Hello, my name is Claire and I am here to talk to you about distracted driving. Talking on the phone and texting while driving are huge problems we are facing today. The National Safety Council found, “Twenty eight percent of all vehicle crashes can be tied to talking on a cell phone or texting” (“Cell Phones”). As a teenage driver, the statistics that result from distracted driving scare me. I believe that all cell phone use, including calling and texting should be banned while driving.
Distracted driving has gotten way out of hand. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “5,474 people” were killed due to distracted driving crashes and that “448,000 were injured” (“Texting While Driving”). These figures are horrifying. Even just sending a quick text message or checking your phone can be very dangerous. Justin McNaul, director of state relations for the American Automobile Association stated, “Even taking your eyes off the road for two seconds doubles your chances of being in a crash” (qtd. In “Cell Phones”). Why would you risk your life, the people you love, and stranger’s lives? Waiting to text your friend about the super cool dress you got can wait until you are safely out of your car. Remember, a crash resulting from texting and driving can happen to anyone.
Many of these statistics and facts can be shocking. However, most people think it will never happen to them. Ask people like Emily Reynolds. She did not think texting and driving was a big deal, and that teens and adults could handle it. That is, until her older sister died in a distracted driving crash. Will Craig thought texting a driving was not too bad, and it did not bother him if he or his girlfriend did. One day he was riding with her, and when she looked down at her phone for a couple of seconds she crashed. She was fine, but Craig suffered multiple injuries including broken ribs, a collapsed lung and brain damage (“Cell Phones”). Texting or talking on the phone while driving is serious. Anyone who is distracted by their phone could crash any second.
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Many people say that banning cell phone use cannot help reduce crashes due to distracted driving because the police cannot enforce it. While this may be true, banning cell phones will cause people to think twice about texting or talking while driving. Knowing it is an illegal activity, and that they can get a ticket and a fine will definitely make many people put down their phone. It is up to everybody to take it upon themselves, and be responsible for not participating in distracted driving.
So what are we going to do about this problem? We need to take action. We need to make sure texting and talking while driving is banned in every state. We need to take matters into our own hands. We need to make people aware of the dangers of distracted driving and the horrible results. Who will join me in the movement for making the streets safer for all drivers?
