The addiction to cell phones has proven to be a detriment to society in many ways. The worst of these harms is the distracted driving and unnecessary deaths. It has been scientifically proven that the vibrations caused by cell phone notifications alert the nervous system. This creates the urge that people feel to check their devices (“APA Psycnet”).
Looking down at a device for even a second behind the wheel can cause a serious accident.
According to the CDC, it is so common that 9 people every single day in the United States are senselessly losing their lives to distracted driving (“Distracted Driving”). Not every crash is fatal, though. Over one thousand accidents occur daily with their roots in distracted driving.
In order to target and prevent these horrible events, the key is to know the categories of distracted driving. In drivers ed courses, they should be taught. The CDC reports three types of distracted driving: visual, manual, and cognitive. Cell phone usage while in control of a motor vehicle is an example of ALL THREE simultaneously.
Visual distraction is when a driver takes their eyes off the road. Manual distraction is the removal of one or both of a driver’s hands from the steering wheel of the vehicle. Cognitive distraction is the removal of the driver’s mind from the act of driving.
In order to prevent these events, upon entering a motor vehicle, the driver needs to place their cell phone in the glove compartment with the Do Not Disturb function on. This eliminates the stimulation that phone vibrations cause and leaves the device out of reach, therefore eradicating the temptation of all three types of distractions. In the event of an accident, the cell phone should have an app such as Life360 downloaded to it that alerts first responders automatically. These simple precautions would eliminate hundreds of thousands of accidents and over three thousand deaths annually.
It should be federal law that drivers navigate handsfree. Enacting and enforcing this law would make the roads dramatically safer for every driver. At every traffic light, footage should be taken of each vehicle. If it can be determined that a driver is using his or her device while behind the wheel, that driver should be sentenced a large fine and should be required to take a driving safety course before operating a motor vehicle again.
If these actions can be taken to spread awareness and compliance, many deaths can be completely avoided. The roads would be a safer place.
Works Cited
"APA Psycnet". Psycnet.Apa.Org, 2020, https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-28923-001.
"Distracted Driving | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury Center". Cdc.Gov, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html.
Looking down at a device for even a second behind the wheel can cause a serious accident.
According to the CDC, it is so common that 9 people every single day in the United States are senselessly losing their lives to distracted driving (“Distracted Driving”). Not every crash is fatal, though. Over one thousand accidents occur daily with their roots in distracted driving.
In order to target and prevent these horrible events, the key is to know the categories of distracted driving. In drivers ed courses, they should be taught. The CDC reports three types of distracted driving: visual, manual, and cognitive. Cell phone usage while in control of a motor vehicle is an example of ALL THREE simultaneously.
Visual distraction is when a driver takes their eyes off the road. Manual distraction is the removal of one or both of a driver’s hands from the steering wheel of the vehicle. Cognitive distraction is the removal of the driver’s mind from the act of driving.
In order to prevent these events, upon entering a motor vehicle, the driver needs to place their cell phone in the glove compartment with the Do Not Disturb function on. This eliminates the stimulation that phone vibrations cause and leaves the device out of reach, therefore eradicating the temptation of all three types of distractions. In the event of an accident, the cell phone should have an app such as Life360 downloaded to it that alerts first responders automatically. These simple precautions would eliminate hundreds of thousands of accidents and over three thousand deaths annually.
It should be federal law that drivers navigate handsfree. Enacting and enforcing this law would make the roads dramatically safer for every driver. At every traffic light, footage should be taken of each vehicle. If it can be determined that a driver is using his or her device while behind the wheel, that driver should be sentenced a large fine and should be required to take a driving safety course before operating a motor vehicle again.
If these actions can be taken to spread awareness and compliance, many deaths can be completely avoided. The roads would be a safer place.
Works Cited
"APA Psycnet". Psycnet.Apa.Org, 2020, https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-28923-001.
"Distracted Driving | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury Center". Cdc.Gov, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html.
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An Analysis of the Importance of Road Safety and the Need for a Driver to Be Extra Careful
Jordan Thacker
