As usual, you are fifteen minutes late to volleyball practice which is clear across town. You grab your bag and run out to your new car your parents just bought you. As you begin to pull out of your driveway your phone starts playing your favorite song by Cardi B. You look down to see you received a text from your best friend who is currently having problems with her boyfriend. Without thinking, you call her right away as you drive to practice. How safe is it to be talking on the phone while driving? Over the last decade, the use of cell phones has been on the rise. Along with this, driving a car and using a cell phone at the same time has also seen an increase among individuals. In a series of experiments conducted by Strayer and Johnston, they explore the extent to which a conversation on a hands-free or hand-held cell phone interferes with an individual’s driving. …show more content…
These tasks evaluated the number of errors made while performing either a shadow speaking task or a word generation task. Strayer and Johnston hypothesized that deviation in an individual’s attention from driving will be due to other cognitive situations. For instance, they believed having a conversation on a cell phone would contribute to taking attention away from driving than any other intellectual task. This study is important because it explores the risks associated with using a cell phone while driving. Numerous people engage in talking on the phone and driving every single day and the information gathered in this study is important to make individuals aware of the potential hazards associated with driving and talking on a cell
Most people would agree that humor makes more of an impression than stern speeches or passages. For example, if someone were to mention the name “Rudy Giuliani” who is the third most famous speaker in our era, most average people would not recognize the man or know of his title. However, if someone were to mention “George Carlin” who was one of the most famous comedians in the 80’s and 90’s before his untimely passing, there would be many a person who would comment on his broad views and humorous remarks that made his points even more valid than the remarks of most present-day politicians. So naturally, when someone writes something humorous as opposed to preachy, yet still tackling a serious
According to Stephanie Hanes in the essay “Texting While Driving Is as Dangerous as Drunk Driving,” a driver on a phone and those talking on a phone are four times likely to crash. This statistic shows how dangerous using the phone or even texting is while driving. As technology has increased, so has the use of cellphone. Distracted driving has caused an increase in car fatalities and disasters. However, distracted driving can be prevented if drivers take precautions, but no matter what we do, trouble will always be spelling on the road.
"Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why Driving While Using Hands-Free Cell Phones is Risky Behavior." National Safety Council, 1 Apr. 2012. Web. 1 May 2014. .
The article “How Your Cell Phone Distracts You Even When You’re Not Using It” reports the experiment and findings about how cell phones in sight not only effect your relationships, but also your ability to complete motor tasks. In this study, three groups were present and they differed from one group only being able to see their group leaders cell phone, while the other group had sighting of their own cell phones and the last one had no visible cell phone. The first two groups suffered from completing the complex tasks, but the group with no cell phone differed from having a harder time completing the tasks. Like “Our Cell Phones, Ourselves” both articles address how cell phones can be distracting when driving. From the article, “How Your Cell Phone Distracts You Even When You’re Not Using It” Thornton, a professor from the University of Southern Maine states, “You could probably text and drive somewhat safely if you’re on a straight road, and there’s no traffic, and you take your time.” Although it is stated that it could be some what possible, those occasions are rare when it comes to the driving conditions. Not only do cell phones affect driving, but a common theme brought out in many of the articles is how they effect interpersonal relationships. This article talks about how they play a role in our social communication, just like all the
Worth noting, is the fact that most drivers are persuaded to the belief that they can send some messages without negatively affecting their driving capabilities. However, some important studies have revealed that drivers are not as capable of multi-tasking as they believe they are. Researchers have revealed that drivers who text ...
Several individuals need to be constantly sending messages to their friends and family members with the use of a cellphone while driving. More and more drivers have the urge to use their cell phones while driving. This dangerous mixture can result to be even deadly. “As one researcher concluded, a cellphone draws attention away from the routines that would provide a good representation of the driving environment” (qtd. in Seppa 3).
This paper examines the dangers that arise when cell phones are used at the same time as operating a vehicle. The paper will explore the following question of why this is a problem and why the research is important. The variables investigated are the use of cell phones while driving, whether speaking or texting, and the accidents and fatalities caused from the distraction. Data of the accidents and fatalities caused by drivers distracted by their cells phones is stated to research and further explores the age group and gender of the people involved into the accidents to uncover patterns. Possible outcomes of the implementation of laws prohibiting cell phone use while driving are discussed as well as the sampling measures used to survey and research the variables.
