Should drivers be allowed to use their phones while driving?

Every year, there are 1.6 million car crashes due to cell phone use while driving. (https://www. edgarsnyder. com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics. html) One out of every four crashes is, all in all, caused by somebody being so distracted and sucked in by their phone. When are people going to realize that using any kind of cellular device while driving is a distraction so dangerous, it could cost others their lives, as well as their own? Is sending that one text really worth dying over? People need to see the dangers of using cell phones while driving. It has become such a giant problem, and it needs to be stopped. Drivers should be prohibited from handling or looking at their phones while driving.

Teens are the most likely case of texting and driving. Nowadays, teens feel the need to always have their eyes glued to their phone screen. Who can blame them? Social media and texting are some of the main methods of communication in 2018. On the contrary, teens are irresponsible and choose to catch up with their friends online at the wrong time. On top of being inexperienced drivers, they are constantly taking their eyes off the road to check their cell phone. Teens especially should be taught the dangers of using phones while driving; how one text can change not only your life, but everybody else's around you.

Everybody has been late to work, school, or anything else at some point in their lives. They are rushing and they go out the door, driving a little faster than they normally would, trying to get to their destination on time. Now, add a phone to this situation. According to the Edgar Snyder law firm, texting while driving has a "400 percent increase in time spent with eyes off the road." (https://www. edgarsnyder. com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics. html) Alongside being in a hurry, the person who is late to work is now endangering themselves and others.

What if, maybe, the person driving was not the culprit of using phones while driving? Already in a rush, they are trying to get to work on time, and they are struck by a careless driver, who was changing the song they were listening to on their phone.

Every year, with the advance in use of technology, there are more and more accidents involving phones. "In 2015, 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers." Of those people, 3,477 died. That may seem like a small chunk, but those are lives that did not need to be lost. Simply putting your phone down and waiting could have saved somebody. In schools, there needs to be an organized plan to teach kids about these kinds of dangers. This needs to happen soon, especially for high schoolers, who are at the age where they are learning to drive, and also the most involved in technology and their phones.

To conclude, drivers, no matter the age or experience, should not be able to use their phones at all while driving. There have been too many countless deaths and injuries related to phones and driving. This can be prevented by implementing a system in schools to teach about the dangers of phone use while driving. There should also be a course in Drivers Education, whether online or in schools, strictly on phone use. Any person of any age should be able to learn the dangers of texting, changing music, taking pictures, etc. while behind the wheel.

Works Cited

"Texting & Driving." DMV.ORG, www. dmv. org/distracted-driving/texting-and-driving. php.

"Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving." Edgarsnyder. com, www. edgarsnyder. com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics. html.