The Harmful Effects Of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a massive problem in countries all over the world. Instead of paying attention to the road drivers are looking at their cell phones, reading and sending out text messages. While many places now have laws banning drivers from using cellphones for uses other than calls while the vehicle is in motion, many people still look away from the road and back to their phones. The effects of this range anywhere from getting lost to personal injury and damage to the driver’s vehicle, to even serious or fatal injuries to other people. When driving en route to get anywhere, most people would agree that it is important to pay attention to your surroundings: the cars around you, the speed limit, and all of the signs which have the information necessary to reach your destination. One of the effects of distracted driving is that while a driver is glancing down at their phone, they can miss the street and exit signs for their turn, and by the time they are back to looking at the road and paying attention they find that they have somehow gotten lost, and end up losing time trying to correct their course. Looking away from the road to read a quick message or to send out at a text might not seem that bad, after all it only takes a few seconds to do …show more content…
Being unaware of your surroundings while driving is very dangerous and can often lead to a collision with other motorists and pedestrians, which can lead to serious injury to those people and even death. According to a summary of the statistical findings on traffic safety by the U.S. Department of Transportation published in April, 2014, "Ten percent of fatal crashes, eighteen percent of injury crashes, and sixteen percent of all motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2012 were reported as distraction-affected crashes" and "In 2012, there were 3,328 people killed and an estimated additional 421,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted