Texting and Driving: More Dangerous Than People Think

Most people do not consider that texting and driving is in fact more dangerous than drunk driving. The research has proven that texting and driving is very dangerous and there have been studies that have also shown this point. Texting and driving is more threatening than drinking and driving because when people are texting and driving their mind is not on the road and neither are their eyes, but when drunk, the person is still some what aware of their surroundings.

When someone texts and drives they are not only putting their life at risk but also everyone else's life who is also on the road. If a person is texting and driving their whole attention is on their phone, they can not concentrate on what is around them. "Unlike drunk drivers, who might be aware of their impairment and act accordingly, texting drivers are oblivious to the risk they are taking" (Moore). When someone takes the risk of texting and driving they have no idea of what is going on around them while they are driving. Their focus is on their cell phone rather than watching the road. When drinking and driving a person's reaction time is slowed down, but when texting and driving the person does not notice anything that is happening around them; therefore, they have no time to react. If someone is distracted while driving they have a chance of injuring or, even worse, killing someone else. The sender could also be injured or killed.  If they do happen to make it out alive, they will have to deal with the consequences and regret that follows.

Based on studies done it has been proven that texting and driving is actually more risky than drinking and driving. This study showed, "The impaired driver was able to stop his vehicle within four feet of where he stopped while sober." This proves that even though he was legally drunk he still had some control of his vehicle. "The second driver tried braking while reading a text. His vehicle stopped 36 feet beyond where he stopped when not distracted." This shows that while texting and driving a driver has little to no control of the vehicle. "Next he tried stopping while sending a text and this time he went an extra 319 feet" (Vaughan). When someone is on the road and is distracted their mind is elsewhere and they can not be aware of what is happening around them. This study gives people insight on how dangerous texting and driving truly is. People assume that drinking and driving is worse because everyone discusses how dangerous it is. In reality, a driver still has some reaction time while driving drunk, when texting they do not.

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Texting and driving is hard to stop because people are so to being on their phones all the time that when they get in the car it is hard to stop. "David Strayer, who studies cellphones and driving at the University of Utah" stated, 'We may have gotten ourselves into an addiction that we might not be able to get out of'" (Hanes). Cellphones have become such a huge part of people's lives that when they get into a vehicle, they can not seem to put it down. On the road there are way more people who are texting and driving rather than people who drive drunk. It is an everyday thing for a person to text and drive, but it is not as common for a person to be driving drunk all the time. Cellphone's have caused people to create habits such as texting and driving which are almost impossible to break.

Texting and driving causes tragedies, kills, and ruins people's lives. Nobody thinks about what could happen if someone texts and drives. When a person gets into a car there is already risks on the road  of being hurt or killed. If you add a text or a phone call, the risks increase, and that means they could be that much closer to ending their life or someone else's. There are so many stories about people who have had a loved one end up dead due to a person who was sending a text. The text can wait, a life is more important than telling someone what you are doing. If someone has to tell someone else something important they can easily pull over somewhere and call. One tragedy that is in the article, "Texting and Driving is More Risky than Driving Under the Influence," was an "accident involving

The sender and her four fellow New York high school cheerleaders... slamming head-on into a truck, killing them all" (Fumento). The person who decided to send the text was not thinking about what could happen and who she could hurt. The text was not worth her nor her friend's lives, now their families have lost the ones they love and the teenagers lives were cut short; all because of a text, that could have waited.

Texting and driving should be taken as serious as drinking and driving but it is not. There are serious consequences for drinking and driving but very little laws apply when someone texts and drives. When someone drinks and drives they face getting their license revoked, a huge fine, and even possible jail time. If someone were to text and drive there are really no consequences at all. There are not many states that even have laws regarding texting and driving. When caught texting and driving it was stated that "A first offense is merely a $20 fine in California, and $50 for subsequent violations" (Fumento). Although, if someone was caught drinking and driving their consequences would be ten times worse. They have a chance to face a couple years of jail time and to pay a huge fine that could be up to a couple $1,000. If laws were put in place for texting and driving it still wouldn't stop. In order to cut down texting and driving police officers would have to enforce the laws. There would also have to be consequences for breaking the law, the same consequences that are given to drunk drivers. If texting and driving were to be cut down so many lives would be saved, and a life saved is one less heartbreak and one less loss.

It is hard to face the facts and realize that texting and driving does put people's lives in danger. Everyone texts and drives but nobody has to face any consequences for it. When somebody texts and drives they put other's lives and their own life at risk. It is time to put the phone down, make a change, and stop texting and driving.

References

Fumento, Michael. "Texting and Driving Is More Risky than Driving Under the Influence." Cell Phones and Driving, edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010743227/OVIC?u=special_ovrc&xid=2cbe766b. Accessed 3 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Texters, You'd Be Better off Driving Drunk," Los Angeles Times, June 2009.

Hanes, Stephanie. "Texting While Driving Is as Dangerous as Drunk Driving." Distracted Driving, edited by Stefan Kiesbye, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010795205/OVIC?u=special_ovrc&xid=1b191266. Accessed 3 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Texting While Driving: The New Drunk Driving," Christian Science Monitor, 5 Nov. 2009.

Moore, Charles. "Texting While Driving Is More Dangerous than Driving Under the Influence." Cell Phones and Driving, edited by Stefan Kiesbye, Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010743213/OVIC?u=special_ovrc&xid=6194cfb5. Accessed 3 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "Texting Kills: Cell Phone Use Impairs Drivers More than Alcohol," LowEndMac.com, 27 July 2009.

"Texting as dangerous as drinking and driving." Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], 17 Aug. 2012, p. D8. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A299921824/OVIC?u=special_ovrc&xid=4648dacd. Accessed 3 Feb. 2017.