Texting while Driving - Research Paper Example

Texting while driving With the influx of mobile phones in the market as the primary source of information and communication, there is no limit on how, where and when they are used. Mobile phones are personal devices where the owner dictates on how they can use them. It is the lack of concern and the need to communicate at a particular moment that has put various commuters at risk of injuries and deaths. Texting while driving has become a common practice among individuals who are oblivious to the danger they are causing them and the other commuters. Driving is a skill that requires maximum concentration and attention, failure to which may lead to accidents. The most important body parts that are involved in driving are the hands, legs, and eyes. When texting, a person is also using hands and eyes for maximum attention. When driving and texting are mixed, it implies that the concentration of the driver is on one thing. In most cases, it is usually on texting, considering the need to respond or convey a particular message. Driving while texting is a traffic offense, punishable by the law. It is, in fact, a form of attempted murder considering the dangers and risks that the person is exposing other passengers and pedestrians into. Various cases of accidents have been reported due to the negligence of the driver as they were texting. Apart from the loss of concentration, in the process of browsing and replying to text messages, a driver is likely to be exposed to some news that may ultimately take away their attention and even make them unable to drive (Klauer 56). Texting is sometimes considered a harmless activity for drivers especially when they have to reply to an important message. They feel it will only take a few seconds of their time, and they will; be done with it. However, within those few seconds on a busy road, the driver is likely to lose control or not notice a pedestrian crossing or an oncoming vehicle. It is understood that drivers also need to communicate and get in touch while they are driving, yet doing it while in the action of driving is risky. Instead, drivers are advised to pull off the road and carry on with the necessary communication instead of risking the lives of other commuters. In most cases, passengers watch driver’s texting as they drive without raising their voices and hence contributing to the risks and dangers they are being exposed to. Even though it is the driver involved in the risky affair of texting, once an accident happens, it will not just be for the driver but also other commuters. Passengers should take it upon themselves to discourage drivers from texting as they drive. If the warning does not work, they can always report the matter to the police who will take action on the controller. Most of the traffic offenses that cause accidents are usually done with the knowledge of commuters who cannot speak out to the driver. Texting while driving is taken so casually yet it is very dangerous. It has been taken for granted by both commuters and drivers who only realize its seriousness after an accident has occurred. The more the practice is ignored, the more it is encouraged among drivers. While reporting accidents, the traffic department fails to mention the real causes of accidents, making texting feel a less offense to the drivers (Richtel 15). W is mostly given statistics of the number of people who dies without mention the real causes of the accidents. I am quite sure that if such statistics was clear on the number of accidents that were caused by texting, drivers and commuters would be more cautious about their lives. Measures should be taken, especially by drivers that are found texting while driving, which will discourage them from engaging in the vice. Texting has been found to be an exciting way of sharing information instantly and at a lower cost. Unknowingly, the practice takes much of a person’s mind and attention especially if it is prolonged. The more frequent people exchange messages, and the more they get to each other that they may be least aware of what is happening around them. Depending on the type of conversation, this may be exciting, annoying or even just flat. Texting does not just involve the hands and the eyes that are vital for driving but also the mind and the senses. Texting is just like any other face to face conversation that takes a person’s attention (Nemme & Katherine 1260). The fact that the other party is not available physically does not imply that it won’t ultimately take their attention. In fact, it is more dangerous because a person gets concerned about how the other person will feel or even react to the text send. In the process, the attention of driving is taken away and therefore putting the commuters at risk. Drivers mostly text when they are on familiar roads with the excuse of how well they understand the terrain. They forget that there could be other changes or emergencies that may require their attention. Even when the road seems clear, there are usually cases of speeding vehicles that may cut across the lens. Unless the driver is keen, such a situation may lead to multiple accidents that may cause deaths. Accidents