Nicole Migut (FGCU): End Texting While Driving

Texting while driving is a high risk factor to our communities.  Those who read text message or send them while they drive seem to be “cool”, they can “multitask.” But the truth is everyone time someone looks down at their phone for a brief second, their eyes and concentration are taken off the road. 

The Department for Transport states that “Driving and mobile phones don’t mix. That is why we increased the penalty for illegally using a mobile when driving.”  Texting while driving shows an increase in speed changes, mostly slowing down, and swerving within lanes.  Swerving in and out of lanes because you are too busy on your phone is a dangerous hazard to yourself and to everyone else on the road.  48% of young Americans from 12-17 say they’ve been in a car while the driver was texting. 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage, each year. Drivers between 18 and 24, almost 50% are texting while driving.  Over one-third of all young drivers, ages 24 and under, are texting on the road. Many teenagers admit that texting is their number one distraction while on the road.

Texting while driving needs to be reduced, and I feel the only way to perform such an action is to make it illegal to be on your phone while behind the wheel.  Most states have already started enforcing a law for this behavior.  Yet, even though it is illegal, texting while driving seems to be a big risk with car accidents.  The data of a text is recorded with the service provider, which means that connection between texting and an accident is not very difficult to prove, just as it is with cell phone conversations.  From my previous experience I have look down at phone while driving for a split second and when I look up, I have to slam hard on my brakes so I do not hit the car in front of me.  Everyone who drives know that texting while behind the wheel is very dangerous, yet we keep performing this hazardous behavior.  In order to decrease accidents that occur from cell phone use behind the wheel, another step of action has to be taken.

This entry was posted on 22. February 2010 at 02:35 and is filed under Social Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.