Some people argue that just as many car accidents would happen if the use of cell phones were not involved. According to Shows Cellphone Use, “Using a cellphone while driving may be distracting, but it does not lead to higher crash risks.” It is hard to miss the number of drivers with phones glued to their hands. As they dangerously multitask while driving around other vehicles and pedestrians. Those who decide to use their phones are simultaneously contributing to a lack of visual, manual, and cognitive attention a driver needs to remain focused (Injury Prevention, 2015). With the potential of crashing being 23 times greater than the risk posed by drunk driving (No Texting, 2015). With statistical information providing a connection between distracted drivers and increased accidents, it is hard to believe there are some who feel it is not
Not only does it put the driver of the car in danger, but it also puts the passengers and the surrounding cars at risk. Using a cell phone while driving has been proven to be just as dangerous as driving under the influence. At any given moment during the day, around 800,000 people are driving cars while using a hand-held device, which unfortunately puts everyone else at risk of a car crash. In the recent year, 21% of fatal car crashes involved the use of a cellular device (Prof. David J. Hanson, 1997-2015). Unfortunately, humans, especially teenagers, cannot put down their cell phones while they drive due to the many notifications they receive. They are addicted. This points back to how the cell phones are affecting the mental health of humans. In 2007, Bailey Goodman, a seventeen-year-old, was killed along with four of her friends in a car accident. Goodman
This essay is to inform you about certain aspects of driving. In this letter I am going to talk about the effect of response time, a safe following distance, how the stopping distance depends on speed, how to decide what to do at a yellow light and how you have to change your speed around a curve. In the next following paragraphs I will explain each of the topics that I have listed and I will give you a better knowledge of how to be a safer driver.
Texting while driving is a widespread epidemic in the United States that has unfavorable effects on our society.“Driving while texting is the standard wording used for traffic violations” (Bernstein). It causes many people to be distracted which can lead to accidents. “Eighty-nine percent of people own a cell phone” (Gardner). That is a plethora of people that are at risk of texting while driving. Also, texting has increased by ten times in three years(Bernstein). “The risk of a crash for those who are texting is twenty-three point two times greater than those who are not” (Gardner).Driving drunk only makes a person seven times more likely to be in a crash (Bernstein). This means texting while driving is three times more dangerous than driving intoxicated. One in five drivers admits to texting while driving(Gardner). This shows that that texting while driving is a widespread epidemic. When a survey asked teenagers whether they text and drive,“seventy five percent of teens admitted to texting while driving” (7).Distracted driving causes seventy-eight percent of car crashes(Bernstein). “No distraction causes as high of a risk of an accident as texting while driving” (Gardner). Also with these statistics, it is not hard to understand why accidents in teenagers that are driving have risen. The Bluetooth capability in cars gives a driver a hands-free way to talk on the phone, but is still not completely safe (8). Also, only 1 out of 3 US cars sold in 2009 had this feature. New systems are being developed that will use Bluetooth as well a global positioning technology to allow parents to monitor cell phone use and texting while driving (10).
I, as a driver, too, think that cell phone use while driving is a distraction. Even though I personally don’t own a phone, I have used one. I noticed that talking on the cellular phone and driving doesn’t make it hard to focus on the road. But it is difficult and a major distraction to dial-up a number without losing focus on the road. Dialing a number is the main distraction about cel...
Research has proven that it is difficult to concentrate on driving and talking at the same time. A recent British study showed that talking on a mobile phone while driving was more hazardous than operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Tests conducted by scientists for UK-based insurance firm, Direct Line, involved 20 subjects using a driving simulator to test reaction times and driving performance and compared this to when drivers had too much to drink. The results showed drivers' reaction times were, on average, 30 percent slower when talking on a handheld mobile phone than when legally drunk - and nearly 50 percent slower than under normal driving conditions. The tests also showed that drivers talking on phones were less able than drunk drivers to maintain a constant speed, and they had greater difficulty keeping a safe distance from the car in front.
Over the last few decades, the use of cell phones has become a very common tool. Furthermore, Technology has certainly advanced, and the cell phone is becoming the most preferred mode of communication. The demand for a cell phone is growing every day. In addition, the use of wireless technology is affordable, and anyone can buy a cell phone at a reasonable price. They come in all shapes and sizes. They range from black to bright metallic white. American public use of cell phones is increasing everyday. As the number of people using cell phones increase, the use of cell phones while driving will also increase on our streets and highways. At the same rate, motorists still converse on cell phones and write text messages while driving. Motorist will also engage in other activities apart from driving. For example, drivers will text when driving, and they will dial numbers. Drivers will receive calls and converse with the recipient for long periods. Again, driving demands your full attention, and your concentration needed when talking on the phone. However, it means that the driver has to divert his attention to the conversation, which leads to less concentration on the road. On the contrary, one can therefore connect motorist’s accidents and cell phone usage while driving.
Strayer, D. L. & Johnston, W. A. (2001) Driven to distraction: Dual task studies of simulated driving and conversing on a cellular phone. Psychological Science, 12, 462-466