Persuasive Essay On Texting And Driving

Thousands of people lose their loved one’s lives or their own lives each year due to car accidents because of this growing issue. Many know about it and the consequences it has, but still do it. This activity, done without driving, can be enjoyed between friends, can past time, and millions do it every day. However, this activity isn’t drinking. It is texting and accounts for 1,600,000 accidents per year. Yet, the reparations for texting and driving are far less than those of drinking and driving. The laws set place don’t deter young drivers from participating in the dangerous activity while driving. Legislature, however, has a tough making new and stricter laws to prevent these accidents because of the sensitivity of the issue. Many fear legislature will cross the line between public safety and restricting the first amendment right of free

speech.

Because texting and using a cell phone is a form of expression, many think these laws will restrict the first amendment right. Nonetheless, texting and driving is considered a dangerous activity that imposes a threat on public safety. Texting and driving should be treated the same as the second amendment of the right to bear arms. In which case, Americans have the right to own a gun just like they have a right to text; however, when the gun poses a threat to the safety of others the owner is arrested just like how when someone is drinking and driving they are arrested. This is how testing and driving should be treated. Therefore, the law against texting and driving should have the same implications as drinking and driving to help lower the amount of car collisions and deaths caused by accidents related to

texting.
Texting and driving is relevantly new compared to drinking and driving. However, the results of the two are nearly identical. In recent years, texting and driving has accounted for 23% of all car crashes in America and causes roughly 330,000 injuries per year (Texting and Driving Statistics). Many assume that there are safe ways to text and drive such as: only texting at red lights or backing away from the car in front of them to give them ample space (Texting and Driving Statistics). Despite these justification, texting and driving is still unsafe. Giving the car in front enough space isn’t nearly enough, because teens who text and drive average 10% of the time spent driving outside their lane which can pose a threat to oncoming traffic (Texting and Driving Statistics). Also, drivers spend an average five seconds looking at their phone and ignoring the traffic in front of them. Going 55 mph for that amount of time accumulates up to entire football field in length without having eyes on the road, which makes a collision 23 times more likely (Texting and Driving Statistics). Texting and driving is also known to reduce the reaction time of the driver by 18% (Texting and Driving Statistics). With all this information about how texting and driving is a dangerous activity, legislatures have started to enforce new laws against texting and driving. While this is a good start to help prevent further deaths from car accidents related to texting and driving, the new laws aren’t as effective as laws that prevent drinking and driving.
Furthermore, studies have shown that texting and driving distracts the driver more than having a blood alcohol level of .08% (Biscontini). Texting and driving distracts people more than drinking and driving, however it has far less penalties than drinking and driving does. Texting and driving penalties vary nonetheless. In some cases texting and driving can lead to prison but only if the driver harms someone else. For the most part, texting and driving only leads to a fine with the amount depending on the state. Conversely, drinking and driving has serious implications with the law. Drinking and driving has both major fines and jail time depending on the driver’s blood alcohol level. Because of these stricter laws for drinking and driving, death tools have decreased by almost half since 1987 deeming these laws very effective (Lake). Texting and driving has only seen an increase in death tolls, and while the legislature has put laws in place, they are weak and don’t deter drivers from texting and driving and often show an increase in the amount of accidents (Sollisch). Instead of following the law, drivers are placing their phones deeper into their laps to avoid police pulling them over and giving them tickets (Sollisch). The law set forth isn’t as effective as many wanted it to be and is almost similar to speeding laws. Drivers will speed just like they will text while driving because the current law isn’t harsh enough to stop them from doing it. However, many feel that the law itself is causing the increase in deaths, because regardless of how harsh the law is drivers will text and drive and instead of stopping all together they will just be sneakier with it making them lose more focus. Though this is a good point, it isn’t the case with texting and driving. If the legislature reversed the laws set forth and there are no bans on texting and driving then nothing is preventing the drivers from doing this hazardous activity at all, and more and more people will start texting and driving and deaths will increase. However, if the current laws stay intact, those who find them harsh enough will stop texting and driving, but for those who think they can get away it and it isn’t harsh enough they will continue. Therefore, the legislature should implicate harsher laws similar to those of drinking and driving in order to discourage many other drivers from texting and driving. Many will find that texting and driving isn’t worth jail time and because of this the law will reduce the amount of drivers who text and drive and deaths caused by accidents related to texting will decrease.
Lastly, texting and driving not only effects the driver who was texting but the occupants of the other car involved and the families of those who were involved. Since the rise in texting and driving, deaths have also risen resulting in families losing their loved ones. Each day 11 families lose one of their teenage children due to texting and driving (Texting and Driving Statistics). These deaths, however, will not go silent. Many families have started clubs or websites to spread awareness for what the effects that texting and driving can have. Cynthia Williams, a women from Atlanta, GA, will tell her son’s story to anyone who is willing to listen in hopes that it will save their life. Her 17 year old son died in a car accident because his cousin was texting and driving and lost control of the vehicle. She wants to spread awareness about texting and driving so that her son’s life didn’t end for nothing. His life will mean something to the parents of those children who decided that they could wait to text back. Although his death was a horrible reality for his family, his mother’s decision to share his story could have saved hundreds of other teens from their untimely deaths (Texting and Driving Stories). Making stricter laws might help in changing young drivers minds and could help save thousands of families from experiencing the same thing Cynthia and thousands of others before had to experience.
In conclusion, the data and awareness that many provided shows an obvious need to change the laws against texting and driving to help reduce the amount of deaths per year caused by accidents. The amount of deaths of teenagers per day is too high and needs to be reduced drastically. The implications of drinking and driving laws prove to show that stricter laws do help in reducing the amount of deaths per year and these same strict laws should be applied to texting and driving. Having the support and awareness of thousands will not only help legislature change current laws, but will help influence teens to realize that texting and driving can in fact wait.