Distracted While Driving

Distracted while driving
Texting, emailing, eating, drinking, reaching in your back seat, looking at your children, we’ve all done it. Texting while driving is the leading cause of death between the ages 3-34. Driving while distracted is equivalent to driving while under the influence, or in other words, driving drunk. Distracted while driving slows a person’s reaction time, just like having a blood alcohol level of .08, also known as, DUI.   Distracted driving was a causal factor in over 16 percent of these deaths, up from 10 percent in 2005. Although it has been ban from states, people still find ways around the system to get a quick text in. No state, however, has gone as far as to outlaw all drivers from using all types of cell phones, as Japan has done. Dozens of countries prohibit driver use of hand-held cell phones in a moving vehicle.

“California, New York, and 8 other states, plus the District of Columbia, have banned talking on hand-held cell phones while driving, but permit use of hands-free devices such as those using Bluetooth technology. However, dozens of studies have indicated that there is virtually no difference between the two types of cellular devices when it comes to distracted driving risk.” I agree with banning the use of cell phones while driving at all, whether it’s using a Bluetooth, or holding it in your hand, there is still a sense of distraction. All states should ban the usage, not just 10. If one state shouldn’t do it, neither should another one. If all these different institutes, and researchers find that this number is still rising, if commercials are being made, and bill boards are being posted, more action needs to take place.   There is really no excuse why anybody should be looking at their phone while the car is in motion, even if it’s pulling up to a stop sign, or sitting at a red light. Having people take a survey and answer, “yes, we know that it is still dangerous”, but %55 of us still do it knowing the risk could be an...