The Dangers Of Texting While Driving

Register to read the introduction… A visual distraction is anything that takes your eyes off the road. While driving we are constantly being side tracked by signs and advertisements we see all over the place from the newest restaurants opening, to the $100 billion Powerball billboards on the highway, the last thing you need to be doing is trying to reply to a text while paying attention to all of these catchy signs. Cognitive distractors are anything that takes your mind off the road like engaging in a conversation via text or talking on the phone, or trying to operate your navigating system while en route. The National Safety Council states, “Drivers talking on cell phones miss half of the information in their driving environment” (National Safety Council) which causes people to become unaware of their surroundings. And lastly, manual distractions which are any distractors causing you to take your hands off the wheel such as reaching for your phone to send that quick text.
By taking the chance of sending that quick text, you are not only endangering yourself, but many other drivers and pedestrians as well. Innocent people’s lives are being taken every day due to a simple distraction that can easily be avoided. The …show more content…
There are many solutions to stop texting while driving. Text before you drive, place your phone out of reach while being behind the wheel, or simply just ignore your phone by turning it off until you reach your destination. If you cannot hear the notifications from your phone, you will be less tempted to respond while driving. And if a text is that important and cannot wait, designate a texter, borrow thumbs from a friend and have them text for you. No text is important enough to risk your life. Like AT&T says, “It can