Texting and Driving

Over-consumption is one of the most detrimental things to society today. The United States as a whole is a prime leader in over-consumption. Consumption to a certain degree is acceptable and is somewhat expected in a society where everything is as fast paced as it is in the U.S. The consumption topic that I am choosing to analyze is the overuse of technology. I am not arguing that technology is detrimental to society. In fact, I believe that technology has allowed the U.S. to make a great leap forward in establishing itself as a worldwide leader. What I am arguing, rather, is that the overuse of technology is detrimental to society. The overuse of technology can be detrimental to society in very miniscule ways which does not pose a threat to the livelihood of any individuals. In some cases, however, this overuse of technology can prove to be deadly. More exclusively, I am choosing to analyze the dangers of driving while text messaging. Because of peoples need for fast information and easier ways to communicate, text messaging has become extremely popular within the past decade. Text message use has steadily increased each and every year since the technology has been invented. According to the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, text message use has increased almost 50% from June 2009 to June 2011(CTIA 2011). This number is increasing every month. Along with this increasing trend of text messaging, we are also seeing an increase in driving fatalities directly related to texting while driving. I hypothesize that texting while driving is directly related to an increase in driving fatalities on roadways. The data and research which I have collected and included in the latter parts of this paper will provide proof that texting while driving causes an increase in driving fatalities on U.S. roadways.
Most scholars have come to the consensus that texting while driving is a negative thing for the health of drivers. They also agree that

References: Cited http://www.swov.nl/rapport/r-2005-12.pdf - use of mobile phones while driving "Teens Aware Of Texting Dangers, Yet Carry On." Professional Safety 56.12 (2011): 18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. www.ctia.org http://www.nsc.org/news_resources/Resources/Documents/Analysis%20of%20the%20Literature,%20The%20Use%20of%20Mobile%20Phones%20While%20Driving.pdf www.distraction.gov