Driving is an integral part of modern life, giving individuals a sense of trust, convenience, and independence. Trust means when driving with someone you trust that person with your life because one mess-up can cause a tragedy. Convenience means very easy and not a difficult task. Lastly, independence means that we are capable of driving alone and needing no regard. However, all of these things come with inherent risks, responsibilities, and dangers that can have consequences. In this essay, I will be going over the causes and reasons for numerous accidents across America, while also discussing preventative measures to lower the risk of accidents. Some causes of bad driving are Distracted driving, Aggressive driving, Alcohol, Improper turns, Vehicle problems, Reckless driving, …show more content…
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in the United States in 2019 alone. This statistic alone emphasizes the importance of how we value our lives over something as simple as receiving a text or notification. Staying focused on the road will help prevent accidents caused by distraction. Distracted driving contributes to society in many different ways. It contributes to property damage, increases insurance costs, and places a strain on healthcare resources and emergency services. As a society, if we comprehend the various forms of distraction and recognize the consequences that come with it, we can drastically reduce the deaths involved with distracted driving and create a safer driving environment for everyone. Drowsy Driving Drowsy driving is an underestimated and overlooked topic that needs to be discussed. Operating a vehicle while feeling fatigued is comparable to those of impaired driving. Decreased reaction time, diminished cognitive function, and an increased risk of accidents. The factors and consequences that contribute to drowsy driving are
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.
Statistics show 16- to 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger, which is due to distracted driving. Taking your eyes off the road for 2 (two) seconds, at 60 mph, means you have driven blindly for half the length of a football field. The risk of fatality is 3.6 times higher, when they are driving with passengers than when alone. For many years, the correlation between driving behavior and age has interested highway safety researchers and administrators. It is general knowledge that the greatest risk of motor vehicle crash...
We understand the dangers of driving under the influence, texting while driving and distracted driving; however, drowsy driving continues to be a problem on our roads. Needs assessment Between 1998 and 2008, 16.5% of fatal car accidents in the US involved a drowsy driver, and 13% of non-fatal accidents where at least one person was admitted to the hospital involved a drowsy driver (Tefft, 2012).... ... middle of paper ... ... Sleepiness, Driving, and Motor Vehicle Crashes.
In today’s day and age there are so many excuses for distracted driving. Lives are put at risk every time a distracted motorist is on the road, and deaths have increased by a substantial amount in the last ten years. On Thursday, April 26th, 2014 one woman’s bad judgement cost her life (Hastings, 1). Not only was she effected, but her friends and family assuredly felt a pain in their hearts. In the few seconds it took Courtney Ann Sanford to post a few words on Facebook, it was enough to distract her from the road and to drive across another lane and through a median straight into a Truck (Hastings, 1). She was immediately killed. Shortly before her Facebook post, she was sending selfies to her friends (Hastings, 3). This just goes to show
I find the fact that distracted driving has caused so many deaths exceedingly tragic, however it should not surprise me. Additionally I’m inclined to the view that this issue – unfortunately - has become a more controversial problem in proportion to earlier. I don’t think that there exists a specifically solution in relation to this problem – if so not yet - however I’m convinced that there eventually has to b...
Today’s society appears to be constantly on the go. People seem to be pulled in multiple directions at once. Individuals never appear to have enough time to complete tasks that continually accumulate. It can be difficult to criticize someone that tries to make the most out every minute. Unfortunately, some of today’s drivers show a lack of judgment and trying to perform other tasks, while behind the wheel. People may feel this is best use time while getting to a destination. Occasionally, the small amount of time that people are trying to gain results in a time consuming accident. With modern conveniences that are geared toward an on the go public, individuals appear to be too preoccupied to driving safely.
