One Decision Can Change It All
Next time you’re at a stoplight, look around you. Chances are most of the people you see behind the wheel will be distracted in some way, such as texting. Besides cell phone use,“Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person 's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety” (US. National Highway). According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving is more than just using your cell phone or doing other things that cause you to take your eyes off the road. It can be taking your hands off the wheel to grab something or your mind being distracted by your thoughts and emotions (US.CDC). The National Highway …show more content…
Besides using electronic gadgets, distractions also can include adjusting a radio, eating and drinking, reading, grooming, and interacting with passengers” (qtd. in "Distracted Driving." Cellphone Laws). Distracted driving isn’t a small issue that can just be swept under the rug with other minor problems. The National Council of State Legislators reported that, “ In 2013, approximately 3,154 people in this country died in crashes that involved a distracted driver, and 424,000 people were injured”( "Distracted Driving." National Council of State Legislators). The major problem with distracted driving is people don’t think they are doing anything wrong. According to the U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Only about 1 out of 5 young drivers think that texting makes no difference to their driving performance. 68 percent of young drivers 18 to 20 are willing to answer incoming phone calls on some, most, or all driving trips” (US. National Highway). Many people state that they only look down for “a second” or that it is just “one quick text”. The reality is that, “At 55 mph, the average text takes your eyes off the road long enough to cover a football field” (US. CDC). This problem has been constantly ignored and has …show more content…
No, not gambling or drugs, I am talking about the addiction to cell phones and other technology. People depend on technology in our generation. For example, I bet if you asked a teen what they would save if their house was on fire, their cell phone would be one of the first 10 things listed. In the 90’s you could leave your house without a phone and go out with your friends. Now kids can’t leave their house without their phones, it has become a “necessity” in everyday life. The National Safety Council predicts that, “21 percent of all auto collisions in 2013 (1.2 million out of 5.7 million) were linked to the use of handheld or hands-free cell phone use” (qtd. in Hopkins). This cell phone obsession is such an issue that people are willing to risk getting into an accident for it (Drehmer). As a result, Officer Drehmer believes that texting while driving has, “Without a doubt it has gotten worse. Smart phones didn 't exist when I started my career. People weren 't attached to their phones at that time. You only used the phone if you had to make a necessary phone call, not to just have a casual conversation or to kill time while driving. As the technology got better and the price decreased, the usage increased”(Drehmer). Some people may believe that cell phones don’t play a major role in this universal issue and that the two have no correlation.
Next time you’re at a stoplight, look around you. Chances are most of the people you see behind the wheel will be distracted in some way, such as texting. Besides cell phone use,“Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person 's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety” (US. National Highway). According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving is more than just using your cell phone or doing other things that cause you to take your eyes off the road. It can be taking your hands off the wheel to grab something or your mind being distracted by your thoughts and emotions (US.CDC). The National Highway …show more content…
Besides using electronic gadgets, distractions also can include adjusting a radio, eating and drinking, reading, grooming, and interacting with passengers” (qtd. in "Distracted Driving." Cellphone Laws). Distracted driving isn’t a small issue that can just be swept under the rug with other minor problems. The National Council of State Legislators reported that, “ In 2013, approximately 3,154 people in this country died in crashes that involved a distracted driver, and 424,000 people were injured”( "Distracted Driving." National Council of State Legislators). The major problem with distracted driving is people don’t think they are doing anything wrong. According to the U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Only about 1 out of 5 young drivers think that texting makes no difference to their driving performance. 68 percent of young drivers 18 to 20 are willing to answer incoming phone calls on some, most, or all driving trips” (US. National Highway). Many people state that they only look down for “a second” or that it is just “one quick text”. The reality is that, “At 55 mph, the average text takes your eyes off the road long enough to cover a football field” (US. CDC). This problem has been constantly ignored and has …show more content…
No, not gambling or drugs, I am talking about the addiction to cell phones and other technology. People depend on technology in our generation. For example, I bet if you asked a teen what they would save if their house was on fire, their cell phone would be one of the first 10 things listed. In the 90’s you could leave your house without a phone and go out with your friends. Now kids can’t leave their house without their phones, it has become a “necessity” in everyday life. The National Safety Council predicts that, “21 percent of all auto collisions in 2013 (1.2 million out of 5.7 million) were linked to the use of handheld or hands-free cell phone use” (qtd. in Hopkins). This cell phone obsession is such an issue that people are willing to risk getting into an accident for it (Drehmer). As a result, Officer Drehmer believes that texting while driving has, “Without a doubt it has gotten worse. Smart phones didn 't exist when I started my career. People weren 't attached to their phones at that time. You only used the phone if you had to make a necessary phone call, not to just have a casual conversation or to kill time while driving. As the technology got better and the price decreased, the usage increased”(Drehmer). Some people may believe that cell phones don’t play a major role in this universal issue and that the two have no correlation.