Reasons to Avoid Texting While Driving

Texting while driving is, to say the least, a recipe for disaster. Many people especially teenagers enjoy the fun of using their mobile devices when they are on the wheels. This has been caused by the popularity of mobile communications and the decreasing number of face-to-face communications. However, according to Klauer (57), texting while driving has been seen as one of those activities that lead to an increase in the distraction of the driver. The results are death, accidents, destruction of property and disabilities. People have lost their families out of the driver receiving and sending a text while driving. Others have caused the death of fellow drivers on the roads in the event that they text while driving. It is, therefore, very dangerous and in fact deadly for a driver to attempt to text while he/she is on the wheels. The loss of concentration for ten seconds can lead to fatalities. This paper will discuss in details the reasons as to why drivers should desist from texting while driving.

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When Brock Dietrich talks about the life of Sydnee to High Schools in Ohio, he admires the young women in those schools who would be the age of her daughter. Specifically, her daughter died some years ago from an accident, which resulted from texting while driving. In fact, she would be turning eighteen this year had not been for her demise. Surprisingly, his daughter watched him (Brock Dietrich) as he used his mobile device while still driving. Therefore, she did not think that this was something that could be so cunning to take away his daughter (Bowerman, 2). However, her daughter was involved in an accident on one of the highways in Ohio. This is just one of the cases where texting while driving has caused death. Even more, the family of the victim(s) of the scenario are left in anguish and disbelief. Therefore, not texting while driving would spare the family this anguish such as the one that Brock Dietrich was experiencing after the death of his daughter.

Texting while driving is a distraction, which might lead to accidents. As such, it can inconvenience the driver or the others on the road. Notably, concentration is very important when on the road as it helps avoid hitting other vehicles and keeping the car on the road. However, one moment of the lack of concentration can be very disastrous. Actually, for a vehicle moving with a speed of over 100 kilometers per hour, losing concentration for only ten seconds can be fatal (Nemme et al., 1257). However, when a driver uses a mobile device while driving, this concentration is lost and, therefore, an accident could occur that might lead to either death or the disability of the people that will be involved in the accidents. As such, drivers should desist from texting while driving so that they can maintain their own safety and that of other road users. This safety is only maintained when the drivers are concentrated on the road and not concentrating on mobile gadgets.

In 2012 only, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the distraction of the drivers on the roads by texting led to more than 18% of all the fatal crashes in the United States (Klauer et al., 54). In the same year, the number of deaths arising out of distractions on the road were more than 3,300 people while those who were injured were more than 420,000. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported than text messaging while driving creates a crash risk 23 times more than driving while concentrating on the road. Surprisingly, 11% of the teenagers who were in one-way or the other involved in automobile accidents and who eventually survived stated that they were either texting of receiving a text when the crash occurred (Bowerman, 4). Therefore, distracted driving through texting is a major contributor of deaths and the destruction of property on the roads. It is, therefore, safer and prudent for drivers to ensure that they do not text or receive text messages while driving.

Drivers who text when driving should be prepared for the fatal eventualities. It is not a matter of if but when they will be involved an accident. When people receive text messages on their phone while driving, the messages can be either pleasurable or saddening (Farris, 233). As such, the drivers will be either happy or saddened. The reaction to these two scenarios does not bring any good benefits to the drivers. Good news will increase the excitement of the drivers by releasing a hit of dopamine, which is a chemical in the brain that will make them happy. However, it is not always the case that drivers will receive those happy messages. As such, they will feel the impulse to check the phone every time that a new message is sent. To continue the conversation, the drivers will respond to the text. Eventually, the conversations will lead to the concentration on the phone instead of on the road. Ultimately, this will lead to accidents. Therefore, in the opinion of Farris (233), to prevent the brain from acting on impulse, drivers should keep away their phones when driving.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the more than 40 states in the world have banned the use of mobile phones while driving (Nemme et al., 1258). Actually, others have gone ahead to ban the use of mobile phones by passengers while crossing the road. This large number of states means that they have realized that nothing good can come out of the use of such gadgets on the roads. Specifically, they have realized that using the phones will only increase the number of road accidents and fatalities. Additionally, they wish to ensure that the safety of drivers and pedestrians on the road is promoted. Texting while driving is, therefore, a vice that only leads to disaster and should, therefore, be avoided at all costs.

In conclusion, texting while driving is in itself a recipe for disaster. This is shown by the example of a man Brock Dietrich who lost his daughter out of a road accident that was caused by her lack of concentration due to texting while driving. Additionally, there are surprising figures on how texting while driving has caused accidents and disabilities to the victims. Specifically, texting while driving leads to the loss of concentration of the driver as the mind is more concerned with sending and replying text messages, other than focusing on the road ahead. Moreover, the increasing use of mobile phones has contributed to most distractions on the roads. The figures of the number of fatalities that have arisen out of such distractions are alarming. As such, texting while driving should be avoided to maintain safety on the roads and save lives.

Works Cited

"The Dangers Of Texting While Driving". Federal Communications Commission. N.p., 2011. Web. 10 May 2016.

Bowerman, Mary. "Texting While Driving Kills, But Will We Stop?". USA TODAY. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 May 2016.

Farris, Alexis M. "LOL-Texting While Driving is No Laughing Matter: Proposing a Coordinated Response to Curb this Dangerous Activity." Wash. UJL & Pol'y 36 (2011): 233.

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 people's texting intentions and behaviour." Accident Analysis & Prevention 42.4 (2010): 1257-1265.