You are a driving thought the neighborhood on your way back home from work, when you reach a stop sign, so you naturally stop, however the car behind you doesn't quite stop and keeps going full speed towards you and inevitably crashes into you, ruining your car as well as setting you back in money not only for the car but from your insurance company as your rate will go up. This is the reality of today's road as many drivers whether new or old have picked up dangerous driving habits. One such habit is driving under the influence of alcohol; a very dangerous and very common habit that has been a problem for years. This is usually the result of the driver's overconfidence and sometimes desire not to leave its car somewhere, as well as their inability …show more content…
to reason with their drunk selves. Statistically speaking in the US alone every 120 seconds an incident relating to drunk driving happens, this has become a problem as many times it takes the lives and future of many Americans, leaving them paralyzed or death, many of times with the person who received the collision receiving the most damage, and leaving the perpetrator almost harmless. Another bad driving habit that seem to have gain frequency in the last decade is texting and driving.
With the rise of smart phone, and their accessibility to the public, society has made it as necessary as breathing, and has also made it the number one hazard for teens drivers. As many as 341,000 vehicle accidents in 2013 involve the use of the cell phone at the time of crash. This has been labeled the teenage killer as many of the incidents are caused by people in ages of 18-24, many states have passed laws against such act, but we have yet to find an effective way to enforce this law as this habit is more difficult to notice than drunk driving as many times the driver can sneak past the police, by hiding its cell phone below the view of the officer, where as in drunk driving you can see the signs. As of 2015 this seems to be the most common type of vehicle accident in the US. Speeding is the third most common factor in vehicle accidents in the US, costing 13,000 lives a year. Some of the reasons behind speeding include: driver's being in a rush, the need for adrenaline, and their belief that they won't get caught, or that laws don't apply to them. Speeding not only shortens your reaction time, but also your control of the vehicle as the faster the vehicle goes the more any sudden movements can affect it causing to flip or slide into another car, which may cause a fatality, maybe not to yourself but to
others. In conclusion, while driving can be fun and liberating, like anything else you must do it with precaution, as not only does your life depend on it but also your passengers and your fellow drivers, as many times it is them who end up with the most damage, many times ending their lives.
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.
Drivers who speed often do not realize the enormous danger they are creating. When someone is speeding they have a higher braking time and are often going too fast to notice all of their surroundings, and fail to take all of the safety precautions a driver should use. Road conditions play a large role in the effects of speeding. Choosing to speed can also get a person’s license taken away, cost a fortune, or both.
Teens are dangerously addicted to their cell phones and even when they need to put them down and not use them for ten minutes while they drive, some cannot do it. This is scary and makes us wonder what the future will hold for us. However, right now we must take the proper steps to prevent everyone from texting and driving because nobody wants the horrifying news that someone they love has passed away because of a piece of technology that is supposed to be helping us, not hurting
...he speed limit change” (Griffin). Even worse than just an increase in crash rates, is the result of speed in a crash. “The higher the traveling speed, the greater the risk of serious injury or death in a crash” (Speed).
The use of cell phones while a vehicle in motion should be banned throughout the United States. Texting, searching the internet, talking on the phone is a very big distraction, and could cause someone to get hurt or even worse; killed and the current teenage generation thinks talking on a cellphone while driving is second nature. It’s a known fact that the use of cell phones while driving can be deadly. It only takes one split second for a person to look away from the road to cause an accident. So-called distracted driving crashes claimed 5,474 lives and led to 448,000 injuries across the country last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA]. (Mayerowitz, Scott, and Lisa Stark. par. 4)Yet people continue to talk, text and browse the internet while operating a motor vehicle.
There are many reasons to why people drink and drive. Many people drink under peer pressure, especially teens. Teens usually drink at parties because they think it’s cool to drink, mainly if all of their friends are drinking or sometimes feel left out, if they don’t drink.
