Distracted Driving Laws: The Leading Cause Of Death

Distracted driving; most of us are guilty of it without even knowing it. Distracted driving is doing anything else unrelated to driving while behind the wheel. This could include: using a cell phone, changing the radio station, eating food, and even having a conversation. The most distracting of them all is using a cell phone because it requires the user to manually input information. The laws surrounding texting while driving are far too lenient when compared to laws on drunk driving, yet both can end in a car crash. People texting while driving should face steeper penalties than what is already in place because they are a danger to anyone around them. The small fines are not enough to deter people. While banning cell phones from being allowed in vehicles is not an effective approach to the problem, stricter laws should be put in place to make the roads a safer place. Texting while driving penalties should be treated with a similar severity that DUI charges are. The penalties for texting and driving need to be increased because it would make the roads safer, increase the government’s revenue, and help solve the problem of texting while driving.

Distracted driving is obviously a big deal but some people don’t seem to think so. They see all the accidents that happen because of distracted driving but they continue to do it because they think “ oh it’ll never happen to me “ or “it doesn’t happen to anyone i know so why would it happen to me” well it can happen to anyone at anytime.While you may have your phone out because of an emergency going on, all distractions, including make up,food, and phones should be put up while driving and if there are passengers in the car they need to be quiet so that the driver can focus. If the driver has out a distraction while driving, they're going to try to pay attention to the road and the distraction, in other words they try to multitask. 31% of U.S drivers ages 18-64 admitted to sending or reading a text while driving , in 2012 3,328 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. When you’re driving, be considerate.Put down your phone while you’re driving, if you know it’s not safe then why do it.Think about other drivers on the road, by texting and driving you’re not only putting yourself at risk you’re putting others lives at risk too. We need tougher laws on texting and driving just

Distracted driving is a major problem all over the world. Some people believe that making distracted driving against the law will help, but many people don’t take the law into consideration. People should be taught that distracting yourself while driving is serious and very life threatening to you, the people in the car with you, and the other individuals on the road. Many people lack the common sense to not use their phone while getting behind the wheel. There should be a class or warning when someone gets their license reminding them the hazards of being on your phone while

Many people have lost their lives on the road and caused other’s deaths because they were distracted with doing something while driving. In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in distraction-related crashes (“Statistics on Texting & Cell Phone Use While Driving” n.d.). Distractions while driving that result in these accidents include texting/making a call or becoming intoxicated and having high blood alcohol concentration. Many laws have been brought forth to help regulate the amount of people drinking while driving and using a cell phone while driving. Not only do people put their own lives in danger, they are also putting other’s lives in danger. People who take part in these distractions are not being responsible when making these rash decisions while driving and creating a hazardous environment for those around them.

One of the biggest rites of passages in the United States at the age of 16 is obtaining a driver’s license. The freedom to roam the open road and explore the world around you in most cases is a joyous occasion. At 16, a young inexperienced driver is constantly conveyed that driving is a privilege and one must use caution or that privilege will be taken away. However, over the past few years one of the growing problems in United States not only affects young drivers but drivers of all ages. Distracted driving is a growing problem in the United States that affects not only people of all ages but race, and gender as well.

According to Ashley Gaddis from Counterpoint, “From 1999 to 2008, nearly fifty-two thousand people were killed in car crashes caused by distracted drivers” (n.pag.). Distracted driving started when technology became mobile and handheld. Many people have died and gotten injured from people not paying attention to the road. This problem has been growing as technology advances. Distracted driving is a big problem and there needs to be stronger penalties and laws in place to deter people from distracted driving.

The state of Colorado is NOT doing enough to prevent distracted driving, especially among tech-savvy millennials who ignore safety precautions set by the government in order to reduce the amount of accidents each year from careless drivers. Despite road signs and an increased cost on distracted driving tickets - it is still technically legal to text and drive in the state of Colorado. In July of 2017, the government decided that using handheld devices while driving is considered safe unless the driver is being careless or reckless. What government officials refuse to acknowledge is that it takes a fraction of a second to permanently ruin your life or someone else’s. Studies have shown that distracted driving delays the body's ability to reach to urgent situations by an average of 6 seconds. Comparatively, the timing of these reactions are very similar to those results of people who consume alcohol/drugs prior to getting in the car and driving. As for the consequences, a ticket is $300 but the guilt lasts a lifetime and those who drive recklessly and take the life of another person never get over their foolish decision to prioritize a phone over their own safety. It’s important to educate the youth and future generations of the dangers distracted driving can lead to - as well as explain the effects if they are not careful.

Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing problems in the United States.   It is starting to be considered as serious as drunk driving based on the dangerous outcomes.  According to the Department of Transportation (2012), “distracted driving was a cause of roughly 450,000 accident-related injuries and nearly 5,500 fatalities in 2009 alone” (para. 1). Drivers who allow themselves to become distracted while driving are not only endangering themselves, but other innocent bystanders.

There are several distractions for drivers today, cell phones, passengers, even simple things like the radio. But did you know that these distractions cause approximately 10% of crashes, being potentially fatal, for drivers today. Wether these drivers are teenagers or adults distracted driving is a problem on Utah’s roads. For teenagers most fatal crashes are caused by driving off the road. For adults speeding is the leading cause of fatal crashes. Personally I find it interesting when looking at the Top five leading causes of death on Utah roads, the third leading cause is unrestrained occupants, while the fifth is distracted and drunk driving. I would have thought that drunk driving would cause more deaths than Speeding, failure to keep in

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of death. “Every year, about 421,000 people are injured in crashes that have involved a driver who was distracted in some way,” (Hopkins). Even though this is true, people who use a cell phone while driving are not punished as harshly as drunk drivers. A DUI, driving while intoxicated, is a misdemeanor and could result in a few months in jail, as well as a fine. The punishments for a DUI get more severe each time someone is charged. While, the punishment for texting and driving are only monetary fines. So, why is texting and driving considered a less punishable offense? A major reason is because of the length of time both have been a problem. The first law against drinking and driving was in 1910 and cell phones weren 't popular until 80 years after in the 1990s. Because of the long time period of drunk driving being a problem, there is more attention towards the crime. There also wasn’t a long enough time to get the same tangible statistics to compare using a phone to drinking and driving. However, now, cell phones have been around for years and the awareness of using them while driving is high but the awareness of the actual danger is low. People who text while driving should face harsher punishments because texting while driving is just as dangerous as driving intoxicated; this is evident through the number of car crashes and fatalities caused by this issue every year, emotional effects texting has on a driver, and the

Most people would be appalled at the idea of driving while drunk, but they wouldn\'t think twice about the idea of using a cell phone, eating a burger, or even putting on makeup while driving. Unfortunately, distracted driving may be risking just as many lives as driving under the influence of alcohol. In fact, according to a 2013 study, 26% of accidents include a cell phone distraction, and 80% of all accidents include at least one distraction. Distracted driving is a deadly epidemic, but it can also be prevented by individuals. Remember that you cannot react as quickly to avoid collisions or road hazards when your eyes aren’t fully focused on the road. Before you text a “lol” to your BFF from behind the wheel, remember that it might be the

Drivers are going to stop getting distracted while they are driving. In the future, people are going to be focused on driving. All of the drivers are going to put their effort into not getting distracted while they are driving. There are multiple things that drivers can do to prevent getting distracted. Some examples include turning off their phone, pulling over to pick something up and waiting until they arrive somewhere to fix their makeup. Teens driving their own cars are more likely to get distracted than those who share a car with others. For example, 20% of teens who share cars had texted while driving compared to 35% of teens with their own cars (Copeland). If this is not solved, people are going to continue to get injured or even die. Teenagers that are barely learning how to drive need to learn the dangers of distracted driving before they drive on the road. People need to be focused on driving so they can not get in a crash with someone else. Distracted driving is a big issue that needs to be fixed. There are plenty of dangers that can be prevented. There are a majority of people that have experienced distracted driving. Other people that are just walking down the street can also get injured or killed due to distracted drivers or even drunk drivers. If drivers stop distracted driving, the roads will be

“In a split second you could ruin your future, injure or kill others, and tear a hole in the heart of everyone who loves you,” (Heit). This specific quote shows how the results of distracted driving not only affects you, but also those around you. Distracted driving has been a serious concern for many years. This subject has been an issue because of the dangers it brings to the safety of others. One major type of distracted driving includes texting and driving. which is becoming more popular in today’s society because many have cell phones. Another type of distracted driving is drinking and driving, this continues to stay a topic for many years. Although drinking and driving and texting and driving carry many similarities with the

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

When it comes to someone getting behind a wheel it’s a big responsibility, you are not a passenger that could be doing different stuff you are now carrying with several lives and people are waiting for you at home. Many things cross our minds exactly when we are about to drive, but we need to learn how to ignore them and worry about getting where we supposed to be. Nowadays many accidents that occur on roads are caused by distracting driving and it seems easy to choose to do something such as: texting, eating or drinking, talking to passenger’s etcetera. “The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans about the danger it poses” Not everyone realizes the danger it is being distracted while driving, but every distraction cause at least once to take our eyes off the road.