bbb

Texting and Driving Will Kill You

Home

Texting and Driving Will Kill You

When a driver tries to text and drive there can be a fatal outcome to them, and others they share the road. In fact, more states are banning h and held devices while driving. Many drivers in society are being very stubborn about these laws and will try to ignore the laws and continue to text and use h and held devices while driving. Some drivers are even going one-step further and are using their laptop computers while driving.

Texting while driving is showing inconsideration of other drivers, their passengers and innocent children on the road. How can a driver who is involved in a serious accident where people are innocently maimed or killed because they were texting and driving live with this fact for the rest of their life?

Texting and driving are against the law, and it the person is in an accident caused by texting there is heavy fines. Some states are enacting jail time for texting and driving.

The possible ramifications of texting and driving are not worth it. There is nothing so important that texting cannot wait until he or she has parked their care safely. If the driver has an emergency, he or she must pull safely off the road and then text.

Distracted driving

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s
Policy Statement on Cellular Phone Use While Driving:

The primary responsibility of the driver is to operate a motor vehicle safely. The task of driving requires full attention and focus. Cell phone use can distract drivers from this task, risking harm to themselves and others. Therefore, the safest course of action is to refrain from using a cell phone while driving.

Q. Is it safe to use h ands-free (headset, speakerphone, or other device) cell phones while driving?

A. The available research indicates that whether it is a h ands-free or h and-held cell phone, the cognitive distraction is significant enough to degrade a driver’s performance. This can cause a driver to miss key visual and audio cues needed to avoid a crash.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; www.nhtsa.gov – Cell Phones and Driving

Texting while driving

Avoid distractions on the road including text messages

Despite an abundance of information pointing to an increased risk attributed to texting while driving, nearly half of drivers between ages 18 and 24 and more than a quarter of drivers between 25 and 34 admit to sending or receiving a text message while behind the wheel1. This and other distractions, like dialing a cell phone, can lead to accidents that could have been avoided.

Travelers strongly urges both teen and adult drivers to wait for the car ride to end before sending an ‘urgent’ text message or reply to an email. By eliminating distractions and staying focused on the road, drivers will make the roads safer for everyone.

1. http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2009/Aug/32150.html

Texting While Driving more laws

About everyone has heard about the dangers of texting while driving. Cell phone companies and online educational sites are even creating cool infographics with statistical data about these dangers. Although many data sources have varying report results, it’s agreed that people have a 23-percent greater chance to be in a car crash due to texting. Because of these statistics, and other disturbing results, many states are passing various laws to ban drivers from texting.

Laws vary from state to state. Some states are placing bans on all drivers, while other states only ban teen drivers. Also, some states require that the driver can only be given a ticket for texting while driving if they were pulled over for a different driving offense. While law enforcement is taking strides to reduce the number of distracted drivers using cell phones and sending text messages, it comes to public awareness that can prevent accidents and fatalities.

The more people who are aware of the law and national reports regarding the dangers of texting and driving, the more people will think twice of using the cell phone in the car. Hopefully, this awareness will save lives.

Driving While Texting: States Are Creating Bans To Safeguard Drivers

As you are driving down the freeway at 80mph to get to work, your cell phone buzzes to let you know that you just received an email. You snatch up the phone with one h and while the other holds the steering wheel, as you read and laugh over the satirical digital newsletter about the world’s dumbest drivers.

As you swerve to miss a loading van, you decide to send a text message about the email to your friend at the office. With both h ands typing on the tiny keyboard on your cell phone, you rely on your knee on the steering wheel ( and your cousin Billy Bob’s mechanical genius on repairing cars) to guide your high speeding vehicle down the road.

The irony should be obvious. Driving while all your attention is focused on typing out a text to a friend you are going to see in the next 20 minutes at work is dangerous. Both h ands are off the steering wheel, you are traveling at high speeds, and your eyes and attention are split between typing out the text and staying in your traffic lane. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,092 people were killed in vehicle crashes in 2010 that had involved a distracted driver and 416,000 people were injured in vehicle accidents caused by a distracted driver. In addition, text messaging while you are distracted creates a 23-times greater risk in causing a serious crash than a driver who is paying attention to the road.

Individual States Take Action To Ban Texting While Driving

When people hear statistics like this, some will start shaking their heads and proclaiming to the sky that they are an excellent driver who can multitask. But why would you multitask while driving several tons of moving metal down the road at dangerous speeds? Why would you risk your safety, the safety of your passengers, the safety of other drivers, and the safety of pedestrians all because you can’t wait to park your car and turn it off before sending a text message?

With the growing concerns of distracted drivers causing serious accidents while texting, the government has stepped in to introduce bills to address this dangerous problem. In 2009, the Distracted Driving Prevention Act and the ALERT Drivers Act encourages states to take action in creating laws about drivers and texting, according to Consumer Reports. While one government act gives financial incentives to states who create texting bans, the other act takes away state funding for highway services in an attempt to force states to become proactive towards the problem.

As stated by The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, text messaging has been banned in 38 states, including California, for all drivers. Only 5 states ban texting for drivers under the age of 21 or for novice drivers who only have their learner’s permit. The states that have not created a ban are Arizona, Florida, Montana, South Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina.

Keep Your Teens Safe Behind The Wheel

Even if you decide to practice highway safety, your teen drivers might still feel the itch of placing their typing fingers on the phone’s keyboard while driving. As the Federal Communications Commission stresses, parents need to talk with their children about driving safely. Discuss how important their lives are and that no message is important enough to become distracted while behind the steering wheel.

Also, lead by example yourself and show your kids at an early age that you can keep your h ands off the cell phone while driving.