Preview

Argumentative Essay On Distracted Driving

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1632 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Argumentative Essay On Distracted Driving
Caitlin Farmer
Monic Ductan
English 1101
October 16, 2013
Is There a Solution to the Dangers of Distracted Driving? Recently “Texas college student Chance Bothe’s last words prior to driving his truck off a cliff were in the form of a text message: “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.” He miraculously survived, but Bothe’s story has become an ironic example of the dangers of texting while driving” (Zafar). Distracted driving has become a worldwide problem that is ending/injuring the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people each year. “A statistic from 2009 declares that in the United States alone 5,474 people were killed on roadways and an additional estimate of 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle
…show more content…
Which is “by far the most alarming distraction while driving because it requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver,” (What is Distracted Driving) consequently meaning all three aspect which should always be focused on the road are taken away making the driver almost blind and oblivious to the road. Texting while operating a vehicle is positively the worst distraction because it has been calculated by scientists that when a driver is “sending or receiving a text message he or she takes their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of this, at fifty-five miles per hour, is driving the length of a football field” (Distracted Driving 2009). Just imagine how many things could go wrong in that amount of road, especially at that speed a great deal of serious damage and possibly even death could result from just that one text message. However, there are also many other devices and actions the driver may partake in to diverge his or her attention away from the road such as “ using cell phone or smart phone, eating and drinking, talking to a passenger, grooming, reading (including maps), using a navigation system, watching a video and adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player” (What is Distracted Driving). All these activities are common among every person while driving. Some of these activities being so common for people to do in a car, that some do not even think of them as distracting while operating a motor vehicle, especially the ones where the driver is only eating, drinking or just talking to the passenger. But when we think about it after hearing so many of these statistics we can see how many elements that are crucial to driving can be impaired by some simple multi tasking by the driver to save some time through their day or just making naïve

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As modern technology has advanced over the years, the number of distractions to driving have increased. It is not only a phone call, or a conversation with a passenger, that can take attention from the road- but more contemporary forms of inattention, which stem from texting and driving. Being distracted while driving can lead to fatal results. Attempting to juggle operating a vehicle and typing out a text message is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than driving while intoxicated. Research has even found that the probability of a driver crashing is twice as likely if the individual was texting than if they were driving intoxicated. Many cities and states have implemented ordinances and laws in an attempt to ban electronic device use…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For every year that passes, more than 5,000 Americans’ lives come to an abrupt end due to distracted driving. These numbers are almost identical to the number of road fatalities that are caused by intoxicated drivers, showing a correlation that someone who is on their cell phone while driving is just as likely to be in an accident as they would be if they decided to drive under the influence. With these numbers rapidly growing each year, more states are deciding to take legal action by banning the use of cell phones while driving. Simultaneously, the majority of automotive companies are including built-in technology such as Bluetooth and GPS systems to allow people to have access to technology while minimizing their risk of becoming distracted…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Over 100,000 accidents a year involve drivers who are texting. (www.itcanwait.com) Our natural instinct when we feel the vibration from our cell phones or hear our cell phones going off is to check it, right? We do this often, especially when behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Most of us do not see the danger we put not only ourselves, but others, in every time we check a text or email or phone call while driving. The advertisement, “Texting and Driving: SD Department of Highway Safety”, is a very touching and emotional advertisement aimed at educating the public of what could possibly happen when distracted driving occurs due to our cell phone.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Each day we go about our lives without rethinking the repercussions that could arise from our routine actions. Roughly, over 8 people are killed and 1,150 are injured each day from vehicular crashes involving a distracted driver (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). “New research from AT&T shows nearly 4-in-10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving. Almost 3-in-10 surf the net. And surprisingly, 1-in-10 video chat (AT&T).” “7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving (AT&T).” “A recent AT&T survey found that 97 percent of teens say they know that texting is dangerous. The survey also found: 75 percent of teens surveyed say that texting while driving is “common” among their friends; Almost all teens (89 percent) expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less; And 77…

