Laws Should Be Made to Prohibit Texting While Driving

Home phones are almost becoming obsolete and almost every household has at least one cell phone. In most cases if you have a cell phone in the home you no longer have a home phone. I am one of those people who does not have a cell phone in the home and rely heavily on my cell phone for all of my communication needs. Since cell phones are portable devices we typically carry them wherever we go. In our pocket, purses, backpacks or in our hands our phones remain pretty close to us. It is almost instinct for us to immediately returna call or glance at our phones when we get a text or email. It does not matter if we are on a date or in the classroom it is almost second nature to look at a text message. Even when we come into class and know the rules are no cell phones we still keep them close by to check our text messages or recent phone calls. However, with cell phone usage comes some serious dangers if we are not cautious to our surroundings at all times. Have you ever seen someone walking and trying to text on their cell phone?

Usually they wind up bumping into someone or something if not even walking into a pole, tree or trash can. Imagine the dangers associated with cell phone usage if you are driving. If while walking you can walk into a tree or trash can put yourself behind the wheel of a car and the dangers are compounded because now you have several distractions. Many new cars come with AV Jacks and we like to plug in our phones and listen to Our style of music. Of course the jacks are convenient ifa call comes through because you are now hands free and can talk through the car but what happens when you pick that phone up, glance off the road, try to change the station in your phone while driving? If you look up I guarantee that you have swayed off the road or veered to the right or left if not altogether caused someone to erratically blow their horn at you because you are approaching their vehicle. Have you ever picked up your phone to look at a text message while driving only to look back up and have to slam on the brakes because you almost rear-ended someone in stopped trafic? These are just some minor example of what cell phone distractions cause while driving and texting and driving has become such a trend that it has become a growing and national epidemic.

A recent blog entitled "Texting and Driving Statistics" states" texting and driving is becoming one of the country's top killers. Texting and driving is the number one distraction among teen drivers, Texting and driving slows your brake reaction speed by 18% (HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society). I have given you all of this statistical data just as an example of how dangerous texting and driving can be. I I Previous academic studies have shown studies conducted in simulators with people texting and driving and this has been proven to impair the driver's abilities. The study actually consisted of mounting a light on the windshield at eye le meant to simulate a lead car's brake light. All of the driving in this study was done in a straight line with a cell phone that was similar to the driver. The similarity of the phone made the study more simple because the driver was familiar with his/her own cell phone device.

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In this study when the red light on the windshield lit up the driver was to hit brakes, the person riding shotgun would trigger the light. A sampling was done of five times and the lowest response time was dropped. Of course, at the end of the study the response times had been proven to be much slower than if the driver was not distracted at all (https:/caranddriver.com/features/texting-while-driving). I have provided you with a little bit of statistical data as well as guided studies to demonstrate that texting and driving is distractive and can be very dangerous. I have even witnessed drivers asking the passenger to hold the wheel while they return a text message and if that isn't scary I don't know what is. Most of us are guilty of texting and driving, well at least I know I have been guilty of this act. Yes, I can say that it is a distraction and it takes away from your ability to be alert at all times while behind the wheel.

Even though we know texting and driving is dangerous there is something about our phones that have become addictive as we get more apps, updates and alerts. Something about that message that just can't wait until we pull over, something about that message that we have to return instantly. Well, I am here to share with you that those same messages that couldn't wait or just had to be returned has caused people their lives. Not only the driver but innocent drivers as well that have been killed as a result of someone else texting and driving. There comes a responsibility when you get your driver's license and driving is a privilege not a right. We have to become more cautious and concerned about the driver around us as well as ourselves.

My mom would always say "It's not you I'm worried about it's the other driver." Well guess what, I am now that other driver. Texting and driving has been banned in 46 states and tickets range as high as S124 (Washing State) for texting while driving. I've seen YouTube videos and internet articles of horrible car accidents where people have driven into trees, under trucks, hit others head on, all of which resulted in fatalities. In most cases the driver was found with their cell phones in their hands or family members witnessed that they were texting them prior to their accident. What more proof or lives need to be lost before remaining states take action and implement the same laws. I'm not saying implementing laws will stop everyone from texting and driving but it will begin to make us consciously aware that there are consequences to texting and driving.

If you get one or two tickets for $124 I know I would become more consciously aware because I am not willing to keep coming out of my pocket. If you are not interested in saving your own life, think of the person driving in front, beside or behind you. That text message can wait until you stop, that text message can wait until you pull over and most of all that text message can wait because it's not worth an innocent driver or your life. "Texting and Driving Statistics." http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and- driving-statsi.

1. Austin, Michael, Car and Driver, June 2009 Texting n Driving. http://www.textingndriving.com/

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