The Unsafe Practice of Teenage Texting and Driving.
Have you ever been driving down the road and someone crosses the double yellow line, comes into your driving lane and nearly causes you to wreck? Unfortunately, this type of occurrence is becoming more common than not. One of the culprits of such reckless driving habits is texting while driving. Unfortunately, this trend is rising among teen drivers and making the roads a dangerous place to be.
With the advancement of technology and easy access to cell phones, communication has never been easier and more convenient. However, there is one place where all communications should cease. That’s when you’re behind the steering wheel of an automobile. Research has revealed that texting while driving …show more content…
Well, here’s some food for thought. Did you know that “the average time people look at a phone screen to read a text message, while driving, is 4.6 seconds,” and that “driving a car at 55 miles per hour, you would have driven the entire length of a football field ---essentially blindfolded” (Ruderman)? Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute says, “It’s impossible” for people to safely text and drive at the same time. “Research shows that your hands, brain and most importantly, your eyes can’t handle driving and texting simultaneously” (Ruderman). Dingus also added that even driving at a slow speed, the risk of an accident is very high. While most people agree that texting and driving is dangerous and with the overwhelming data that supports this point, still about half of teens and people in the twenties do it. Dr. Thomas Britt, professor of social psychology at Clemson University, says “The reason for this disparity is that we tend to overestimate our ability to multitask.” Britt goes on to say that many people spend a lot of time in their car driving and a lot of time sending and receiving text messages and feel “adept at doing both” (Ruderman). Although, the majority of Americans are busy and pressed for time, multitasking may be necessary and beneficial on occasion, but behind the steering wheel of your car is not …show more content…
Although, some state officials have passed laws to make it illegal to text while driving, the following facts still remain: Teens texting while driving is now the number one cause of teenage deaths on the road, surpassing drunken driving. Nearly half of teens and people in their twenties admit to texting while driving. The average time people take to glance at a text message is 4.6 seconds and if you are driving your vehicle at 55 miles per hour, you will have traveled the length of a football field. Even though these facts are eye-opening and concerning, everyone can do something to help reverse this dangerous trend. I recommend that everyone take some personal responsibility and commit to turning off their cell phone before operating their vehicle. This one action alone could start turning things around immediately. Conversely, if you are someone that needs to keep your phone on while traveling, consider carpooling or taking public transportation. By doing so, it will make our roads a lot safer to be on and possibly save someone’s life, including
Have you ever been driving down the road and someone crosses the double yellow line, comes into your driving lane and nearly causes you to wreck? Unfortunately, this type of occurrence is becoming more common than not. One of the culprits of such reckless driving habits is texting while driving. Unfortunately, this trend is rising among teen drivers and making the roads a dangerous place to be.
With the advancement of technology and easy access to cell phones, communication has never been easier and more convenient. However, there is one place where all communications should cease. That’s when you’re behind the steering wheel of an automobile. Research has revealed that texting while driving …show more content…
Well, here’s some food for thought. Did you know that “the average time people look at a phone screen to read a text message, while driving, is 4.6 seconds,” and that “driving a car at 55 miles per hour, you would have driven the entire length of a football field ---essentially blindfolded” (Ruderman)? Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute says, “It’s impossible” for people to safely text and drive at the same time. “Research shows that your hands, brain and most importantly, your eyes can’t handle driving and texting simultaneously” (Ruderman). Dingus also added that even driving at a slow speed, the risk of an accident is very high. While most people agree that texting and driving is dangerous and with the overwhelming data that supports this point, still about half of teens and people in the twenties do it. Dr. Thomas Britt, professor of social psychology at Clemson University, says “The reason for this disparity is that we tend to overestimate our ability to multitask.” Britt goes on to say that many people spend a lot of time in their car driving and a lot of time sending and receiving text messages and feel “adept at doing both” (Ruderman). Although, the majority of Americans are busy and pressed for time, multitasking may be necessary and beneficial on occasion, but behind the steering wheel of your car is not …show more content…
Although, some state officials have passed laws to make it illegal to text while driving, the following facts still remain: Teens texting while driving is now the number one cause of teenage deaths on the road, surpassing drunken driving. Nearly half of teens and people in their twenties admit to texting while driving. The average time people take to glance at a text message is 4.6 seconds and if you are driving your vehicle at 55 miles per hour, you will have traveled the length of a football field. Even though these facts are eye-opening and concerning, everyone can do something to help reverse this dangerous trend. I recommend that everyone take some personal responsibility and commit to turning off their cell phone before operating their vehicle. This one action alone could start turning things around immediately. Conversely, if you are someone that needs to keep your phone on while traveling, consider carpooling or taking public transportation. By doing so, it will make our roads a lot safer to be on and possibly save someone’s life, including