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Distractions while driving essay
Impact of texting and driving
The dangers of texting and driving
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The Effects of Texting and Driving Taking your eyes and mind off the road for more than 3 seconds raises the chances of ending up in a fatal accident (Ameen 7). Texting and driving has become more frequent. Many try to find loopholes in distracted driving. Statistics have been found that prove distractions effect the attention that is needed to drive a car. Teen and adult drivers need to realize the deadly effects of texting and driving. Texting and driving is not limited to teens. "48% of kids in their younger teenage years have been in a car while the driver was texting. Over 1600 children in the same age group are killed each year because of crashes involved drivers who texted. " 87% of teens say texting and driving is dangerous (Schuler 6). 18% still text and drive (Schuler 11). 20% to 25% of teens admit to sending a text every time they drive. "Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens plus, the number of teen crash fatalities tends to rise during the summer months according to a AAA analysis," (Schuler 5). Driving at night and driving with passengers effects the driver's awareness of what is going on around …show more content…
"Reading a text message while driving successfully distracts a driver for a minimum of 5 seconds each time," (Ameen 1). With the average speed being 55 miles per hour, in 5 seconds a car could travel the length of a football field (Ameen 5). "37% of brain activity is focused on texting instead of driving." The AAA has found distractions can last 27 seconds after it is done (Schuler 3). Manual attention, visual attention, and cognitive attention is affected by both texting and driving. Driving uses manual attention to steer the car, visual attention needs to be on the road, and cognitive attention is needed for navigation. Texting needs manual attention for typing the message, visual attention to see what is being typed, and cognitive attention to think about your message (Schuler
The several effects of distracted driving are deadly. Andrew Lavallee points out that “texting while driving is unsafe. Not only are a driver’s eyes off the road, one or both hands are off the wheel.” “We think it is incompatible with safe driving” (qtd. in Lavallee). “Study upon study showed that talking on a cellphone was far more dangerous than she’d realized – that a driver on a phone had the same reaction speed as someone legally intoxicated, that those talking on a phone behind the wheel are four times as likely to crash” (qtd. in Hanes). Stephanie Hanes also mentions that, “Unlike a conversation with a passenger, the electronic conversation takes a driver into a virtual space away from the road.” Subsequently, this causes severe problems and deadly
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality states that texting while driving causes nearly eleven teen deaths every day and 330,000 injuries per year. Almost 25 percent of all car accidents involve someone who was texting as they were driving; that is 1.3 million crashes. Texting while driving is the number one distraction for majority of drivers. Five seconds is the minimal amount of time a driver’s attention is taken from the road while using a cell phone. With that being said, if one is traveling at 55mph, five seconds is equal to driving the length of a football field without paying attention to the road.
All around the world, texting while driving has become an even more dangerous hazard than drinking while driving among teenagers and adults who openly acknowledge sending and reading text messages while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Texting while driving is arguably one of the most dangerous, selfish, and careless acts that a driver can take part in on the road today. According to Teens Against Distracted Driving, a study was done at the University of Utah that showed that while people are texting and driving, it reduces their attention level down to that of a person with an alcohol level of 0.08%, which is the legal limit to which someone can be
So just how dangerous can texting while driving actually be? According to Monash University, “those drivers who use handheld devices while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves” (qtd. in Wilson 1). This is not good because there are thousands of divers that are on the road at any given time. University of Utah reports, “Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s handheld or hands-free, delays the driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.08%” (qtd. in Wilson 1). With more drivers out there that lead to the possibility that a crash could happen “The time it takes to is an average of 4.6 seconds, would be equal to traveling the length of a football field at 55mph visionless.” (Wilson 1). Carnegie Mellon reports, “that with the use of a mobile cellphone reduces the amount of brain activity by associated with driving by 37%” (qtd. in Wilson 1). The Nation...
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 ...
