Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Texting While Driving

Good Essays
920 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Texting While Driving
Texting While Driving
-------------------------------------------------
Dimple Jariwala
-------------------------------------------------
December 8, 2009
-------------------------------------------------
Dr. Kristen Walls

Bibliography:

Cruz, Gilbert. "Driving Us to Distraction." Time 24 Aug. 2009: 45. General OneFile. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=tlc079053370>.

“ Texting While Driving: The New Drunk Driving” Stephanie Hanes. The Christian Science Monitor. 2009. Page 1. <http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1105/p25s07-usgn.html>.

"Texting While Driving Increases Crash Risk by 20X." PC Magazine Online 28 July 2009. General OneFile. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=tlc079053370>. “ Should Cellphone Use By Drivers Be Illegal?” The Editors. The New York Times. 2009. Page 1. <http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/should-cellphone-use-by-drivers-be-illegal/>.

Introduction:
Text messaging, like most modern technological devices, has its benefits and drawbacks. One of the most dangerous drawbacks is when people combine text messaging with driving an automobile. In today’s society we’ve all become attached to our cell phones. Cell phones make our lives easier in many ways we can check our email, receive phone calls, send text messages, listen to music, and take pictures, all at our finger tips. With all this convenience, however there is a dangerous side to cell phones, and that’s when we use them while driving. Most of us are guilty of using cell phones while driving, but have we ever thought about its danger? Research has shown that texting while driving increases crash rate by 20x. There are few to none pros of texting while driving except being able to multitask. The reason states want to pass laws is because statistics have shown that using cell phones while driving can be as dangerous as driving under the influence. A study published by the University of Utah shows that drivers using hand-held cell phones are as impaired as drunk drivers. Five states plus Washington D.C. have put hand held bans on cell phones while driving. California, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. have hand-held bans, and many states have bans for specific drivers. Maine has a ban on cell phone use by drivers under 18 years of age and drivers who have learner’s permits, and those with an immediate drivers license (first two years).
Pros:
Although it is not a consistent problem, cell phones do cause wrecks and some have been fatal. The rate of accidents and fatal accidents are slowly rising within our nation and we, as citizens and drivers should take a stand and protest for a law to uphold the initiative of rejecting the use of phones while driving. It not only endangers the driver, but others as well. Some examples of the dangers of text messaging while driving include, a 17 year old driver who was text messaging and collided with a tractor trailer, resulting in five deaths; a Los Angeles teen died in a solo-car accident while texting; and an Indiana teen was driving too fast while texting and wrapped his car around a utility pole. All three examples occurred within the past year. Another fact on this topic is holding a phone to your head limits your field of view, and usually also limits the free movement of your head to look around you. Additionally, the bigger cause of accidents involving cell phones is when people look down to dial the small numbers which take quite a bit of focus to hit meaning longer periods of eyes-off-the-road. Another perspective is texting while driving is now considered the new drunk driving. An example of this is a woman, Linda Doyle, in Oklahoma, died in a car crash where the driver was texting while driving. The driver who killed Linda Doyle was a sober, churchgoing 20-year-old who 'd never even had a speeding ticket. He had been on the phone for less than a minute. All these valid, good reasons give the states of America to make laws banning texting while driving.

Cons: There are many people who are against laws banning texting while driving. The people have legit reasons for being against it. Some opponents say cell phone bans are simply not enforceable. Others argue that drivers do all sorts of distracting things while driving — like eating, arguing with kids in the back seat, listening to music — so it makes little sense to outlaw one activity. Also, there are people in states, which have already enforced the new law, who still continue to text while driving. It is definitely going to take a lot more than just a law to get people to control this addicting habit.
Medical Ethics: Texting while driving is absolutely related to health care. Texting behind the wheel is dangerous and can cause car accidents resulting in personal injury or wrongful death.
Conclusion:
I originally believed that even though texting and talking on the phone while driving is a health concern, it should not be illegal. Not every day is going to be a good day where everything goes perfectly and you might need to use your phone. People might need help with directions. I thought it should be banned around school zones but not everywhere. I now think that texting while driving should be banned. It’s a reckless thing to do. I will definitely preach the harms of texting while driving since there isn’t really a pro.

Bibliography: Cruz, Gilbert. "Driving Us to Distraction." Time 24 Aug. 2009: 45. General OneFile. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. &lt;http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&amp;userGroupName=tlc079053370&gt;. “ Texting While Driving: The New Drunk Driving” Stephanie Hanes. The Christian Science Monitor. 2009. Page 1. "Texting While Driving Increases Crash Risk by 20X." PC Magazine Online 28 July 2009. General OneFile. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. &lt;http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&amp;userGroupName=tlc079053370&gt;. “ Should Cellphone Use By Drivers Be Illegal?” The Editors. The New York Times. 2009. Page 1.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dangerous Driving Habits

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages

    With the growing use of cell phones today texting while driving has become a big issue. This is especially true with teenage drivers. Many accidents have happened and left people dead or permanently injured because a driver was texting. Talking on the phone has also become a big issue. While talking on the phone about what your plans are for tonight or planning a business meeting, it is impossible to also be focused on the road and what is going on around you. Because of the severity of this issue many laws have been enacted to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Distracted Driving

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Kropff, Allison. "Students learn dangers of distracted driving ." volunteer tv . local 8 , 17…

