It was a normal day on Friday March 20, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. People were at work, eager to leave and start their weekends. However, for Amanda Pausa, this would be a day she would not soon forget. Around 4:00 pm, she was texting while driving on U.S. Highway 12. As she drove down the road, she failed to notice that her vehicle was beginning to drift into the opposite lane. By the time Pausa realized this, it was too late. She had crashed head on into the car of Scott Brown. While they both suffered injuries, none of them were life threatening (Spicuzza n.p.). Today, stories like these are too common. Not all of the victims are as lucky as Pausa and Brown.
Texting while driving is a big problem in the U.S. In 2013 alone, …show more content…
In a survey of teenagers, the amount of people that text while driving increases from age 16 to age 18. At age 16, only 24% of teens say that they text while driving. In the same survey, 58% of 18 year olds say that they text while driving (Ricks n.p.). This shows that the risk increases with age and that teens are not seeing it as a problem. When a person decides to text and drive, they cut their reaction time. Now imagine a teenager, who is still an inexperienced driver, trying to text and drive. It becomes an even bigger hazard. When asked why they text while driving, 28% of teens said that they feel like they are going to miss out on something (Ortutay, n.p.). In a world that is as digitally linked as we are, everything is shared. A person could send a text and instantly be communicating with their friends. This can become a problem however, when teens keep the conversations going while behind the wheel. This is where technological solutions could become …show more content…
One of the most effective of them, is to use technology to prevent its misuse. AT&T has created an app that users can download to help prevent texting while driving. When the user travels at a speed greater than 15 mph, the app prevents messages and calls from appearing on the phone. Although it was developed by AT&T, it is available to anyone, regardless of their cell phone carrier. Another technological solution is a project being developed by a company called Katasi. It is a Colorado based company that has developed a system called “Groove”. This system uses GPS and a computer system already onboard most vehicles to determine the user’s phone location relative to their vehicle. If it is in close proximity, for instance inside the car, and the car begins moving, it will shut off incoming communication. It also uses this technology to sense who is driving and who is not so that passengers still have freedom to use their devices (Richtel, n.p.). These systems have the potential to save lives. If we can use technology to fight this problem, and educate the teenagers on the risks of texting while driving, the numbers of people injured and killed will
Texting while driving is a big problem in the U.S. In 2013 alone, …show more content…
In a survey of teenagers, the amount of people that text while driving increases from age 16 to age 18. At age 16, only 24% of teens say that they text while driving. In the same survey, 58% of 18 year olds say that they text while driving (Ricks n.p.). This shows that the risk increases with age and that teens are not seeing it as a problem. When a person decides to text and drive, they cut their reaction time. Now imagine a teenager, who is still an inexperienced driver, trying to text and drive. It becomes an even bigger hazard. When asked why they text while driving, 28% of teens said that they feel like they are going to miss out on something (Ortutay, n.p.). In a world that is as digitally linked as we are, everything is shared. A person could send a text and instantly be communicating with their friends. This can become a problem however, when teens keep the conversations going while behind the wheel. This is where technological solutions could become …show more content…
One of the most effective of them, is to use technology to prevent its misuse. AT&T has created an app that users can download to help prevent texting while driving. When the user travels at a speed greater than 15 mph, the app prevents messages and calls from appearing on the phone. Although it was developed by AT&T, it is available to anyone, regardless of their cell phone carrier. Another technological solution is a project being developed by a company called Katasi. It is a Colorado based company that has developed a system called “Groove”. This system uses GPS and a computer system already onboard most vehicles to determine the user’s phone location relative to their vehicle. If it is in close proximity, for instance inside the car, and the car begins moving, it will shut off incoming communication. It also uses this technology to sense who is driving and who is not so that passengers still have freedom to use their devices (Richtel, n.p.). These systems have the potential to save lives. If we can use technology to fight this problem, and educate the teenagers on the risks of texting while driving, the numbers of people injured and killed will