What is as dangerous if not more dangerous than murder and suicide? A car accident is. Being in the seat of a vehicle put’s a driver’s life in jeopardy the instant they are in the seat of a vehicle. Adam Ford explains drivers licenses were issued first in the 1900s and conditions have changed substantially: More powerful cars exist, and more are on the road (Ford). With this notion, Ford explains why cars are more dangerous on the road; however, the types of cars that exist in present times are not the sole reason the road is more dangerous. John Pearson states, car accidents are the leading cause of death from ages three to thirty-five world-wide (Pearson). Mainly, drivers cause these car accidents. Cellphone usage in the US is one of the central contributors to car crashes, because the habits shaped from cellphone usage, such as texting generate danger. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 500,000 people were injured and 5,500 were killed by distracted driving in 2009 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The road has become a progressively hazardous place with distracted driving on the increase. Additionally, alcohol misuse causes increased danger while in a car. Ralph Hingson, a Sc.D., states that of all alcoholic-related crashes in 2002, 4 percent caused death, and 42 percent caused injury. Hingson further asserts, in dissimilarity of the crashes that did not involve alcohol, 0.6 percent caused deaths, and 31 percent caused injury (Hingson). Deaths and injuries increased this much cannot be taken lightly. Furthermore, age is also a factor in why car crashes have increased in the last decade. Youth drivers are the primary users of cellphones, which means that they text...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as "the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property"—a traffic and not a criminal offense like road rage. Examples include speeding or driving too fast for conditions, improper lane changing, tailgating and improper passing. Approximately 6,800,000 crashes occur in the United States each year; a substantial number are estimated to be caused by aggressive driving. 1997 statistics compiled by NHTSA and the American Automobile Association show that almost 13,000 people have been injured or killed since 1990 in crashes caused by aggressive driving. According to a NHTSA survey, more than 60 percent of drivers consider unsafe driving by others, including speeding, a major personal threat to themselves and their families. About 30 percent of respondents said they felt their safety was threatened in the last month, while 67 percent felt this threat during the last year. Weaving, tailgating, distracted drivers, and unsafe lane changes were some of the unsafe behaviors identified. Aggressive drivers are more likely to drink and drive or drive unbelted. Aggressive driving can easily escalate into an incident of road rage. Motorists in all 50 states have killed or injured other motorists for seemingly trivial reasons. Motorists should keep their cool in traffic, be patient and courteous to other drivers, and correct unsafe driving habits that are likely to endanger, antagonize or provoke other motorists. More than half of those surveyed by NHTSA admitted to driving aggressively on occasion. Only 14 percent felt it was "extremely dangerous" to drive 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. 62 percent of those who frequently drive in an unsafe and illegal manner said police for traffic reasons had not stopped them in the past year. The majority of those in the NHTSA survey (52 percent) said it was "very important" to do something about speeding. Ninety-eight percent of respondents thought it "important" that something be done to reduce speeding and unsafe driving. Those surveyed ranked the following countermeasures, in order, as most likely to reduce aggressive and unsafe driving behaviors: (1) more police assigned to traffic control, (2) more frequent ticketing of traffic violations, (3) higher fines, and (4) i...
These days, cars are necessary for everyday living. They take us where we need to go. They are the method of transportation for everyday traveling. Road rage is an increasing problem in America. Incidents of violent driving have been rising for many years now. Many people identify themselves by the car they drive, because of this; road rage is only increased. Potential problems should try to be avoided.
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).
Speed not only kills it also costs money and other problems. Cars traveling at higher speeds increase the amount of fuel usage and therefore this causes more pollution in the environment. Not only that since it uses more fuel and takes up fuel faster one has to get gas more often and this will cause the driver to spend more money. Driving fast will increase the wear and tear of your car and the predicted reliability could drop and you might have to replace the automobile faster than expected because the vehicle wont lasts you as long as it was suppose. When you speed you have chances of getting speeding tickets that are very high in cost and you have to pay for them. Speeding tickets also raise your insurance rate; just two speeding tickets can increase your insurance premiums by fifty percent.
Cell phone use by motorist is dangerous and can cause accidents resulting in deaths and injuries. Furthermore, Nations and states should take the lead in outlawing this dangerous act. Prohibition of Cell phone use by motorists globally is the solution. Since a driver cannot concentrate fully on driving while making a phone call, he remains as impaired as someone who drives while intoxicated. In addition, imagine the risk one puts himself in when he is being driven by a drunk driver .This is the same risk that a motorist speaking on phone faces. If lawmakers are serious about addressing the increasing number of deaths related to motorists using cell phones. Hence, they should ban use of cell phone use by motorist.
There are more than 3.4 billion cell phone users worldwide, making cell phones more common than computers ("Social Isolation and New Technology”). Cell phones are a modern phenomenon with a greater impact than the Internet in society today. Increased mobility, access to a new technologies and the ability to travel throughout the world with an added sense of security has afforded us the opportunity to explore all that life has to offer. “The Cell-phone has become the preferred channel of basic communication between teens and their friends, other many people with cell calling a close second and texting”( "Social Isolation and New Technology”). It is unbelievable when you walk in street and you see five year old kid using a cell phone. “More than 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones”( "Social Isolation and New Technology”). That there are many people said they more likely to texting than talking on phone. Using a cell phone has increased in society more than any other technology. However, using a cell phone while driving has proven to be a bad idea. The high potential for distraction causes people to not pay attention to the road. The consequences have so for been an increase in the rate of accidents and deaths related to cell phone use while driving. Using a cell phone while driving is not only limited to talking; it also includes texting while driving. The problem has become so serious that many states have laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving. Because research has shown that talking on a phone, texting and using hands free devices is distracting and dangerous it only makes sense for every state to ban cell phone use while driving.
Cell phones have become increasingly popular over the years especially through college age students. Most college students cannot afford to pay a phone bill at their house or in their dorm, so they keep a cell phone to talk to friends or family back home. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers between the ages of 20 and 54 accounted for 81 percent of the accidents reviewed. Some 72 percent of those talking on a cell phone at the time of acci...
“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.