Distracted Driving On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper placed the first cell phone call and probably never realized that the device would increase the risks of vehicle accidents (Marples, 2008). The problem with hand-held cell phones today is almost all Americans own one. The use of these devices when driving causes a distraction and increases the chance of accidents. The City Council should ban hand-held cell phone use for all drivers within city limits to decrease the number of distracted driving accidents and deaths. Background of the Problem Drivers in Georgia can operate cell phones while driving, and most probably know it can be a distraction.
Pro Banning Cell Phones While Driving Every year thousands of people are killed in car accidents, the main cause of those accidents are cell phones. Using a cell phone while driving causes a driver to become distracted and lose their focus. Most accidents occur while texting or talking on the phone. Cell phones should be banned while driving because they are a distraction to the driver; they are the number one cause of accidents, and texting while driving is completely unnecessary. There are many reasons why cell phones are distracting to a driver but the main two are talking and texting.
(Texting While Driving) Over a period of ten months, Vermont police officers issued a total of sixty-four citations for texting while driving because this law is not an easy one to enforce. (Vermont Having Problems) The only thing illegal about using cell phones while driving is actually sending a text message or email. (Vermont Having Problems) Talking on the phone, checking your email, or using the internet is not illegal. (Vermont Having Problems) This makes it hard for a police officer to enforce the law because he has to distinguish whether or not texting has been
In fact, most states have already passed laws restricting text messaging or talking on the phone while driving. Just like any other epidemic, this one unquestionably needs the involvement of more than one entity. Only a week ago, on June 7, 2012, U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood issued 'Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving’. This blueprint offers a comprehensive strategy to address the growing and dangerous practice of using handheld cell phones behind the wheel. It calls for four crucial steps: Encouraging the 11 states without distracted driving laws to enforce such legislation; push the auto industry to adopt guidelines for technology used in vehicles; offer educational lessons to new drivers about distracted driving; and provide all stakeholders with options for ending distracted driving for
SP180.0.2 Principles of Public Speaking Assignment 6_07 Why Banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwide March 23,2014 Banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwide Our phones today have gotten to smart for our own good . Most citizens own a smartphone and are always on them. Playing games, texting, emailing etc. But the biggest problem I see are people using their phones while driving down the road causing serious distractions! There putting in more time and attention to there cell phones and not the road causing fatalities.
Thomas B Falkner III, a third year student at Thomas M Cooley Law School, interrogates this, and after being peer reviewed, he published his work in the National Distracted Driving Summit in 2010. Falkner describes texting as an “epidemic” that is sweeping the nation, and that many young drivers believe they can use their cell phones while driving without any impairment on their driving capabilities. He simply states, “Well, they can’t.” Falkner hopes to get all states to make laws prohibiting the act of texting while driving by showcasing the state of Michigan and their impressive decrease in annual car accidents since enforcing the law (Falkner). This law prohibits drivers from reading, typing, and sending text messages while their cars are in motion. The law made allows a police officer to pull a driver over if they suspect a violation of any of the three aforementioned acts while
Drivers under 20 years old have the most fatal car crashes that involve distracted driving. Forty two percent of teen drivers that drove within the last 30 days said they had sent a text or were on their phones while driving in 2015 (CDC). Not all states in the United States have laws in place for all drivers banning the use of cellphones while driving. Some states have laws in place just for teen drivers that don’t allow them to text and drive, but adults don’t have laws in place banning them from texting and driving. In June of 2017 only 14 states have a ban on handheld phone use and 42 states banned texting while driving and two other states have only banned texting and driving for new drivers.
It can lead to the death of loved ones, and can be compared to the same level of danger as drunk driving. No matter what age the driver is, under no circumstance should they be texting while driving. Texting or using a cell phone while driving is hazardous to you and to others. One reason the majority of people are against this action is because it causes a great amount of car accidents every year. While driving, adults and teenagers cannot resist the urge to pick up their cell phone and send a text or respond to one, as soon as the driver’s eyes meet their cellular device; their focus on the road is drawn away.
There are many laws out there that ban texting and drinking while driving to keep people from harm’s way but there are so few people who actually obey the laws. Research shows that drinking while driving & texting while driving are equally harmful because they both impair the driver’s vision, the driver’s reaction time, & the driver’s concentration & vigilance, all skills needed to prevent millions of accidents, deaths, & injuries every year. There’s ample evidence that shows drunk driving fatalities have definitely decreased in the last 40 yrs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides us with some interesting information, which I have converted into a line graph. My visual aid shows the fast decrease in drunk driving fatalities between 1970 & 2012.
has that aren’t working too well. One law recently passed is the hands-free law nation-wide. Referring specifically to Illinois, drivers cannot use their cell phone with their hand, which results the use of cell phones only via Bluetooth (Distraction.gov). Without any proof of evidence through websites or statistics, we all know we have been at a stop light and look over to the car next to us and saw the person holding their phone by their ear or looking down at their lap looking at their phone. The only logical explanation to anyone who says that they have not seen this would be they either don’t drive much at all or don’t look at their surroundings at stop lights.