cause injuries and deaths to people different from the ones not following the rule.
Tonya Parnell John Ellen English 101-701 2/3/12 Getting Caught Driving Without a License Everyday people drive without a license, and if caught, the person driving will very likely lead to acquiring fines, tow fees, and being arrested; conversely, it can change a person’s likely future in many ways. Contrary to popular belief, driving is considered a privilege, not a right. Acquiring a ticket for driving without a license is only the beginning. When a person is caught driving without a license it affects their ability to stay employed, in school, or go about life in general. Getting caught driving without a license is embarrassing and disappointing; however, if the driver shows good attitude and be honest, things tend not to go so bad.
It is believed that actively using a cell phone while driving increases the likelihood of an accident by as much as four times the rate as those who do not use a cell phone. Drivers are paying less attention to the other vehicles and pedestrians around them thereby endangering not only their lives but also the lives of those individuals caught in their path. As such the use of a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle should be restricted. Legislation needs to be passed which would help curb the widespread use of cell phones in vehicles. To date legislators have won the fight to protect our children from such negligent individuals who choose to endanger their lives and the lives of other around them; however further action needs to be taken.
Wenda Bonazza, English 101/108 2-18-13 Dangerous Driving Habits Driving can be fun; however, many underestimate the dangers associated with driving a car. Society feels the harsh effects daily, which are related to the lack of responsible drivers on the road today. Many of today’s drivers have dangerous driving habits of being over confident, distracted, and drive while under the influence. Many drivers today are dangerous because they are over confident. It is typical for a person to drive cautiously in the beginning.
Driving Skills In all my years of driving I have received two speeding tickets, and I have had no accidents. I never noticed the bad driving skills of others, or been more scared of other drivers than when my son got behind the wheel of a vehicle for the first time. From the time I began teaching my sixteen-year-old son to drive, I have observed motorists turning without signaling, vehicles barely stopping at stop signs or stop lights, and drivers talking or texting while driving. The first worrisome driving skill I noticed was that many people fail to use their turn signal. My son Travis had to hit his brakes unexpectedly because a young girl in front of him did not use her blinker as she turned the corner.
Many accidents occur due to cell phone use because the majority of people are not able to do it safely (2009). It is common for people to not be focused on the road or other drivers if having a conversation while driving. Just as when impaired, the use of a cell phone while driving can slow down your response and reflex time. Most people are over confident about their capabilities of driving while using a cell phone, just as those that think they are okay to drive while they are impaired. Some states have banned the use of use of cellphone use unless used with a hands free device and some states banned texting while driving.