Car crashes have been and are the number one cause of death for teens. (1) Many feel that the development of their brain is not advanced enough to handle driving. Impulse control is the last thing to develop in the teen brain and doesn’t reach maturity until their early 20’s. Irresponsibility is also a problem with teens. The CDC states that teens are more likely to drive too fast, get distracted and underestimate hazards. This is especially true of males. (1) Each year, more than 5000 teenagers die in motor vehicle accidents. The rate of motor vehicle accidents, both nonfatal and fatal for 16 year olds is almost 10 times higher then drivers 30 to 59 according to the National Highway Safety Administration.(3)
Every person who has gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle will be involved in some sort of automobile collision at some point in his or her lifetime. Traffic accidents account for over twenty thousand deaths each year and more than ten times as many injuries. There are a number of factors that contribute to these types of collisions, however, new and evolving laws can account for a large portion of successful preventable measures. In order for laws to be changed or added for the purpose of safer roads and highways, lawmakers have to first look at what factors contribute to such unsafe conditions. The top five causes of automobile accidents that cause injury are distracted drivers, driver fatigue, drunk driving, speeding, and aggressive driving. Laws can be proposed to reduce and even eliminate each of these risks.
Over the years, there has been much controversy as to how the national problem of distracted driving can be resolved. Distracted driving is quickly emerging as a major cause of death. Contrary to belief, by 2030, road traffic injuries are projected to be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, surpassing HIV, AIDS, cancer, violence, and diabetes (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2014). However, in Canada distracted driving laws are fragmented by provincial and territorial policies and should be implemented into the Criminal Code of Canada, due to the fact that major efforts to enforce and increase penalties have not changed the troubling distracted driving rates. Distracted driving is considered all forms of distraction or inattentive driving where the driver’s eyes are off the road (407 ETR, 2016).
Introduction: Many teenagers get their permits and licenses between the ages of 16-18. However, those teenagers who get their permit or get their license don’t fully understand the risks of driving. In 2010, there was an estimated amount of 5,419,000 car accidents. Many accidents involved a driver influenced by alcohol and/or narcotics. Some accidents occurred do to people not paying attention to the road and others were because of bad weather or they lost control over the motorized vehicle.
Distracted driving: the practice of driving a motor vehicle while engaged in another activity. Anything besides focusing on the road can be considered distracted driving. Most people would think that the only real distraction while driving is the use of a cell phone, however, that is entirely untrue. There are people that give the term, distracted driving, a whole new meaning. People do everything from fixing their makeup to shaving while driving in their cars. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car crashes in the United States.
As our population grows, so does our infrastructure, more develop cities leads to more develop highways, which in turn equates to more automobiles. There are more drivers today than ever before, automobiles has become our primary source of transportation in our day to day lives, from driving to work ,school or to the supermarket this form of luxury has simplified many aspects of human life. Unfortunately like everything else driving also has its negative sides, once you leave the comfort of your home strapped into your aluminum shell on wheels you become privy to all sorts of catastrophes and dangers while on the road. Driving a motor vehicle is a dangerous business.
According to SmartMotorist.com, over 95% of all vehicle accidents are caused by driver errors. No matter what the causes are, most of these accidents could be prevented by the drivers if they drove responsibly. These drivers often try and blame the other parties involved in the incidents, failing to acknowledge their own poor driving habits. To change poor driving habits, one must first acknowledge what poor driving habits they possess. In this essay, I will explain the similarities among skilled and unskilled drivers, the major differences between the types of drivers, and I will then offer some suggestions as to how all drivers may improve their driving skills.
“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.
Road safety is one of the most important aspects of daily living. Our vehicle is our main transportation from one place to another. The number of car and motorcycle accidents seem to be increasing because of the many distractions, the lack of safety measures and judgment to road conditions and weather. Not being cautious increases the chances of not only injuring ourselves but hurting others as well. On the road, you see people talking on their cell phones or texting, eating, putting makeup on, changing the radio station, reading or using your GPS while driving. These are all distractions that endanger drivers, passengers and bystanders safety. Safe driving involves off-road precautionary measures such as making sure tires are properly inflated, testing windshield wipers, getting regular oil changes and tune-ups and adjusting the mirrors. All of these actions can help prevent an accident. Unfortunately, not all of us decide to wear our seat belts when driving or turn signal ligh...