Phones and Driving

Phone use and driving are two activities that should never be intertwined. Using a phone while driving is not acceptable. The level of distraction that comes from using a phone takes a driver's attention away from the road. A driver's attention should be focused on the roadway, not a phone screen. Cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle has led to a heartbreaking amount of people losing their lives and even more injuries. It is simply not safe and can lead to dangerous and heart wrenching moments. Cell phone use while driving needs to be banned nationwide. It will not cease to occur unless people see and hear the damage it can inflict.

When someone is using their phone while operating a motor vehicle, it takes a significant amount of attention away from the road, and onto the phone instead. Looking down at a cell phone for 5 sec while going just 55 mph means that you have just crossed the length of an entire football field without looking up at the road. The AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety ranked using a hands-free mobile device as a level 2 distraction and texting while operating a vehicle as a level 3 distraction, the highest level. Such distractions are unacceptable when operating a motor vehicle, it could lead to injuries or worse. A study conducted by Cambridge Mobile Telematics revealed that roughly 52% of drives that resulted in a crash were caused by distracted driving, and roughly eleven teens die per day as a result of texting and driving. Inexperienced drivers, such as teens, are more prone to engage in distracted driving, and are more likely to suffer a crash or accident when engaging in distracted driving. Having your attention focused on anything other than the road is a terrible and dangerous idea, and should not be tolerated under any circumstance.

Williams 2

Using a phone while driving, be it calling, texting, or anything else, can lead to horrible and heartbreaking injuries and even deaths. In 2016 alone, distracted driving took the lives of 3,450 drivers, and injured over 300,000 more. Using a phone while driving is a gamble with death. The CDC reports that nine people are killed and more than 1,000 people are injured daily as a result of distracted driving. Despite knowing these facts, many drivers still report that they engage in distracted driving, usually via phone. The individuals who choose not to use their phone while driving realize the consequences of distracted driving, and choose to seek the benefits of not using a phone while driving. Cell phone use while driving is a horrible practice. Sending a text is most certainly not worth a human life.

Using a phone while on the road is, as said, a dangerous practice, and must come to an end. The best way to prevent phone use on the road is legislation. New laws or stricter punishments on these laws would likely reduce the likelihood that people would choose to text or call while driving. There are ways to prevent phone use while driving that do not necessarily involve government. Making sure individuals, especially teens, know the risks behind using a phone while driving can persuade them to stop or not start. For teens, stricter penalties from parents would also dissuade them. Give instructions to new drivers to specifically not get on their phone while operating a motor vehicle.

Williams 3

Using a phone while driving, or being distracted by any piece of technology for that matter, is not acceptable. Lives have been lost, many have been injured, and vehicles have been totaled, all because of a call or text message. Laws must be put in place, and knowledge must be spread to end this practice. When driving, please put your phone down, and instead focus your attention to the task at hand.