Distracted Driving

Solution To Distracted Driving

Although most people agree that distracted driving causes many fatal accidents on the road, most people do not recognize that the activities they participate in while driving can be distracting for them. Distracted driving can be classified as eating, drinking, or being on a cell phone. The problem is that people think that they can handle the distractions and multi-task, they are overconfident in their driving abilities.  As a result, more fatalities are occurring on the road and innocent lives are being taken too soon. Distracted driving can affect anyone from any walk of life. For example, I have heard numerous stories of small children being struck by distracted drivers and dying. It does not matter who the driver is, how experienced he or she is, or who is in the car with them, distracted driving is capable of affecting anyone. More importantly, distracted driving kills and therefore steps should be taken in order to put an end to it. The amount of car accidents and deaths due to distracted driving is getting out of hand.  A great deal of this problem is caused by the use of cell phones while driving. With this said, cell phones should be banned while driving.

Most people do realize that banning cell phones completely while driving would decrease the amount of car accidents and deaths caused by car accidents in the United States, however, some still create excuses that would oppose my viewpoint. For example, one may argue that cell phones may be needed in case of an emergency. This is a very valid argument, however, the use of cell phones creates most of these emergencies. “A car driver talking on their phone is 1.3 times more likely to get into an accident” ("Cell Phone & Texting Accident Statistics." Edgarsnyder.com). Cell phone use is a large problem that contributes to car accidents and deaths and so, if the use of cell phones while driving was eliminated completely, the number of emergencies would decrease significantly. Another strong opposing view is that passenger in the car cause the same level of distraction as cell phone use, therefore, the ban of cell phones would be ineffective unless something was also done about passengers. “The University of Utah study, conducted in 2004, determined that drivers perform more efficiently when having a conversation with a vehicle passenger, as compared to having a conversation on a cell phone, because driving and traffic become a part of the actual conversation. Those communicating via a mobile phone were four times more likely to miss an exit than those talking with a passenger” (“Mobile Phones and Driving Safety State Laws” mobilemarketingstrategy.biz). The reason that passengers do not cause as much distraction is because they are able to alter their own conversation due to levels of danger around them.

            In my opinion, cell phones should be banned completely while driving in order to keep the drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safer and out of harms way. “In 2009, more than 5,400 people died in crashes that were reported to involve a distracted driver and about 448,000 people were injured. Among those killed or injured in these crashes, nearly 1,000 deaths and 24,000 injuries included cell phone use as the major distraction” ("Distracted Driving." dc.gov). The statistics do not lie, and it is very apparent that the problem of cell phone use while driving is becoming a bigger deal each and every year. In today’s society America has become very materialistic and it is hard to find someone not reliant or obsessed with his or her cell phone. They have become so reliant that they cannot even put it down for the amount of time they are driving. I see this as a problem because most people underestimate their addiction and think that if they have their phone in the car with them they will be able to suppress the urge to text, tweet, email, or call. In reality, most people have the attitude that they can just check their phone for one split second and be fine. It only takes one split second, one split second to ruin someone’s life or even end it. Distracted driving is such a large problem for the reason that people do not even recognize it as a problem. If law takes this distraction away, we will all be better off.

There is not one person that would not benefit from a law banning cell phones while driving. Without cell phones in use on the road less accidents would occur and all people on the road would benefit and be safer. The drivers would be safer and not have to worry about the guilt that would come with killing an innocent person because of their distracted driving. Passenger would not have to have to feel unsafe and on edge in their friend’s car. These passengers would not have to worry about if they should speak up about the drivers’ cell phone use because the problem would not be occurring. Also, pedestrians would not have to worry about crossing the street and having a distracted driver coming out of nowhere and hitting them. Lastly, mothers and fathers of small children can worry less about their children playing in the front yard and having a distracted driving strike them. The new laws would benefit us all by keeping us all safer on and off the roads.

Fig. 1. Distracted Driving Can Affect Anyone ("Ditch the Distractions!" lexleeskids.org)

Even though eliminating cell phone use while driving would be the best solution to the problem at hand, I do understand that a compromise to the two opposing views may need to be made instead. This common ground could be that a system or app could be placed on the phones so that while in the car, only emergency calls can be made. With this solution all other numbers, phone calls, and activities would be blocked so the distraction level would be decreased. However, in case of an actual emergency, 911 would be accessible to the driver. This seems to be the best compromise because both ends would benefit. It also seems to be the safest alternative because the driver would be less distracted but still be able to contact an emergency line.

In conclusion, cell phone use should be banned while driving in order to decrease distracted driving and keep everyone safer on and off the roads. The number of fatal crashes due to distracted driving is disturbing and unnecessary. However, it can be put to an end with one simple law that takes away cell phone use completely in vehicles. The main problem is that most people do not think of themselves as “distracted drivers” and then in turn place themselves in dangerous driving situations. All in all it would be in everyone’s best interest to end the cycle and ban cell phones while driving.

Fig.2. Texting And Driving Leads To Crashes ("City of Golden Valley." goldenvalleymn.gov)

Works Cited

"Cell Phone & Texting Accident Statistics." Edgarsnyder.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar.            

            2013.

"City of Golden Valley." Golden Valley News. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.

"Distracted Driving." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease

            Control and Prevention, 14 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.

"Ditch the Distractions!" Lexlees Kids Child Safety and Injury Prevention. N.p., n.d.

            Web. 14 Mar. 2013.

"MobileMarketingStrategy.biz ." Mobile Phones and Driving Safety State Laws. N.p.,

            n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.