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Drving While Texting

    • 2224 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Texting while driving puts many driver’s lives in danger daily. Multiple people feel that staying connected to the outside world is more important than focusing on the road ahead, although it isn’t. Furthermore, it can harm others on the road who are doing nothing other than trying to make it to their destination safely. If people would open their eyes to the dangers of texting while driving, less car accidents would take place every year and the roads would be much…

    • 2224 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1479 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cited: Farris, Alexis M.1. "LOL? Texting While Driving Is No Laughing Matter: Proposing A Coordinated Response To Curb This Dangerous Activity." Washington University Journal Of Law & Policy 36.(2011): 233-259. Index to Legal Periodicals & Books Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 14 Nov. 2013.…

    • 1479 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thesis Statement – Texting while driving has become a problem into today’s society and has continued to happen. With, new technology gadgets constantly growing in this day an age. That according to a statistic In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. This represents a 6.7 percent decrease in the number of fatalities recorded in 2012. Unfortunately, approximately 424,000…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Moore, Charles. "Texting While Driving Is More Dangerous than Driving Under the Influence." Cell Phones and Driving. Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Rpt. from "Texting Kills: Cell Phone Use Impairs Drivers More than Alcohol." LowEndMac.com. 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 July 2012.…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Distracted While Driving

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: Distracted driving: Fast lane to disaster. (May 2012). Harvard Men’s Health Watch, 16(10), 6-7.…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Texting while driving

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In today’s society, drivers are getting worse and worse at everyday careless driving. The people of the world as a whole, are all to blame for not being more aware while driving and being behind the wheel. With technology booming, cellphones are coming into major play for being a major contributor to bad driving. Texting while driving is becoming a really big issue in the common day. [Despite people wanting to do it, especially while stuck in traffic, Texting while driving should be against the law to prevent fewer deaths, and to keep the roads safer.] States should heavy fines and remove the offender’s driver’s license for repeated offenses. Drivers on the road have to worry more and more each day on the road from careless drivers. Texting is now one of the biggest causes of wrecks, almost as worse as drinking and driving.…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Drivers May Be Unaware of Texting Habit: Study” Insurance Journal. National News, 27 September 2012, N.P., Web. 1 June 2013…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, texting and driving had become a major distraction for teen and adult drivers. Texting and driving is a cause of many vehicle accidents. In the article, “The Dangers of Texting and Driving,” the author states that…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Texting While Driving

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Thesis statement: Texting is one of today’s most popular forms of communication and while seemingly innocent, the act of texting while driving can also be one the most dangerous and possibly fatal forms of communication.…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dnt Txt N Dv Analysis

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the recent years there have been many deaths attributed to texting while driving. In 1979 when Oprah Winfrey was a television reporter, death caused by a drunk driver was big news in her field. As these deaths continued to rise in number, news about them began to decline. Now a day we encounter a different kind of death, those deaths caused by people talking or texting on their cell phones, while driving. Many are being proactive on this issue, like President Obama, Secretary Ray LaHood and even Oprah herself by passing laws to ban said activities. Some people are still hesitant to change. Americans feel their lives are far too busy, and they feel the need to use idle time while driving…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Journal

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Transportation has long been a necessity since the founding of our 200 year old nation. From the days of the first horseback riders delivering necessary information, medical supplies, food etc. As our country has continued to develop into a shining example for the world, we have made significant improvements in our transportation means from horseback to early cars, trains, airplanes, etc. But with the introduction of the technology age our country has had some hiccups long the way. The most glaring in recent times has been the continued use and danger of mobile devices while driving. Cellphones have become such a vital part of our culture that most people can’t go a minute without checking their phones for the newest text message from friends, latest status update via social networking sites, or phone calls. While the invention of cellphones has connect our country in ways that were previously thought impossible, the inability to put those devices down while driving has met with some disastrous results. According to the article, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/14/business/la-fi-cellphone-ban-20111214 the first ever documented car crash attributed to the usage of cell phones while driving occurred in 2002 and resulted in the death of 5 people. The increase in crashes that have been attributed to distractions by cellphones has drawn enough attention from the National Transportation Safety Board, that they have urged each state to issue a national safety ban on the use of cellphones while driving. Since this article publishing in 2011, I know that a lot of states including Florida has to some extent adopted the ban on cellphones while the cars are in motion. All done in hopes to lower the number of accidents and fatalities attributed to cellphone usage. I agree that a ban should be placed on the use of cellphones while driving after having almost been involved in a number of accidents myself that would’ve been caused…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Leave the Phone Alone

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages

    My theorem is that smartphones are indeed a cause of dangerous driving. As previously mentioned they are terribly distracting, comparable to driving while intoxicated. More specifically, my hypothesis is texting while driving is a distraction that causes people to drive more dangerously. When texting, it is mandatory for drivers to periodically look away from the road putting themselves and others at risk of an accident. Harding (2013) warns “one out of four car crashes is caused by distracted drivers using a cell phone.” Given such a high prevalence of car accidents from texting and driving, it is crucial to research the impact that texting has on driving performance.…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Research Paper

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages

    "The dangers of texting while driving." Federal Communications Commission. Federal Communication Commission, 17 May 2013. Web. 17 May 2013. <http://www.fcc.gov/guides/…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics