Driving Smart
At any given moment of daylight, it is estimated that 660,000 Americans are using electronic devices while driving (Halsey). It has been determined that using a cell phone while driving has the same effect as the legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent which creates a scary outcome (“Cell Phones and Driving”). Having over 660,000 practically drunk or distracted drivers on the road makes it unsafe for anyone. If something isn’t done soon, the number of fatalities will continue to rise. Education should be used to reduce the number of deaths caused by distracted driving because drivers are still unaware of all of its dangers, current laws are not effective enough, and simulators have been proven to be very effective in educating …show more content…
According to Janet Brooking, executive director of Drive Smart Virginia, “The simulation is extremely valuable because it affords the opportunity to work directly with new drivers before they develop dangerous habits” (MacDonald). If the simulator can end these habits of texting and using a cell phone while driving before they even begin, it is the best long term solution. Some opponents to education would counter this argument with the idea that adults who have been educated before they began to drive still choose to drive with distractions. One statistic states that 40 percent of drivers between the ages of 19 and 39 say they text while they drive (Halsey). There would be no reason to pour large amounts of money into these simulators when drivers are still going to ignore the facts. To refute this idea, supporters would state that simulators give a different kind of education hasn’t been available before. The simulator isn’t a textbook; it gives students the opportunity to be exposed to the potentially fatal dangers of texting and driving without actually having to put their life in danger (MacDonald). When drivers are exposed to the life threatening situations, many of them will choose not to drive distracted when they are actually behind the
At any given moment of daylight, it is estimated that 660,000 Americans are using electronic devices while driving (Halsey). It has been determined that using a cell phone while driving has the same effect as the legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent which creates a scary outcome (“Cell Phones and Driving”). Having over 660,000 practically drunk or distracted drivers on the road makes it unsafe for anyone. If something isn’t done soon, the number of fatalities will continue to rise. Education should be used to reduce the number of deaths caused by distracted driving because drivers are still unaware of all of its dangers, current laws are not effective enough, and simulators have been proven to be very effective in educating …show more content…
According to Janet Brooking, executive director of Drive Smart Virginia, “The simulation is extremely valuable because it affords the opportunity to work directly with new drivers before they develop dangerous habits” (MacDonald). If the simulator can end these habits of texting and using a cell phone while driving before they even begin, it is the best long term solution. Some opponents to education would counter this argument with the idea that adults who have been educated before they began to drive still choose to drive with distractions. One statistic states that 40 percent of drivers between the ages of 19 and 39 say they text while they drive (Halsey). There would be no reason to pour large amounts of money into these simulators when drivers are still going to ignore the facts. To refute this idea, supporters would state that simulators give a different kind of education hasn’t been available before. The simulator isn’t a textbook; it gives students the opportunity to be exposed to the potentially fatal dangers of texting and driving without actually having to put their life in danger (MacDonald). When drivers are exposed to the life threatening situations, many of them will choose not to drive distracted when they are actually behind the