happen after every second that are likely to change the normalcy of even a familiar road. This means that a pothole may occur suddenly or a stalled vehicle or even a person that needs to cross the road. Some accidents are even caused by the other person and aggravated by the fact that the other driver was not alert to take an emergency break. Driving is not just about a person’s personal business but about saving their lives and the lives of others. A good driver will always work at ensuring that he is not only safe, but the other people are safe, including the other arrogant and careless drivers and commuters. One of the ways of taking such precautions is avoiding the phone at all costs (Atchley & Aaron 135). There is no exception even for drivers who are held up in the traffic jam. If a person feels the need of communicating and they are held up in traffic, they can always tell their co-drivers or the person nearby to convey the message to them. If the driver is all alone in the vehicle, there is no need for hurry, they can only wait until they have pulled off the road and send the message. The people who are close enough to the driver like friends and relatives will understand when they fail to reply to a particular text. In fact, they will know when told that they were not able to respond because they were driving. There is, therefore, no excuse that a driver can give for texting while driving. In as much as calling is also risky while driving, its risks are considered to be lesser than those of texting. This is because a person will be more cautious while making a call and will keep the call short especially when they are driving. Furthermore, once a person has picked the call, they are able to concentrate on looking at the road compared to a text where a person has to stare at the phone and even think about how to draft and send the text. If its gets to the worse and the driver has to connect, they can just receive the call and inform the caller that they are driving, rather than texting. However, there is no emergency that a driver can attend to while driving apart from causing another crisis through accidents. In as much as there are emergencies, a person should realize that they might cause another crisis while trying to attend to another emergency (Olsen & Ruth 1711). The first thing is, therefore, to ensure that they are first safe before attending to other issues. There can be no driver texting when there is no recipient or sender on the other side. People getting in touch with drivers should, therefore, take caution and not mount pressure for them to receive replies. Knowing that the individual you are chatting with is a driver should make a person realize that they could be texting them at the wrong time when they are driving with such knowledge in mind, they should postpone their communication or rather not expect a prompt reply without complaining. Drivers caught texting have complained of being put on pressure especially by their kin or even bosses to update them promptly of their movements. They therefore easily fall into temptations of driving while texting that exposes them to danger. Despite the excuses that the drivers give for not obeying traffic rules, safety matters begin with them. Realizing that it is not just about the lives of others but mainly their life, they will take more caution. Life is more important than any text a person would send while driving. When they are alive, they will be able to send all the text messages they want and even enjoy a more fulfilling conversation. However, this may be cut short, especially when one thinks of the dangers they are exposed as they drive. Just a simple text could make a person spend days, weeks or even months in hospital, they are likely to lose the very limbs they were using to text, and worse still, lose their lives and never be able to meet the people or person they were texting. A simple text that could wait five or ten minutes can save multitudes of lives and minimize on inconveniences caused on the roads. Texti8ng while driving should mainly be the concern of drivers who understand traffic laws as well as the dangers they are exposed to. However, other commuters and people feeling the need of talking to the drive while on transits should take the necessary precautions by helping the driver and themselves to stay and keep safe. Works cited Atchley, Paul, Stephanie Atwood, and Aaron Boulton. "The choice to text and drive in younger drivers: Behavior may shape attitude." Accident Analysis & Prevention 43.1 (2011): 134-142. Klauer, Sheila G., et al. "Distracted driving and risk of road crashes among novice and experienced drivers." New England journal of medicine 370.1 (2014): 54-59. Nemme, Heidi E., and Katherine M. White. "Texting while driving: Psychosocial influences on young peoples texting intentions and behaviour." Accident Analysis & Prevention 42.4 (2010): 1257-1265. Olsen, Emily O’Malley, Ruth A. Shults, and Danice K. Eaton. "Texting while driving and other risky motor vehicle behaviors among US high school students." Pediatrics 131.6 (2013): e1708-e1715. Richtel, Matt. "In study, texting lifts crash risk by large margin." The New York Times 28 (2009). Read More