Distracted Driving Analysis

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.
The term “distracted driving” may be hard to define, but, simply, it is the act of driving while being engaged in any activity. Stephanie Hanes describes in her article, how texting is a deadly epidemic. The distractions occurring while we drive on the road endangers the lives of drivers and passengers around us. Andrew Lavallee explains in his article “Companies build Services to End Texting and Driving,” how texting is wildly popular these days. David Andreatta points out some activities which drivers are engaged in while on road, in his article “Texting and Driving Can Spell Disaster.”

As distracted driving, has become a big issue, the overall safety of drivers has become a major concern.
There are many distractions around us, while on the road. For example, David Andreatta mentions some of the activities drivers may be engaged in: “Some people eat on the road. Others apply mascara. Still more talk on the phone.” Stephanie Hanes points out that texting has been a major and one of the most common distraction: “While there are many distractions for drivers, cellphone use – especially texting – has become the main target of police and lawmakers.”
Moreover, the problem of distracted driving has raised from the habits and arrogance of drivers and teenagers. Of the five sources used, concerning this topic of distracted driving, all authors explain how texting has been the leading distraction of recent times. David Andreatta clearly points out how texting while driving spells out disaster. As texting has become a persuasive habit, as mentioned by Hanes, Andrew Lavallee explains in his article “Companies build Services to End Texting and Driving,” how various companies and firms are trying their best to minimize drivers from texting while on the road. This leads to a question, What is the need to use cellphones while driving? Stephanie Hanes mentions that “Americans are actually addicted to their phones.” Researchers at Harvard university found that “the brain receives a rush when it processes a text message or ring – the same high a gambler feels when hitting the jackpot” (Hanes). As cellphone use has become an addiction, this creates problems for everyone on the road.
Another reason why technology is used while on road is because of the arrogance which drivers carry. Many drivers have the misconception of multitasking while driving. David Andreatta states how some drivers can multitask. For example, a college student from Hanes’ article says, “I prefer to text and drive rather than talk and drive. I can put the phone down in the middle of the text if something is going on.” In David Andreatta’s article, Amanda, a high school student, says “I can still text-message and drive at the same time.” This arrogance of drivers has caused many troubles on the road.
Besides the persuasive habit of texting, many drivers and workers are obliged to check or use their cellphones to communicate for work related issues. For instance, Mr. Downes, a Toronto resident who commutes an hour back and forth to work states, “It’s not the right thing to do, but I’m connected to the office. Important e-mails come through and you need to respond” (qtd. in Andreatta). Shaun Ring, a wedding photographer, frequently sends text messages while driving. He states “Texting, unfortunately, is a necessary evil while driving, for me at least. Clients expect very quick responses” (qtd. in Lavallee). Many workers have admitted that texting should be avoided while driving; however, their work drives them to use their phones or other forms of technology.
So how has technology, specifically texting, have different effects on driving?

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

accidents.
Personally, I have had no incidents involving car fatalities or texting while driving, and neither has anyone in my family ever faced any issue. I am a new driver, and I favor and support the idea of not using cellphones while driving. Also, I know that I am not good at multitasking; I can only pay attention to one task at a time. If I stare at my phone for even a second, I would probably crash into the car in front. Unfortunately, many accidents have occurred, many involving teenagers. Hanes’ article was based on an incident involving a twenty-year old slamming his car into a woman’s SUV, which resulted in her death. The twenty-year old had been on his phone for less than a minute, and it was reported that he slammed into the woman’s vehicle at 50 mph, since he was not focusing on the road. Another incident mentioned in David Andreatta’s article, where a phone owned by a seventeen-year old driver was used minutes before a fatal accident took place. The teen had made a call, and sent and received a text three minutes before the crash.
There have been few precautions already taken to reduce the problem of distracted driving. Hanes mentions how police and lawmakers are targeting drivers that text while drive. Andrew Lavallee’s states, “software makers are scrambling to develop cellphone applications that block texts or minimize the distraction of driving.” Many states, such as Utah, are penalizing drivers who text while drive. Based on the article “Apps Try to Monitor, Tame Texting Drivers,” written by Michael B. Farrell, English creates an app which awards users if they do not exceed the speed limit. “English, acknowledges the app is not for everyone, and that some drivers should just power down their phone while they are in the car. But those who can’t or won’t, what we’re doing is giving them something that can tune up their driving skills” (qtd. in Farrell). Also, mentioned in Lavallee’s article, software has been created and applications are available on the app store, but not everyone will download to block texts from sending and receiving. “While these technologies may appeal to parents who want to limit their children’s texting in the car, it isn’t clear how many users will voluntarily install software that temporarily disables their texting” (qtd. in Lavallee). Several preventions can be taken to avoid distracted driving; however, this will not just diminish the problem; incidents will always be occurring.
A solution which I would propose and apply for myself is to either turn off the cellphone or put it on silent or vibrate while driving. When the phone is on silent alerts and notifications are not heard; however, if the phone is on vibrate, the buzz sound may distract us, and we may want to glance over to your phone. Another solution is to fine drivers or penalize points for cellphone use while driving, even at the stoplight. If cellphone use is allowed while waiting at the stoplight, then many drivers will start to check and use their phones which may distract them, drive their attention someplace else, and cause traffic to be delayed. Penalizing points may cause an increase in drivers getting penalized, yet to avoid receiving points, many drivers will less use their cellphones. Nowadays, hands-free phone systems are used in cars. Personally, my mom uses the phone link while driving and finds it effective, rather than holding the phone and talking. Still, as mentioned in a couple of sources, the hands-free system is also considered as a distraction. Many solutions can prevent this problem from occurring; however, the habits and arrogance of drivers are keeping them from modifying this behavior of distracted driving.
In the era of technology, distracted driving has become a severe problem, resulting in fatal causalities. Texting and use of cellphones have elevated the issue of distracted driving. Unfortunately, arrogance and habits lying within drivers has increased this problem. Although there are many solutions to this unavoidable issue, traffic disasters will always take place.