The Effects of Texting While Driving - Assignment Example

? Annotated Bibliography: The Effects of Texting While Driving Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana 7 July The Effects of Texting while Driving The problem being researched is texting while driving. The annotated bibliography aims to collect information on how this practice affects drivers, which can help explain its bad effects on people. I want to find out more about the effects of this harmful practice on drivers, specifically how it hampers cognitive abilities, and to understand texting intentions and its prevalence among different age and gender groups. These references provided statistics, viewpoints, and studies on the incidence and various negative effects of texting while driving, especially because it reduces the ability of drivers to focus on their driving, as they use both hands and attention to conduct texting. Agency Group 06. (2012, June 1). U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood applauds Ohio for enacting ban on texting while driving by. FDCH Regulatory Intelligence Database. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.terrehaute.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/ehost/detail?sid=b5787eb8-fbf3-43f6-8076-c13444f3497b%40sessionmgr11&vid=1&hid=21&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mth&AN=32W2353416746 The author is anonymous, but he/she writes for the FDCH Regulatory Intelligence Database. The source of authority of the writer comes from the credibility of the database. This database is accessible through EBSCOHost, which contains numerous credible articles and reports. The source has the general public as intended readers. The organization seems to have a single stance on the issue, although its reports can contain different viewpoints. The news article basically reported the support of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood for Ohio’s texting-while-driving ban. The stance of the writing supports these government actions because of the widespread negative effects of texting while driving on human morbidity and mortality. I can make use of this article because it presents the view of a government official on this important transportation problem. My reaction is that I appreciate that the Transportation Secretary shows active support for texting-while-driving bans, which enhances the popularity of these policies. Hosansky, D. (2012, May 4). Distracted driving: Should driver texting and cellphone use be banned? CQ Researcher, 22(17), 401-424. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com.terrehaute.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/cqresearcher/getpdf.php?file=cqr20120504C.pdf David Hosansky is a staff writer for CQ Researcher. He is not an expert on automobile safety, although as a journalist who was nominated twice for a Pulitzer Prize, he is a credible source of news information. CQ Researcher has an intended audience of educated readers. It presents detailed analyses of certain topics using diverse viewpoints. Hosansky does not offer any personal claim because he wants readers to decide on the merits of banning cellphone use while driving through providing opposing opinions from experts and stakeholders and providing studies and statistics. This writing is described as descriptive and unbiased journalism although it is clear from the tone of the writer that he does not support distractions to driving because of the costs to human life and properties. His stance is more objective than other journalists who either oppose or support texting-while-driving bans. The evidence is credible, accurate, complete, and relevant because of the diverse opinions and statistics used. I can use this article to support the claims on the negative effects of texting-while-driving. Park, A., Salsbury, J., Corbett, K., & Aiello, J. (2013). The effects of text messaging during dual-task driving simulation on cardiovascular and respiratory responses and reaction time. The Ohio Journal of Science, 111 (2-5), 42-44. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.terrehaute.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/ehost/detail?sid=2597001e-613d-4bcf-9ada-001d932c1ae1%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=21&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=krh&AN=2W63467275631 Park and colleagues are instructors of the Department of Biological and/or affiliated with the Allied Health Sciences of Ohio Northern University. They have authority on this problem because they conducted an empirical study and have professional knowledge on biology and health. The Ohio Journal of Science is a credible source because it is a peer-reviewed and refereed journal that publishes articles on science, engineering, technology, and education. It is backed up by The Ohio Academy of Science. For this study, Park and colleagues (2013) wanted to know the physiological effects of texting while driving using an empirical approach. They replicated the effects of texting to driving through computer simulation. The findings of the study showed that text messaging is distracting enough to increase reaction time, as well as heart rate and respiratory rate. The attitude of the researchers is critical of texting during driving because of the impact on cognitive workload. I will use this study to explain the direct effects of texting while driving on people’s biological processes. Ricks, D. (2013, May 8). Study: Texting while driving now leading cause of death for teen drivers. Newsday (Melville, NY). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.terrehaute.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/ehost/detail?sid=2597001e-613d-4bcf-9ada-001d932c1ae1%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=21&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=krh&AN=2W63467275631 Delthia Ricks is a correspondent for Newsday. She does not have any technical or educational authority on this topic, but she presents studies and statistics to support her claim. Her main claim is that texting while driving, not drunk driving, is now the leading cause of death for teen drivers. The target readers of Newsday are people in Long Island and NYC. As a news source, it reports on diverse opinions on this problem. Ricks (2013) reported that more teenagers are texting while driving than drinking and driving. This means that more teenagers are dying and getting wounded from the former than latter practice. Also, teenagers admitted that they still text and drive even when it is banned, suggesting that laws are ineffective in reducing its prevalence. Though Ricks (2013) did not express her personal opinion, the stance of the article focuses on the harms of texting while driving. I can use this article because it shows the alarming trend among teenagers who text and drive. It also shows that the trend affects people across ages and gender. U.S. News and World Report. (2013, May). Phones, texting may be as dangerous as alcohol for drivers. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/03/15/phones-texting-may-be-as-dangerous-as-alcohol-for-drivers The news article reported the results of the study from Sumie Leung Shuk Man and colleagues. The author/s of the news article is/are anonymous, so the report will be attributed to U.S. News and World Report. This news source has a general audience of the U.S. and other people who can access its website. This organization has balanced reports, although many of its news focus on the negative effects of texting while driving. The article reported that, based on the study of Man and others, texting while driving is as dangerous as drinking alcohol and driving. The stance tries to be objective but by focusing on one study alone, it suggests the stance toward the downfalls of texting while driving. The article is reliable because of the use of an empirical study, but it is not complete because it focuses on the results of one study alone and does not criticize the study’s weaknesses. I can use this article to support my claim that texting while driving is so harmful that its effects on cognitive abilities is as bad as being drunk. West, J.H., Hall, P.C., Thygerson, S.M., Edwards, E.S., Bennion, S.R., & Bennet, C. (2011). Hispanic adolescents' behavioral intentions to avoid texting while driving. American Journal of Health Studies, 26(1), 37-44. West and colleagues are affiliated either with the Brigham young University and/or the County Utah Health Department. Their authority comes from their post-college degrees and professional experiences. The American Journal of Health Studies is a credible source because it publishes original work health topics, where authors use diverse research methods. It is the official journal of the American Public Health Association. For the study, West and colleagues (2011) wanted to use the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to understand and to forecast behaviors involving Hispanic adolescents’ practice of texting while driving. They wanted to know the behavioral intentions of their study’s participants. Their cross-sectional survey involved 135 high-school Hispanic students. Their findings showed that attitudes, norms, and perceived control of behavior affect the intention to evade texting while driving. They concluded the importance of educational programs that affect social context and attitudes of target recipients. The stance of the article is against texting while driving. I can use this article to provide evidence on the difficulties of shaping attitudes to and practices of texting while driving. Read More