Distracted driving is composed of actions such as texting, talking on the phone, eating and drinking, etc. Distracted driving is costly to society because it is incredibly dangerous, costs large sums of money, and can cause good people to become criminalized. Distracted driving is costly to society because it is incredibly dangerous. For example, in the United States alone, over 3,000 people are killed and 400,000 people are injured annually due to accidents involving distracted driving (No Author Listed, 2017). Anytime a driver is operating a vehicle and not paying full attention to the road, the chances of an accident occurring increases greatly. Some studies even equate texting while driving to being legally drunk while driving (Lerner, 2011). Similarly, when one drives distracted, they are jeopardizing the safety of not only themselves, …show more content…
After an accident in which distracted driving was the harbinger, the people involved typically pay medical bills, legal fees if there is a court case, and increased insurance rates. Furthermore, one out of every five accidents that occur are due to distracted driving, and over 40 billion dollars are spent on car accidents each year. With those numbers in mind, the people in the United States spend on average over 8 billion dollars annually on accidents caused by distracted driving (No Author Listed, 2017). In addition, accidents not only cause monetary problems but emotional distress to any individual involved. For example, in a study recently conducted in Europe, 36% of people admitted into intensive care for an injury due to an accident also exhibited symptoms of anxiety disorders (Papadakaki, 2017). As seen by the reasons listed above, distracted driving is incredibly costly to society because it costs large sums of money and can cause emotional
When on the road make sure you are taking all the necessary precautions while driving, to not only keep yourself but everyone around you. Driving distracted isn’t only texting and driving, it is anything that takes your attention away from your primary task. Don’t let yourself be a candidate for an AT&T commercial about distracted driving. Lives can be changed forever in a matter of seconds, don’t let it be your
In this era, with technology as a part of everyday life, it has become difficult to use a simple Public Service Announcement (PSA) as a way to reduce distracted drivers. This is due, for the most part, to the developed habit of assuming. People believe, since it’s seen in many shows and commercials, that those ‘bad things’ that come as a result of distracted driving are not likely to occur to them. People want to prove that they are able to do multiple tasks at once and every PSA would be a challenge so to speak, to show they are above average at multitasking. Those such assumptions and aspirations to prove oneself have resulted in such growing rates.
It’s amazing how many people will still drive distracted, either by texting, talking on the phone, or even not paying attention to what is in front of them. Over 5,000 distracted driver crashes have occurred in Utah in a year. This has resulted in 3,000 injured and almost 20 deaths. Wouldn 't you think that would be enough to make people think and see what is happening? Texting or looking at your phone is now illegal in most states yet so many people still do it.
Damage Done By Distracted Drivers Did you know “ 1 out of every 4 car accident in the United States every day is caused by texting and driving resulting in nearly 330,33 injuries occurring each year” (schumaker,1)? Texting and driving puts many at risk besides the driver being distracted by a cellular device. Texting is the act of composing, sending, reading a text message, email, or making similar use of the web on a mobile phone while operating a motorized vehicle. Texting and driving is a growing problem that is only going to increase if we don 't do anything about it.
These cell phones are a huge cause of many car accidents. Americans using their cell phones to text, call, or surf the internet while driving is the cause of up to about 80% of accidents (TextingnDriving par 1). So many people are seen using their phones while driving it is becoming impossible for police to gain control over the issue. People should not text and drive because, by altering their concentration it can result in dangers to themselves
How to Fight Distracted Driving by Lianna Thompson Safer roads is a goal that virtually everyone benefits from since we all share the road infrastructure. However this goal of safe roads can be difficult since there are many circumstances that can put drivers in dangerous situations. But perhaps the one that has gotten the most attention as of late is the issue of distracted driving. There have been countless attempts in order to help stop this issue, yet it still remains one of the leading causes of auto accidents.
EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.aap.2014.07.014. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2016. Distracted Driving 2014, Retrieved from https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/ 812260. Struckman-Johnson, Cindy, et al. "
Defining Distracted Driving Anyone handling an 18-wheeler that is text messaging is twenty-three times more likely to get in an accident. In the simple act of dialing a cellphone, a truck driver is six times more likely to cause an accident. Distracted driving is not just limited to texting and talking on a cellphone.
Delbridge, E. (2016). Causes and Effects of Driving Distracted. The Balance. Retrieved 11 October 2016, from https://www.thebalance.com/causes-and-consequences-of-distracted-driving-527085 2.
The issue of distracted driving has had some laws against it, but the laws do not do enough. Distracted driving needs stricter laws because major issues result from it including death or serious injuries Many forms of distracted driving exist and cause many problems. Teddi Johnson states the definition for distracted driving
In fact, according to “Distracted Driving Is Now an Epidemic in the U.S.”, “U.S. fatalities from traffic accidents rose 7.2% last year to 35,092—the largest increase in 50 years—and distracted driving played a role in 10% of those deaths... fatalities from “distraction-affected” crashes increased 8.8% to 3,477 from 3,197… ”(Distracted Driving Is Now an Epidemic in the U.S.). Distracted driving has such a big impact in our life because it has such a big impact on the ability to drive. “Texting & Driving” states, “driving with a
Distracted driving causes many accidents in the US every years. With being a distracted driving, around “3,154 people are killed in distraction-related crashes and about 424,000 people are injured in crashes involving a distracted driver” (Harper). In what ways can the people develop solutions to prevent distracted driving for teenagers? One way to help prevent distracted driving is to enforce stricter laws for the amount of passengers allowed in a car with a teenage driver. Backseat drivers can cause the most distractions for a driver and also the use of any technology while driving.
According to Inkteen.com “In 2009, 5,474 lives were taken and 448,000 people got injured from car accidents from being distracted while driving, says the government.” Being able to drive may be a dream comes true, but it could easily turns into a nightmare that is never woken up from. The use of technology has grown in constant for many years, distracting people from things that are important. Texting and driving is one of the biggest problems in USA. However, not only are drivers putting themselves in danger, they’re putting passengers in their car and other drivers on the road in danger, too.
III. Purpose Statement – Texting while driving is a serious distraction and one that could cost you your life or the lives of others. IV. Main Points (TRANSITION:
Though laws have helped prevent cell phone use while operating a vehicle, cell phones still have only greatened the number of distracted driving accidents. Susan Henneberg is an author who focuses on writing about common issues in society. After hearing of a fatal distracted driving accident, she wrote of the accident, “The impact [of the crash] spun their car sideways into Shaw’s lane, and the trailing pickup truck plowed into the side of the Saturn, killing both men instantly”(Henneberg). Both of these drivers were physically hurt all because of texting and driving.