Essay Sample on Distracted Driving

Throughout history, driving has become a common thing on the daily basis of human beings. Nowadays, mostly everyone owns a car and drives each day to get to their determined destination, making transportation efficient for society. However, As technology has developed, it has also increased the chances of individuals getting involved in a car accident. Majority of individuals are aware of the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol; although, are they truly aware of the risks of driving while being distracted? Is it possible for individuals to multitask while driving? Should distracted driving be considered the same as drunken driving due to the negative results it causes? In other words, distracted driving should be treated the same as drunk driving due to how easily individuals distract themselves by driving, causing accidents more frequently.

By distracted driving being treated the same as drunk driving, states would create laws making the use of cell phones illegal while driving, decreasing the risks of accidents. Throughout time, technology has developed rapidly by creating better ways for individuals to communicate efficiently. However, this also increases the amount of car accidents people can get involved due to being distracted behind the wheel. “The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year” (Durham), which is a big amount of accidents that still increases throughout the years. Because of this, States should have laws that establish the use of cell phones illegal while driving in order to decrease crashes. The State of Illinois prohibits the use of a cellular device inside a car, in fact, “[it] could cost $75 on the first offense, $100 for a second offense, $125 for a third offense, and $150 for succeeding offenses” (Venditti Law Group). By states establishing legal procedures due to the use of cellular devices while driving, it can decrease the amount of crashes throughout a year. Thousands of people get distracted while driving daily and as the advantages of technology increase more people are constantly stuck with their phones. Being a distracted driver has its consequences when being distracted can cause many car crashes that can result in serious injuries or even deaths. Not only can it be harmful by causing injuries and deaths, but it leaves the impact of the crash on families. In conclusion, distracted driving should be treated the same as drunk driving because states would be aware and create laws that will make the use of cell phones illegal while driving in order to decrease the risks of accidents.

Continuing to compare distracted driving to drunken driving, the chances of getting into a car accident due to distraction are higher than driving under the influence of alcohol; therefore, distracted driving should be treated the same as drunken driving. As it is said before, it is simple for people to get distracted while driving. According to a study made by the University of Utah in 2009, “using a cellphone while driving, whether it's hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the Connecticut legal limit of .08 percent” (Ferrari). In this study, it demonstrates how because of the use of cellphones behind the wheel, people get distracted easily, increasing the risks to get into a car accident as much as the risks for people to drive under the influence of alcohol. Both issues increase the likelihood for an individual to end up hurt badly; although, “alcohol-related accidents and deaths among teens have dropped, but the total number of teenage traffic fatalities has remained constant because distracted driving is on the rise, says a study by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance” (Ferrari). Because of the use of cellular devices, accidents are more often to occur, especially with teens since they tend to use their electronic devices. By analyzing the situation furthermore, individuals that use their phones while driving believe in the idea of multitasking, which is dealing with more than one task at the time. Because of the use of this concept, drivers lose complete focus behind the wheel since both hands are not on the wheel and a person’s sight is not on the road. Majority of people think that it can only take a few seconds to do another task while driving and they will not get distracted, but in those few seconds, any accident can happen by not keeping your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Whereas the chances of getting distracted while driving are higher than driving under the influence of alcohol, distracted driving should be treated the same as drunk driving.

Lastly, by considering distracted driving the same drunken driving, it brings awareness to the risks of being distracted while driving. It is logical to a person that it is bad to drink while driving or be under the influence of alcohol while you drive; however, what about when you drive while being distracted? Texting and driving are one of the most common distractions that everyone does while driving; however, there are more activities that cause you to get distracted and get in a car accident, such as eating while driving. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “8% of fatal crashes and 15% of injury crashes in 2018 were reported as distraction-affected crashes. That equates to 2,841 people killed and an estimated additional 400,000 people injured – all from distracted driving. And eating and drinking are considered to be driving distractions by the NHTSA” (Maddox). This administration agrees that other activities, such as eating, are included in those numbers of accidents caused by distracted driving. People consider it not as “dangerous” as drunk driving since they are not aware of the bad consequences it can cause to a person's life. Going back to texting and driving, “The Transport Research Laboratory found that writing a text message slows driver reactions by 35 percent, while drinking alcohol up to the legal limit slows reactions by 12 percent” (Steward Law Offices), this demonstrates that by people using their phone as a distraction, it increases more the chances of them losing focus while they are driving than driving under the influence of alcohol; creating an accident. There is no such thing as multitasking while driving; either having both eyes on the road or causing an accident that could impact one’s life in a negative way. By treating distracted driving the same as drunk driving, individuals will try to stop the practice of “multitasking” and will comprehend the risks of being distracted while driving.

Without a doubt, after analyzing the statistics about distracted driving and drunk driving, both can result in serious incidents, causing a negative effect in one’s life. People need to understand that distracted driving not only consists of “texting and driving”, but other activities one can do while driving, such as eating and drinking, causing the driver to lose focus. Distracted driving can cause as many accidents as drunk driving, and because of this, distracted driving should be treated the same as drunken driving.