Hundreds of teenagers and adults across the nation reach for their phones and decide to text while driving. They are making the decision that at that moment a text message is more important than their lives A texting driver is 23 times more likely to get in a crash where as a drunk driver is 13 times more likely to get into a crash. Texting while driving delays reaction time, increases risk of serious injury, and brain power is decreased by 40 percent. Something as simple as a text message can decrease your reaction time. Laboratory simulation studies generally concur that using a cell phone does slow reaction times and degrades tracking abilities.
One day a person was just being an average teen and goofing off, he was texting on his cell phone while driving about this cute girl he saw in class and the next minute… dead, all because he didn’t look at the road. He isn’t alone. Every year 2600 people are killed and 12,000 have serious injuries due to accidents involving cell phone use in the car. This does not just include the drivers themselves but harmless pedestrians as well. Cell phone usage and texting while driving is growing tremendously in the United States.
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
With the rise in cellular phone use, texting while driving has become a frequent activity. The dangers of texting while driving have led many states to ban the activity while behind the wheel. However, De Soto argues that in order for laws to be effective,
(Times, 2007) Parents should encourage their teens to drive the speed limit, even if it means being late for curfew. Speed, distraction, and driver inexperience cause most crashes-and those things can be controlled. (Digest, 2008) Laws that restrict teenage driving in terms of curfews and passengers permitted now have a proven track record in keeping 16 year old drivers safer. Almost all states now have these laws but, only 60 percent of parents said they were aware of them. This is bad news since parents
Prices on driverless cars are high, however, there are people that already bought a self-driving car. After Level 5 AV appears, prices will get lower. The concept of a car that does not need a driver may seem futuristic to most people, but that concept has become one of Google’s most popular innovations aside from their universally-known search engine. The idea of a self-driving vehicle is very appealing to many people, but in reality “driverless is really driver-optional” (Bosker, 2013). It is reasonable to predict that in the future, there will no longer be a need for driver’s licenses.
When texting while driving is takes our eyes off the road for at least 5 seconds or more which, if we think about it anything can happen in 5 seconds behind the wheel. About 77% of people can say that they are a pro at texting while driving, which is obviously not the case because 23% of accidents are caused by texting. About 1,600,000 accidents happen each year according to the National Safety Council. Teens have admitted to texting while driving, and say it’s easy, but did you know that the majority of teens who text while driving spend the most time of typing the message in the other lane. This bad habit does not help the young kids that ride in the car with their parents because the majority of parents either text or talk on the phone while driving with their children in the vehicle.
These studies show how conversing uses different cognitive skills than other activities and takes up a human brain’s “bandwidth” (Novotney). She also makes another valid point that “Most people would not think of getting in a car with someone who has been drinking, but they do not have a problem getting in to a car with someone who is using their cell phone” (Novotney). The rising number of cell phone related auto accidents shows that this is a dangerous problem, yet many teens feel they can use their phones without it affecting their driving. Cell phone
Statistics have indicated that over 6,000 deaths and well over half a million injuries have occurred due to drivers using cell phones in 2011 alone. People should be cited for texting while driving because not only are drivers putting themselves in danger but also everyone else around them. People tend to lose focus on what they are actually supposed to be doing while driving and using cell phones. Drivers sending or receiving test messages take their eyes off of the road for at least five seconds which is enough time to cover an entire football field. One could only imagine the tremendous amount of damage that can be done driving across a football field with unopened eyes.
Beyond doubt, the cell phone is one of the biggest inventions of all time. We all know what life before this little cute gadget was. I use my cell phone to make my life easier – it’s my alarm clock, my watch, and my music player. Unfortunately, nowadays with all these fancy characteristics the phone becomes an accessory more then a necessity. People forget why and where they are using their phone and very often make someone else’s life miserable.