THE DANGERS OF TEXTING WHILE DRIVING

Merry Christmas were the first words ever sent in a text message. However, Neil Papworth the sender of
this message had no clue that almost 2 decades later, this type of communications would revolutionize
the way people communicate. Cellphone companies change the way they do business because of it,
cellphone design is obsessed with it, and relationships rely on it. It is estimated that 800,000 people are
texting at any given time.

Texting has definitely become a necessity, especially those that belong to the younger generation. While
it is a wonderful luxury, texting has also become an incredible danger. Because of the great frequency of
texting, some people feel they need to text at all times. Many people believe that sending a quick text
message while driving is harmless, however, this is the furthest thing from the truth. Texting while
driving is very dangerous.

Based on my research, I’ll present information on the dangers of texting while driving as well as the
science behind it and some of the legal action taken to reduce it. Texting while driving is still a growing
problem in society, in which people need to be aware of the danger it brings.

Texting is distracting and forces you to take your eyes off the road. Every second that a driver does not
have full attention on the road, the possibility of an accident rises. This is due to the fact that when a
person texts, he or she loses 3 key things: hands, eyes, and concentration. Furthermore, because the
majority of texting is done by teenagers, texting combined with their inexperience in driving mixes to be
a dangerous combination.

A nationwide mutual insurance company survey says that 20% of drivers between 18-60 text while
driving. For the drivers 18-27, 37% say they text while driving. A survey done by AAA and 17 magazine
say that teen driver distraction is a factor in 25-50% of their car accidents. In order to protect the well-
being of society, legal action has been taken to deter texting while driving. Over 30 states ban texting for
all drivers, an additional 8 states ban text messaging for novice drivers. A novice driver is one who is 21
or younger. In states that have the novice driver ban, they usually have bans on text messaging for all
school bus drivers as well.

Studies have been done that prove how sending and receiving texts affects driving. CNBC reports car
and driver study of reaction time to braking. When the driver is unimpaired, it takes an average of ½
second to brake. When the driver is drunk, it adds another 4 feet. When reading an email, 36 feet. And
when reading a text, up to 76 feet. Therefore, texting and driving can be considered more dangerous
than driving drunk.