Texting And Driving Research Paper

Texting and Driving Should Be Treated the Same as Drinking and Driving Thousands of people lose their loved ones every year due to car accidents caused by texting and driving. Many know about it and the consequences it can have but still chose to do it. Texting alone is not a dangerous activity. Millions of people have the privilege and luxury to text each and every day without having any repercussions. However, once someone enters the car texting needs to stop immediately. Texting distracts the driver more than being under the influence of alcohol and accounts for 1,600,000 accidents per year (Texting and Driving Statistics). Yet, the reparations for texting and driving are far less than those of drinking and driving. The laws set …show more content…
However, the results of the two are nearly identical. In recent years, texting and driving has accounted for 23% of all car crashes in America and causes roughly 330,000 injuries per year (Texting and Driving Statistics). Many think that texting and driving can be easy and safe if drivers only text at red lights or they back away from the car in front of them giving them ample space (Texting and Driving Statistics). However, these excuses do not justify texting and driving and giving the car in front enough space doesn’t reduce the risk of crashing. According to Texting and Driving Statistics, “Teens who text while driving spend approximately 10% of their driving time outside of their lane” which can pose a serious threat to oncoming traffic. Also, drivers spend an average five seconds looking at their phone and ignoring the traffic in front of them. Going 55 mph for that amount of time accumulates up to entire football field in length without having eyes on the road making a collision 23 times more likely (Texting and Driving Statistics). Texting and driving distracts the driver almost more than anything else in the car, however it is one of the easiest distraction to prevent. Just turning the phone off or putting it down can limit distractions and can stop deadly accidents from occurring. Yet, drivers still text and drive because they think they can do it safely without harming anyone else in the process. Because texting and driving is a dangerous activity which people tend to overlook, legislatures have started to enforce new laws against it. While this is a good start to help prevent further deaths from car accidents related to texting and driving, the new laws don’t deter enough drivers from texting and aren’t as effective as laws that prevent drinking and