...Penny Harris September 22, 2014 DRE-098 Distracted while driving Do you drive distracted? Do you care more about that phone call or text? Or what about that conversation or laughter in the backseat? A lot of people don't realize how selfish they are to put there life at risk, and more importantly the other people in the car with them or innocent bystanders as well as people in the other vehicle. In 2009, The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported the following, “almost 450,000 people were injured and 5,500 died in motor vehicle crashes in which distracted driving was a factor.” There are many things that can distract you while driving, let us examine why we should avoid them and a few of the main distractions while driving. The main causes of distracted driving our talking on the phone, texting while driving, as well as internal and external distractions. Talking on the phone or texting while driving I'll admit can be a great way to pass by time and get things done while driving, but is it safe? According to Virginia Tech Transportation Institutes (VTTI), “laboratory and naturalistic studies showed that talking on a cell phone raises the risk of collision by more than 30%.” Alternatively texting can be just as dangerous if not more dangerous because you take your eyes off the road to look down to text as well as thinking about the conversation. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has stated the following on the subject, “For example, studies...
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...Driving can be a great opportunity, but it can also be a great risk. It is interesting to me that 5,850 distracted driver crashes occured in Utah which resulted in 3,202 injured people and 28 deaths. This is information is according to 2015 Utah Stats. This makes me really sad that people get distracted while driving and sometimes kill people. Getting distracted while driving is not worth the risk of injuring yourself and others. When people get distracted while driving it causes the risk factors to accelerate quickly and can cause bad situations.I think that some popular distractions are cell phones. Cell phones can be a great tool, but they can also be a great distraction. When people are driving they should put their cell phones in a place...
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...Abstract Advancing technology in wireless communications is presenting a growing concern for distracted driving due to using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. Although distracted driving accidents and fatalities have risen in the last decade, placing a ban on the use of a cell phone or other electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle as some states have will not resolve the issue. In fact a ban on cell phones and driving may very well increase the accident and fatality rate because drivers are now more involved with concealing their illegal behaviors. More citizen participation and drivers safety management should be more carefully considered in a transpiring situation such as this. More Americans should be made aware of the dangers of distracted driving, and become more involved in a reform for safety. Distracted Driving In the last decade, accidents resulting in injuries, or death caused by distracted driving has increased drastically as technology in wireless communications has advanced. Distracted driving is defined as operating a motor vehicle while simultaneously focusing your attention elsewhere (Goldfarb, 2010). Distracted driving includes texting and driving, using a cell phone or smart phone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading (including maps), using a navigation system, watching a video, adjusting the radio, CD player, and/or MP3 player. About every 24 seconds there is an accident, and so far this year...
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...Texting While Driving The number one leading cause of teenage driving deaths and crashes is texting while driving. Texting while driving is teenagers’ number one driving distraction (Cell Phone). Texting while driving has not really been a big concern until recently. Law enforcement have realized that the percentage of texting and driving accident have risen over the past years. Texting while driving has been getting ignored but now it’s time to bring it to the light to save some lives. Texting while driving is the #1 wrong thing to do while driving than anything else (Cell Phone). Teenagers do not realize how dangerous texting and driving is; it can cause injuries, distractions, and even deaths. Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic, quickly becoming one of the country’s top killers (Distracted Driving Laws). Every year there are one million six hundred thousand, accidents per year and of those accidents there are three hundred thirsty thousand, injuries per year (Distracted Driving Laws). Eleven teen deaths every day due to texting while driving (Distracted Driving Laws). Nearly twenty-five percent of all car accidents are due texting while driving (Distracted Driving Laws). Texting while driving is about six times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated (Distracted Driving Laws). Texting while driving is the same as driving after four beers (Distracted Driving Laws). Texting while driving takes away your attention for five seconds...
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...Distracted driving: Stay focused when on the road 1. Teddi Dineley Johnson It’s 8 a.m., and you jump in your car to drive to work. You have every intention of driving safely, but within minutes of merging onto the highway you’ve already checked your makeup in the mirror, fiddled with your car’s radio, programmed your GPS for a meeting location, made two calls on your cellphone and sent a text message to your sister. You might not realize it, but you’re a distracted driver. Each time you take your focus off the road, even if just for a split second, you’re putting your life and the lives of others in danger. An emerging and deadly epidemic on the nation’s roads, distracted driving-related crashes caused at least 5,500 deaths and nearly 450,000 injuries in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, since many local law enforcement agencies don’t routinely document distraction factors in crash reports, federal safety officials believe the numbers are actually much higher. “Driving a car is a very complex task,” says Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which estimates that distractions are associated with 15 percent to 25 percent of crashes at all levels. “It requires your complete attention. All it takes is a glance away for more than two seconds and you can get into serious trouble.” Spend your time at the wheel focused on the road, not on distractions like phones, food or friends. Graphics courtesy iStockphoto...
