Brandon Bitner
Period 4B
3-7-11
Pegasus Entry
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving happens when you have a lack of attention, which is a lack of focus and awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events. There are many types of distracted driving such as using a cell phone, eating and drinking, grooming, reading, using a navigation system, watching a video, and even changing the radio station or I-pod etc. One serious case of distracted driving is cell phone use. Over 6,000 Americans die each year, and many more are injured. This problem seems to look like it will only continue to get worse.
In 2008 at any given time an estimated 800,000 Americans were using their cell phone while driving. An astounding 25% of all automobile crashes were an effect of just talking on their cell phone while driving. Who can deny that this is a real issue and a real problem? I am not going to lie that I have never texted or talked on my cell phone while driving, but I have since tried to stop that terrible habit because I know how much risk I am putting on myself and others.
About 84% of Americans agree that cell phone use while driving is extremely dangerous, and yet they still can not seem to stop doing it. The only way to stop this problem is to educate your friends and family. When you see them doing it, remind them of the danger they are in and tell them to stop. 48% of Americans 12-17 said that they have been in a car when the driver was texting. That is a risk that we don’t need to take! All it takes is one crash, one mistake, and your life or someone else’s could be seriously crippled or lost. Ruthie Bloch wrote a great article entitled “Is Technology Keeping Us Safer on the Roads or Steering Us in the Wrong Direction?” Bloch wrote “…texting and talking while driving may seem like a second nature to the tech-savvy generation, but the truth is, no one can talk or text while driving safely.” I totally agree with this statement because there have been many studies and simulations that prove the danger behind texting and talking while driving. It is said, that texting while driving can increase your chance of getting in a car crash by 6 times, than if you were driving while intoxicated.
Though there has been some progress with cell phone use while driving. Many states have accepted legislation to ban some form of cell phone use while driving. In some states, state troopers are allowed to pull you over without any traffic violation if they see you talking or texting on your cell phone. These are steps in the right direction that have scared some Americans from using their cell phones while driving.
Overall, distracted driving is not something to fool around with. Many American lives are crippled due to the effects of distracted driving, which doesn’t need to happen. Let’s not add to the saddening statistics that seem to be building up every year. Make a stand against distracted driving!
http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html
http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/index.html
http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html