problem texting while driving

Lauren McFall McFall 1
Inquiry and Expression
February 25, 2011

Texting While Driving

The distraction caused when you try to do two activities simultaneously severely decreases the chance of being successful at both of them. One of the best examples of this is the use of cell phones while driving. An unbelievable 81 percent of Americans admit to texting while driving, despite the numerous warnings about the dangers of doing so. Texting while driving statistics and facts easily prove that this problem has reached epidemic proportions. First of all, there are many alarming statistics that should automatically make people realize that this is in fact a major problem. Texting while driving alone caused more than 16,000 deaths in car accidents between the years of 2001 and 2007, and since then has also been on the rise as technology continues to advance. In a study done at Virginia Tech Driving Institute, they found that those who resort to texting while driving are 23 times more likely to get into an accident. According to a report by the National Safety Council, 28 percent of car accidents are caused by texting while driving. Lastly, according to the Department of Transportation, cell phones are involved in 1.6 million accidents a year, causing half a million injuries and over 6,000 deaths.

McFall 2

Generally, many people associate the problem of texting while driving with teens and young adults. However, new research has indicated that adults are just as big if not worse offenders when it comes to fiddling with their phones behind the wheel. In a report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, they found that nearly half, 47 percent, of adult texters have admitted to texting while driving. Mary Madden, a senior research specialist at Pew said, “Adults may be the ones sounding the alarms of the dangers of distracted driving, but they don’t always set the best examples themselves.” The Pew research also showed that the age group of 20 to 34 year old people are the most likely to text while driving. The results of texting while driving statistics gives you an idea as to why texting is considered to be the most serious among the many distractions while driving. There has been research done that now claims texting while driving is even more dangerous than drinking and driving. The American public takes drinking and driving extremely seriously, as they should. However, when it comes to texting while driving, people are not as outraged. Yet, the statistics have proven it is just as great of a problem as people driving under the influence of alcohol. In conclusion, these facts and statistics related to texting while driving should make people realize that this is a problem, and that measures must be taken to limit the use of cell phones behind the wheel, which would also hopefully reduce the number of unnecessary injuries and deaths as a result of accidents caused by this.

McFall 3
Annotations

Choquette, J.. "Texting Plus Driving Equals. " Listen 1 Apr. 2010: ProQuest Central, ProQuest. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
This article titled “Texting Plus Driving Equals” by Joy Choquette discusses the problem of texting while driving and includes many statistics and facts related to the topic. She touches on possible solutions to the problem as well. This article helped me in my research by providing me with the statistics and facts I needed to support my problem, and it helped me to start thinking about the solutions to texting while driving that are possible.

Greg Hoekstra. "Eyes on the road. " The North Shore Outlook 16 Feb. 2011,ProQuest Central, ProQuest. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.
This article, titled “Eyes On the Road” by Greg Hoekstra discusses the many distractions that we have when driving that put us and others at risk. He says, “When you're behind the wheel, even the slightest distraction can mean the difference between life and death.” This article also includes statistics and facts related to the dangers of texting behind the wheel. This article helped me with my research because it provided reasons that texting and driving is a problem and looked into the moral reasons that it is wrong to do so. For example this article explains that it is wrong to text and drive because you are putting other people’s lives in danger too, not just your own. Hoekstra, too also hints at solutions that could potentially solve this problem.