Leave the Phone Alone

Nowadays it seems people have become slaves to their cellphones, constantly tapping away at their phones like mindless woodpeckers engrossed in social media. There is widespread belief that iPhones are majorly to blame for reckless driving as they are immensely distracting. Neiger (2011) states that “texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things a driver could do while behind the wheel of a car”. In fact, “driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk” according to studies conducted by Drs. Frank Drews (2006). Others however, believe that smartphones are beneficial claiming “voice communication while driving long distances significantly decrease driver fatigue” Drory (1985.) More home time, less time spent in the office, parental peace of mind, the use of built-in-GPS’, and expanding productivity for commuters are among the many reasons people have listed that smartphones can be beneficial to drivers. The contrast between the public’s perspectives of smartphones and their impact to drivers pose a serious question: Are iPhones beneficial to drivers or are they a major cause of reckless driving and distraction behind the wheel? 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.

In order to test this hypothesis, I have come up with the research question: What effects does texting while driving