Distracted driving is not only irresponsible and reckless, but it is also very dangerous for not only the distracted driver and passengers within their car, but also for all others on the road at the same time as this individual. “In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers,” according to a government website created exclusively to deter distracted driving called distraction.gov (2016). Distracted driving includes anything that may take attention from the road. This includes adjusting the radio, talking to others in the car, eating or drinking, using a phone, texting, recording a video, taking pictures, or referring to a GPS map. Distracted driving is a problem specifically for teen drivers, as teenagers unfortunately make up a large percentage of the distracted drivers causing collisions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, ten percent of all drivers between the ages of 15 to 19 involved in crashes where somebody died were reported as being distracted. These fatalities could have been avoided if the teenager behind the wheel would have only been paying attention to their driving and the road. (nhtsa.dot.gov. 2015). Also, according to the NHTSA, the percentage of people on the road that were visibly manipulating handheld devices, such as text messaging almost doubled from 2013 to 2014. The statistics of the amount of people that are texting or being distracted while driving is scary.
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There are many groups raising awareness about distracted driving. Phone providers, such as AT&T as well as Verizon constantly reminding phone users not to use their phone while driving. Distraction.gov is a site set up exclusively to raise awareness. The National Safety Council runs regular campaigns raising awareness as well. The first thing that you and I can do to reduce distracted driving is to avoid doing it ourselves, and to talk about it to let others know distracted driving is a problem. It is nothing to joke about or overlook. There is no reason for innocent people to be losing their lives over something as preventable as this.
- Official U.S. Government Website for Distracted Driving http://www.distraction.gov/
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812132