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...Distracted driving impacts anyone who drives or cares about someone who drives. I live in Northern Virginia and the traffic here, like most metropolitan areas, is terrible and growing worse each year. The Northern Virginia driving population increases every year resulting from business and housing growth. Each year also brings a wave of new teenagers into the driving population. Each day during my typical commute one hour commute, I observe drivers text messaging on their cell phones. A recent survey conducted by Journey Safe, a safe driving advocacy organization, found that over 90% of teens admit to doing multiple tasks while driving, such as talking on the cell phone, eating, playing loud music, channel surfing, using mp3 players, and interacting with friends in the car even when they admit they find it distracting. The same survey results indicate that an overwhelming 75% of teens admitted to text messaging while driving (JourneySafe, 2007). Text messaging while driving is a growing trend and is becoming one of the nation’s top killers. In 2011, 1.3 billion (nearly 25% of all) automobile accidents resulted from texting while driving and 11 teens died everyday from texting while driving (Textinganddrivingsafety.com, 2013). However, only thirty-nine (39) states plus DC prohibit all drivers from text messaging (Distraction.gov 2012). Quite frankly, distracted driving is a dangerous reality and it makes driving risky business for everyone on the roads. Americans should...
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...Evolution of Distracted Driving The problem of distracted driving is more common than operators like to admit and is a serious factor in automobile accidents and fatalities. With the advent of cellular telephones, distracted driving is coming more and more under scrutiny, but distracted driving dates back almost to the beginning of the automobile. In 1930, car radios were in question. Massachusetts and St. Louis proposed laws to ban radios while driving. According to historian Michael Lamm, “Opponents of car radios argued that they distracted drivers and caused accidents, that tuning them took a driver’s attention away from the road, and that music could lull a driver to sleep” (qtd. in DeMain). In a 1934 poll of New York Auto club members, 56 percent considered the car radio a “dangerous distraction.” However, the Radio Manufacturers Association recognized the potential benefits of the radio and defended keeping them for the purposes of informing drivers of bad road conditions, severe weather and helping sleepy drivers stay awake (qtd. in DeMain). Automobiles have changed greatly since their inception, including the interior accessories and instrumentation. Automobile manufacturers have not always taken into account the diminished vision of older drivers when designing labels for the interior accessories. This can lead to older drivers spending more time struggling to read the poorly labeled instruments instead of concentrating on the road. Many people use the car interior...
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...Since then cell phones, although useful, have become distractions for many Americans. They have distracted students from performing well on their school work and adults from the duties of their lives; however, cell phones have not distracted people more than when they are behind the wheel. On Automotive Forums it states, “Studies have found that texting while driving causes a 400% increase in time spent with eyes off the road” (Forums). When people text while driving, they focus more on their cell phones than they do on the road, which puts them and drivers around them at a greater risk for accidents. One author writes, “The new study, which entailed outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over 18 months, found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting” (“AMERICAN SCIENTIST”). The risk drivers take when they distract themselves while driving is one Americans can live without, for it not only increases the risk of danger but it causes tragedies. There have been many known car crashes involving driver distractions. The Forums also express that “In 2008, 5,870 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction (16% of total fatalities)” (Forums). The saddest part of these accidents is not only the death of victims but the fact that their deaths could have easily been avoided if the drivers had not distracted themselves. Americans need to take into consideration the danger they are not only putting themselves...
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...accidents while driving. Most of these accidents are caused by distractions, one of the most dangerous distractions are texting while driving. Many people get injured or even killed because the driver has to answer one text. States try to fine people or imprison them just to make sure those drivers don’t do it again, but they haven’t made it illegal. In order to keep the driver, passenger or pedestrian safe, it is better to make it illegal. Texting while driving is a huge reason why there so many accidents on the road. “Texting messaging creates a crash risk of 23 times worse than driving while not being distracted” (The Dangers of Texting while Driving). This risk is big, but that's just half of it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filed that in 2012 most distractions while driving was 18 percent of fatal crashes, wounding 421,000 people and killing 3,328 others (The Dangers of Texting while Driving). Those distractions were because of cell phone use. It also says a simple text like “I love you” can be the cause of a fatal accident (46 Important Texting while Driving Fatalities Statics). These statements support why texting while driving is so dangerous....