Car and Driver Magazine did a study on how long it takes to react and stop a car unimpaired, legally drunk, and responding to a text message. The study shows that the reaction times are increased while legally drunk, with a blood alcohol level of .08, and rises even further with texting. The article explains that text messaging is more dangerous than drunk driving because you are distracted in three ways instead of only two ways when under the influence of alcohol. While distracted by texting, you are distracted cognitively, unable to focus on your driving skills. You are also distracted visually by taking your eyes off of the road. Last but not least, you are distracted manually by taking your hands off of the wheel to send a text message. Manual distraction usually does not take place while driving under the influence. Teenagers are the highest population that texts while driving and eleven teens are killed each day. (Samakow)
3.) Texting and driving causes an interruption in driving allowing the eyes to drift off the road for a minimum of 5 seconds.
Imagine running three football fields with your eyes closed. Now imagine driving 75 miles per hour on the interstate and closing your eyes for the length of approximately three football fields, or 4.6 seconds. This is effectively what happens when people text and drive. Texting and driving is a serious problem in the US and is resulting in too many deaths and accidents.
One of the dangers of texting while driving at the same time is the attention it takes away from the road. A driver, who is focused on looking at their phone, is not paying enough attention to other cars or what is happening around them. Something as simple as a car stopping in front of them can cause serious damage to the driver and to the other car. “Texting” while driving is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the internet on a mobile device while operating a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, or train (Reuters). Many people and authorities have viewed it as a dangerous practice. It is on occasion like this, where familiarity with the road and surrounding will not make it easier for the driver to look at their cell phone. The probabilities of drivers texting on the cell phone and getting into accidents are only getting higher. Cell phone use while driving accounts for a major cause of
An Adesman stated that, “A person who is texting can be as impaired as a driver who is legally drunk.” A car traveling at 55mph covers the length of a football field in five seconds. The average person who sends out text messages while driving spends on average about eight seconds of looking down at their phone. Approximately 10% of driving time is spent outside of their original lane, by drifting while texting. “There's a difference between driving and texting. When you’re driving your eyes have to be open and on the road watching the cars around you, road signs, and traffic lights. Along with your mind on the road and destination. Which means you are multitasking. When your texting your eyes are on your cell phone screen and key pad. Along with your mind on what you’re going to say next. So how can you do both?” This quote was written by Johnathan Anthony Burkett who wrote the story Neglected but Undefeated. The chances of getting into a car crash are increased four times more than those who are not distracted. Texting while driving involves manual, visual, and the mental ability of a driver which makes messaging while driving one of the worst distractions.
Ricks, Delthia. "Study: Texting While Driving Now Leading Cause of Death for Teen Drivers." Newsday. N.p., 8 May 13. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Most teens would say they couldn’t live without their cell phones, but most haven’t stopped to think that cellphones could cost them their lives. Over the past five years, a staggering number of teenagers have been involved in fatal car accidents that were the result of texting and driving. In the United States, car crashes are the number one killer of teenagers (WWL).
National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. To illustrate, Deianerah Logan was described as a popular 17-year-old high-school senior with a promising future. Although a sheriff claimed that Deianerah’s “life was taken way too early,” the only person who apparently “took” it was Deianerah, who was texting when she crashed into a school bus and died. You must drive for yourself and everyone around you. In fact, texting while driving leads to a decrease in reaction time by 37 percent. A driver’s reaction time makes a defensive driver, it includes the following: recognizing the light has changed, deciding to continue or break, or applying break. Shockingly, texting drivers take their eyes off the road for each text an average of 4.6 seconds -- which at 55 mph, means they were driving the length of a football field without looking. 4 seconds if all it takes to take a life or two
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers” -Dave Barry, comedian. The number of accidents over the last ten years have drastically increased, drivers are paying less attention to the road itself. Many individuals behind the wheel of a car believe that their driving does not affect the road conditions, however it always will. The driving habits of today are catastrophic due to the reasoning that the driving will affect other lives through reckless or distracted driving, and disobeying traffic laws.
11 teens die every day as a result of texting while driving (Bands 2012). 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones (Bands 2012). Teens talk and text on the phone without realizing that it can cost their lives. Even the U.S. Government Website for Distracted Driving has proven that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in teens (Bands 2012). Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic, quickly becoming one of the country 's top killers. The main focus should be the road, but due to the possibility of the message containing tension or strain, it can cause an increase in anxiety or panic and may result in an