Around 80% of teenagers today possess cell phones, making them a significant proportion of the driving population. Many experts believe that teenagers engage in texting while driving due to their lesser sense of responsibility compared to adults. However, it is essential to understand where they acquire these negative behaviors. Adults and parents should take the initiative to serve as positive role models by refraining from texting while driving. Countless teens have witnessed their parents or other adults text and drive, resulting in their frustration when told to focus on the road. Consequently, it is crucial that teenagers are educated in advance about the distractions caused by cell phones while driving. Furthermore, they must comprehend that texting and driving is considerably more hazardous than drinking and driving, emphasizing that people’s lives are at risk on the road. Parents and adults must lead by example by not engaging in texting while driving and reinforcing the fact that it is illegal. The road is not the appropriate place to put our multitasking skills into practice, despite many individuals excelling at this ability in other contexts.
Texting and driving is a dangerous activity that requires both visual attention and coordinated motor skills, making it difficult in busy traffic. Multitasking overwhelms the brain, making it hard to focus on driving and react quickly. I personally experienced this when my friend read a text while driving and ran a red light without consequences. Upon reflection, she realized that she often has her two-year-old with her while texting and driving, setting a bad example and putting herself at risk.
Texting and driving is more hazardous than drunk driving; although both actions are unsafe, comparing them highlights the danger of this unnecessary behavior. According to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis study, texting in vehicles causes over 3,000 deaths and 330,000 injuries annually. The federal agency emphasizes that texting while driving takes an average of 4.6 seconds of a driver’s attention off the road – equivalent to blindfolded travel along an entire football field at 55 mph.
Despite progress in combating drunk driving, many countries and states in the US have not yet implemented texting and driving bans. However, this poses a new challenge as an alarming number of fatalities are now associated with texting while driving.
When driving, it is crucial to prioritize both our own safety and the safety of others. Even a seemingly insignificant act like checking a text message on our phone can have long-lasting consequences. Given the rising number of fatalities caused by texting while driving, individuals must take ownership of their actions and face accountability. Despite multiple reasons why texting and driving is against the law, many believe they can escape punishment. However, this behavior can result in losing one’s life or even more lives. Therefore, we must question whether it is truly worth it and if the message can wait.
Texting while driving serves as a highly distracting activity that diverts our attention from the road. Its danger level surpasses drunk driving by six times, leading to thousands of deaths and millions of injuries each year. As drivers, we hold responsibility for our choices, particularly when they impact the lives of others.
Let us fulfill our duty as responsible drivers by refraining from texting while behind the wheel.
