Friday, December 17, 2010

Texting & Driving

Driving distractions is a leading factor for crashes in Minnesota. Cell phones accounting for at least 25% of all crashes annually result in at least 70 deaths and 350 injuries alone. 81% of Americans admit that they text while drive. Using a cell phone while driving whether hands-free or hand-held, delays a driver’s reaction time as much as having an alcohol concentration level of 0.08% which is considered to be driving while intoxicated and drivers who take their eyes off the road for up to 4.6 out of every 6 seconds when texting is equivalent to driving the length of a football field at 55 mph hours without looking up.
With texting is on the rise and many new phones out with new and improved internet and advanced applications. Cell phones have become a huge distraction, whether it’d be at the dinner table with the family, at school under your desk, while a teacher is trying to teach, or even now days behind the wheel. I think the biggest problem with texting is when it takes over a person’s concentration on the road, pretty soon instead of focusing on the road a person is looking down texting a message like “hey” to a friend, but do they realize what the consequence of that could be? Does that person realize that could be their last words, their last text, do they realize not only are they responsible for what could happen to them but they could also become responsible for what is happening to the other person when they read that text.
            Driving is an activity that requires full concentration 100% of the time. With texting and driving your concentration time is cut because you are too engaged in what is happening “later” when later may not be an option if you don’t focus on what is happening “then”, while driving.  On average a person texting or making a call while driving is three times more likely to get into an accident. Texting while driving is considered to be even more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, because driving while intoxicated you are at least looking at the road and have some concentration and faster reaction time then if you were texting and had no concentration what so ever. On the other hand, texting while driving you have zero concentration, you are looking down and have no reaction time, because when you look up it could be too late. When texting behind the wheel and you crash you can cover a span of 25ft, compared to an intoxicated driver who usually only covers 4ft. It is not legal to operate a cell phone in any way while behind the wheel for anyone under 18 already, but I think it should be illegal for everyone. Think about how many lives could be saved, how much we could cut down on injuries in non-fatal crashes and many other components and risk factors would be almost eliminated. So why not put down your phone and drive, because after all it is the law, and you could be fined up to $300, Is that a big enough consequence?  The question still remains.

No comments:

Post a Comment