In “Lawmakers send a message to drivers with `DWT’ ban”, published in The Los Angeles Times, Sam H. Verhovek questions how affective the ban of texting and driving is. Verhovek says many states are taking notice of the affects of driving and texting and how big of an issue this really is. He also discusses how the bill would affect the community. Therefore, Verhovek states that many legislators in the United States are coming forward to create the ban of cellular devices when driving, so far over 13 states have made this change happen. Verhovek’s newspaper article attracts newspaper readers who use cell phones from his title indicating a “Driving While Texting Ban”. This leaves the audience wanting to know more about the topic. His purpose is to inform citizens on the recent laws made on cell phone use while driving and the documentation of how legislators made this change become a reality.
Verhovek gives logical information by using percentages on the amount of people that text and drive, “About 37% of drivers in their late teens or 20s admitted to having sent or read text messages while driving. By comparison, 17% of drivers in their 30s and 40s admitted doing so; 2% of drivers in their 50s and 60s did” (01). He emotionally appeals to cell phone users by discussing stories of individuals who have experienced car collisions caused by cellular devices and recites a vivid scenario of the situation. Verhovek’s style in writing is formal because he does not address the reader by saying, “You” or “I”. In addition, he is a credible source because he is featured in the Los Angeles Times and includes informative details in his article. Verhovek provides solid evidence in his article on why legislator are making a difference in the laws of texting and driving. He includes information on what some states are doing now and have done to stop texting and driving, which broadens how serious the issue is. As a driver, witnessing others use cell phones while driving has been an everyday occurrence. A law to ban texting and driving will decrease the amount of cell phone users when driving, resulting to less car collisions over time. This is similar to a video that has been popular online and has been shown to young drivers in drivers ed.
The video gives drivers a view of what an accident caused from texting may look like. These videos show how serious this situation is and how easy it can occur. After reading this article, more individuals will have a better idea on how people are approaching the subject of texting and driving and what others are doing to prevent it. Overall, legislators are concerned of the increasing use of cell phones and are coming together to create laws to prohibit the use of them when driving to protect individuals. This article has useful information on recent law changes and how they occurred. Although I already knew of the laws against texting while driving, it was interesting to find out how this law was created. Also, Verhovek includes the fines and consequences of texting while driving which is helpful to know.
