brake the bad habit

920 Words4 Pages
Brake the Bad Habit Dangerous driving habits are cited as major factors of motor vehicle crashes. Over seventy three percent of accidents are caused by a distracted driver. Many drivers today are guilty of being distracted by cell phones while driving or speeding from place to place, as a matter of fact eighteen out of twenty drivers involved in an accident admitted to using their cell phone or speeding shortly before crashing. These drivers would be surprised to know that plenty is being done to apprehend them for violating the law and furthermore is being done to enforce new ones for these distractions that seem insignificant, but can be fatal. Simple tendencies like answering the cell phone, adjusting the car stereo, or searching for a song on the IPod are some of the most dangerous distractions. Studies reveal that driver inattentiveness is the primary cause in the majority of crashes and near-crashes. According to a 2006 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study, almost eighty percent of crashes and sixty-five percent of near-crashes involve some type of driver inattention within three seconds before the crash. Cell phone use is one of the most common distractions. There are numerous studies on cell phone use which indicate that any type of cell phone use can distract the driver. One such study is from Carnegie Mellon University: according to researcher Marcel Just, drivers do not have to dial, hold or even talk into a cell phone to be distracted, simply listening attentively is sufficient to impair driving. A near crash experience is not as bad as an actual accident, but it is enough to make anyone put their cell phone away and focus on driving. This is exactly what Ana did when she was headed to pick up a birthday cake. Ana was texting as she drove and never thought that when she glanced down at
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