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...Distracted Driving Distracted driving is the main cause of car crashes in the United States. “Each year, over 330,000 accidents caused by texting while driving lead to severe injuries. This means that over 78% of all distracted drivers are distracted because they have texted while driving” (Hopkins 1). Distracted driving is an issue that is occurring with all populations that are on the roadways.This issue is continually on the rise due to technology advancements. Many people think distracted driving is not a serious offense,but distracted driving could take someone’s life and if nothing is done this will only increase as the years go on. Distracted driving is a major concern for all people on the roads today and solutions that could help the issue are having a fine for anyone who is pulled over for distracted driving, reducing the number of colors in roadway advertisements and make laws gives a police officer to pull someone over if they think they are texting and driving and can give them a ticket. The introduction of cell phones was in the mid 2000s. By 2007, one in six fatal car crashes were from a...
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...Distracted driving is a big problem in the United States, and people are more likely to get in an accident if they are distracted. Studies show that texting while driving impairs normal driving. In 1980 Candy Lightner was drunk driving on night and she killed a 13 year old girl, and she later said that the girl she killed was her daughter. Candy lightner also later said “ After the crash there is an impact.” People are more likely to get in an accident if they are distracted, but though scientists are not able to find out if all car accidents are from distracted driving. Studies show that texting while driving impairs normal driving. Priscilla Natkins says distracted driving is bad and she says to keep your phones and remind friends not...
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...Hang Up: It’s Not Just Your Life Brad Gardner Michael Hunter ENG215 November 4, 2014 Hang up: It's not just your life Although it appears to be a common sense notion, the differences in laws and regulations regarding the use of mobile devices while driving are not the same from state to state. No one person is a better-distracted driver than the next and because of this, all states should have standardized policies regarding the use of mobile devices while driving. Every day we can make a change; make better choices, to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. We can make a simple choice to hang up our cell phone before getting in our car and driving. We can choose not to accidently run over a young child walking across the street on their way to school due to the distraction of a cell phone. It sounds simple enough to do; yet, every second, someone decides to take that child's life. They decide that it is more important to answer their phone or reply to a text while driving over the wellbeing of others. Distracted driving and its repercussions have been a growing concern since the first-day drivers began using mobile devices. The first cellular phones became available for consumer use in the mid-80s. Widespread use was not marked for almost another decade. In the early 90s, less than 4.5 million people used cell phones. Over the last 15 or so years the population of cell phone users has spiked to over 230 million, according to statistics from the Insurance Information...
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...Distracted Driving Driving is a big responsibility on the road ways, “Each year, more than 100,000 crashes result in injury and death involve texting drivers”, (Overton, et al). Distracted driving, such as texting while behind the wheel, is a recurring issue within the United States. Distractions are anything that requires drivers to take their eyes off the road or hands off the wheel. Not everyone drives responsibly, and accidents can happen no matter how experienced the drivers are behind the wheel. Abiding by the rules and regulations are all based upon the driver and also based on the passengers to warn the driver to not drive distracted. Although people argue that laws currently in place are sufficient, distracted driving causes death and injuries, so stricter laws and new technology in cars that monitor device usage are necessary in order to reduce the number of accidents caused by distracted drivers....
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...Criminal Law August 12, 2013 Texting and Driving: It Can Wait Leslee’s life changed forever on March 4th. Leslee Henson and her husband David were involved in a terrible pedestrian-motor accident. They were not driving a car; they were simply going for a walk on a Monday morning in their neighborhood when tragedy struck. The motorist that was guilty of texting, rear ended another vehicle that struck the pedestrians. David shielded his wife, Leslee and took the death for her. In other words, he pushed her out of the way and he died while she survived and has to endure more than 5,000 stitches and staples on her head and neck. Bones in Leslee’s neck and back were broken. She had bleeding in her brain. Her shoulder was injured. The woman that caused the accident was 50 years old, late for work and was texting with her head down. In addition to all these factors, she did not have insurance which leaves Leslee with the medical bills. The car that she rear ended was being driven by a man named Fred, who witnessed David pushing his wife out the way and taking the blow for her. 1 So many individuals’ lives will never be the same because that lady chose to send a text. It has not been revealed what the message entailed but if it was that pertinent, than as a mature person she should have pulled over and taken precautionary measures. David was an amazing father, husband, uncle, and grandfather to 10 darling grand kids. Leslee did go home, two and a half weeks after the accident...
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...Why is the use of cell phones while driving dangerous? Studies show that 1.6 million crashes are caused by distracted driving per year. Cell phones should never be used while driving for the following reasons you could get in an accident, you could be injured, or you could possibly die. Drivers ages 15-44 years old die because of accidents. If you were to text while behind the wheel you could get in an accident. In 2011, 1.3 million accidents were caused by texting behind the wheel. Cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes per year. 1 out of 4 accidents in the U.S is caused by texting while driving. 21% of teens are involved in accidents due to distracted driving. In 2013, 16 percent of all police-reported crashes were caused...
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