Cell phone usage and texting while driving is growing tremendously in the United States. When it comes to driving, we have to be very careful because not only can we harm our lives but others as well. Texting has become a new rave to teenagers. Every time a teenager has a bit of free time, they start texting to find out about the latest gossip. This includes when driving as well.
The study found people who texted while they drove also had a dramatic decrease in their ability to control their steering wheel. In fact, the study found texters had a ninety-one percent decrease in their ability to control the direction of their car. Texting while driving has shown an increase in risk of serious injury. Statistics show the motor vehicle death rate of teens caused by cell phones is 21 percent and rising by 4 percent a year. Texting while driving increases your chances of crashing by 20 times.
Eliza Bragonje Bragonje 1 Nevena Stojanovic English 102 Section 8 9.9.2013 Informal Writing 1 The essay “Thumbs on the Wheel” written by Mark A. Shiffrin and Avi Silberschatz is a short essay that discusses the usage of cellphones to text and talk while driving. The use of technology is rapidly increasing in today’s society and with it comes the troubles of having it misused. Every year tens of thousands of people die from car accidents related to texting and driving a year. In order to have better safety on the roads the usage of cell phones while driving should be altered or made illegal. In the essay the authors claim that president Obama has forbidden federal workers form texting while driving.
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
Copeland said, “The lives of innocent people are being taken every day due to a simple distraction”. According to the National Safety Council, there are 1600000 car accidents per year and, 11 teen’s death per day every day are caused by drivers distracted by texting while driving, and . This number adds up to nearly 25% of all car accidents. Also, according to some studies, in 2011, at least 23% of auto collisions in 2011 involved cell phones, which is adds up to almost 1.3 million car accidents. Car accidents are four times more likely to result from take place from drivers being distracted by texting than other causes.
In 2007, 81 percent of the U.S. population owned a cell phone, a 20 percent increase compared to 2002.” In a current figures according to MSNBC Sullivan (2008), “The cell phone industry, ... has some 137 million paying customers in the United States…” The growth for phone ownership is off the charts and along with the enormous sales of the units, technology has kept pace. Cell phones of 2008 have gadgets integrated to make them more desirable and can be as powerful as a laptops with some accessories. Cell phones include a variety of useable devices ranging from cameras, GPS, text messaging, mp3 players and access to the internet. With all this built into a device that will fit into the palm, According to Compu-KISS (2008),
Distracted Driving: Technology has become an obsession among many Americans. Over the years cell phones have gone from a business necessity, to a personal necessity. As a result of cell phone dependence and the need for a person to always be accessible, Americans continuously endanger themselves and others by texting while driving. The Vermont texting while driving law is widely ignored because it is severely flawed. Texting while driving has been forbidden in Vermont since July 2010.
Stop Texting & Driving Purpose: To persuade my audience to stop using their cell phones while driving a vehicle because it is irresponsible and extremely dangerous. Specific Purpose: Using a cell phone while driving is not only dangerous to you, but others on the road and is one of the top reasons today for car accidents. Attention Grabber: How many people here have texted while driving? I am like most people where I have texted while driving, but after I got into an accident a couple years back because I was distracted by texting, I rethought the level of importance of texting while driving. (show picture of my car) this is the result of what happened to me when I was texting on my way home from work a couple weeks ago.
9 Nov. 2010. In this article it is relating court cases to texting and driving. A lawyer is debating whether it is logical to relate crashes with the time of texting or using the phone. He states that many cell phone companies won't give records or even keep track of things like that. Another main reason is that even if a person was to be texting while driving most of the time he or she will not admit to it.
People forget why and where they are using their phone and very often make someone else’s life miserable. There are common everyday places where using a cell phone puts others lives in danger or significantly disrupts others and even our important conversations can not be excused. In a car, on a plane, or at school are very important examples of cell phone free zones. Many people believe that there is nothing wrong with having a conversation on the cell phone in a car, but they are wrong. Utah psychologists have made a clear warning against cell phone use while driving and stated: “Drivers on cell phones are as bad as drunks” (no name,Drews, Siegel & Strayer, 2006).