Texting and Driving

Taylor Scruggs
Professor Greg Loyd
Refutation Paper ENC 1102
23 September 2014

Texting While Driving
“Despite the dangers of texting while driving, many behind the wheel just can't seem to stop. One idea from Apple could put up more of a roadblock. Published on Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office, an Apple patent called “driver handheld computing lock out” proposes a couple of different ways to cut off texting and other cell phone features while a person is driving. In one scenario, Apple's technology would work on its own by detecting the motion of the driver and/or analyzing the surrounding scenery. The motion detector would use the phone's onboard sensors to tell if the car is moving beyond a certain speed. The scenery analyzer would use the phone's camera to determine if the phone is being held by the driver. If a red flag goes up, a lock-out mechanism would then automatically disable texting and other functions of the phone.
In a second scenario, a persons car would essentially tell their phone when it's time to be quiet. After they would start their car, someone’s ignition key would send a signal to their phone to disable texting and other features.
The first scenario sounds more complicated but may be more doable as it would rely solely on technology built into the phone. The second scenario sounds simpler but would require the involvement of automakers. Either way, a patent filing doesn't mean the technology will ever hit the real world. Still, Apple is trying to integrate itself more into your automobile as evidenced by its Car Play system. Technology that specifically focuses on the dangers of distracted driving would be an ideal next step.” (Herzog)
Although this new apple product might be very effective, there are also so many other factors at play in this dangerous topic. For instance, the social problem while texting and driving is becoming a huge issue for American drivers, and, consequently, for the American people as a whole. People are becoming too distracted by their cell phone rather than focusing on driving down the road. One of the problems is that people are being hurt and killed because someone chose to pick up their phone and send a text instead of watching the road.
Because of this, there are new measures being taken. Actually, there is a law being placed in Florida. Starting in October, the law will ban texting while driving. There needs to be more of a persistence to attempt banning texting while driving so that this problem will not occur as much. The problem needs to be stopped for the safety of the drivers and the people around them. Perhaps there will be fewer deaths and driving will become safer for the American people.
However, the gap between reality and the ideal world is much bigger than we would like it to be. In the ideal world, everyone would follow the law. In reality, people break laws and sometimes get away with it. The texting while driving issue will continue on, even if it becomes illegal in America. There will be fewer people texting while driving, but it will never stop because it is reality, and there are some people that just don’t care. Laws alone may not be able to fill this gap. There may be a need for some outside motivation. Yet, as we have it, the problem still remains.

In this problem, a significant portion of the population in America are becoming involved in defining a solution for this issue. For example, the majority of the people in America would rather have texting and driving illegal than legal. They care about their safety and the people around them. The population of the people in America that are seeking to ban texting and driving should show the law enforcers that this is a problem and should be illegal. Yet, law enforcers are not the only ones with the power to change things. Every American citizen has the ability to vote to change things. Therefore, people should use whatever platforms they have to persuade others to vote to ban texting while driving. One would hope there would be a final conclusion to this problem. Yet, the conclusion may be that people texting while driving will always be a problem because that is reality. Maybe someday it will be illegal everywhere in America so that we all could feel safer. This is still a huge social issue in America. For now, maybe one of the best answers is that we ourselves make sure to keep our eyes fixed on the road and not on the phone.