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Distracted driving is dangerous because it can kill any driver or passenger; however, steps can be taken to reduce the causes of distracted driving and the number of fatalities that result from it. There are many different distractions behind the wheel, the one most people do and it is very dangerous is texting and driving. More and more Studies are found everyday this is not safe, people should care if they’re putting their lives at risk. “In Study 1, we found that males reported more frequent texting while driving and speeding than females and, in terms of age, sixteen year olds reported frequent texting while driving than older participants. In Study 2, which was conducted two years later, males again reported more…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “Composing a typical text message is roughly akin to closing one 's eyes for nearly five seconds, during which time a car going 55 mph covers more than the length of a football field” (Savitz 2012). Due to the technological advances of the smartphone, and the fact that 50% of all teenagers admit to texting while driving, deaths of teenagers from texting while driving has skyrocketed. The latest data shows that over 3,000 teenage drivers died and over 300,000 were injured last year, as a result of teenage texting while driving. “The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that it is to blame for 11 teen deaths each day” (Savitz 2012). These deaths and injuries now make teenage texting while driving the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. With laws making no difference on whether drivers text, the number of deaths attributed to teenage texting while driving will only rise in the coming…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Technology is everywhere in our everyday lives, and at no other times is it more dangerous to be around than when you are behind the wheel of a vehicle. My editorial titled “Texting while driving? In a matter of seconds, you could ruin lives forever.” Was created by the Editorial Board of the Chicago Tribune. This editorial is focused on the argument that driving while texting can be extremely hazardous to a person’s life and those around them. “Close your eyes, and count five seconds. Open them. That's the average amount of time motorists take their eyes off the road while texting.” This statement speaks strongly to me in giving a better understanding to the issue described. The author does not openly try to persuade the audience to go with his will but talks about the consequences of doing it and the ramifications it comes with.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It is no secret that people send texts, eat, or fiddle with the radio on their way to work. It is such a common occurrence that nobody sees anything wrong with it, but the truth is quite the opposite. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of death among young adults. Over 3,000 people died in 2014 due to distracted driving accidents, and more than 430,000 were injured by distracted drivers. Ten percent of drivers aged fifteen to nineteen involved in fatal car crashes were reported as being distracted at the time of the incident. No text message is worth risking the lives of people around them. The message can wait, put the phone and food down.…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Since technology has advanced in society the use of a cell phone while driving has become the most discussed problem of distracted driving due to the fact that cell phones are an integral part of life for most people (Helbock, 2015). Since the use of handheld electronic devices while driving became illegal, police are catching more people texting and talking on the phone because it is easier to see someone holding a phone to their ear than texting behind the steering wheel (Williams, 2016). Thus, people are leaning towards texting believing they have less of a chance of being caught for distracted driving. Texting, as well as most other driving distractions, involves three physical and mental actions that all take attention away from the road and are a driving hazard. The first action is visual, texting causes the driver’s eyes to look somewhere else besides the road. The second action is manual, the drivers hand and or hands are taken off the wheel while the vehicle is in motion and is operating controls. The third action is cognitive, the driver’s mind is not focused on driving, but on the handheld device (Helbock, 2015). Drivers engaged in texting are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash compared to a non-distracted driver (CAA, Distracted Driving, 2016). Texting in a car results in…

    • 1374 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Awareness campaigns, education, law enforcement, and harsher penalties are all ways the government has tried to lower distracted driving rates (Robertson, 2015, 8-12). Tips such as allowing plenty of travel time, turning off or ignoring the smart phone, or using alternative devices like voice recognition, auto responder, and text blockers are also all ideas the government has tried to convey to stop distracted driving (Post Media Network, 2016). However, even through all the efforts to reduce the significant issue of distracted driving, people still do not recognize the risk it holds on their lives and still continue to do it (Lagerquist, 2016). Several drivers believe they can multitask while driving, however, it is estimated that only…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Distracted driving has always been a problem with our country since cars were invented but recently it has become an even bigger issue, now it is the leading cause of teen deaths. In our day and age cars have gotten faster and technology has gotten more advanced. We now have cell phones that can do multiple things and our cars also have their own technology. Cell phones pose the main threat towards distracted driving especially for teens. Since phones have been getting more advanced and being able to do more things on them, teens are especially susceptible to being on their phone while driving.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Don't Text and Drive

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What does it mean to be a distracted driver? Every day, each and every second, there are car accidents that caused by texting while driving. Over the years, driving while texting has been rated as the most dangerous of all distractions. How does texting while driving be so distracted? According to the Official US Government Website for Distracted Driving, the three main types of distraction are visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distraction means take eyes off the road. Manual distraction means take hands off the wheel, and cognitive means take mind off the road. Texting while driving is the most dangerous because it involves all three main types of distraction. It takes away all the three important things that are needed for safe driving: eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and mind on driving. Therefore, texting while driving should be ban.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Distracted Driving

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I have been noticing each and every day that there are more and more distracted drivers on the road. These drivers may be distracted by their radio, an in depth conversation with a passenger, children laughing or screaming in the backseat or even reading or sending text messages while driving. All of which can be potentially dangerous to the operator, their passengers, an unsuspecting pedestrian or other vehicle operators on the road. As a potential victim to an accident caused by distracted drivers, I am very concerned as we all should be. So the question I ask now is how can an operator safely drive while distracted? Is the convenience and time saved worth the dangers or deaths that can be caused to yourself or others? In order to safely operate a vehicle it requires a great deal of concentration, coordination, and quick reflexes to avoid potential accidents.…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Use By Drivers

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages

    and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction” (Department of Transportation, n.d., “What”). Driving requires the operator of the vehicle to have his eyes on the road at all times, because traffic conditions can change in a split second. If the driver is distracted, a fatal accident could occur without warning. Attention paid to texting means attention diverted from other activities such as watching for pedestrians, looking out for traffic signs, and operating a motor vehicle safely (Gardner, 2010). Distracted driving is especially dangerous if the distraction involves a cell…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A 2014 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that distracted driving is the cause for 18 percent of injury crashes, and 16 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics