Project 1
Dakota Bray
Eng 1213
Professor Hammet
Essay 1 Argument Proposal
Word Count: 1010
Fighting Distracted Driving
As many Americans know, being able to drive for the first time is an exciting and new milestone in one's life, which is one that comes with freedom as well as a great responsibility, a responsibility to not only protect themselves but also protect the people around them. Cellphones, substances, and other factors have been known to infringe on a driver’s ability to drive safely, but these seemingly minor distractions can have deadly consequences. In 2020 alone, there were a reported number of 3,142 fatalities due to distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Distracted Driving). Distracted driving has become an ever-growing issue across the United States, and it is one that will continue to grow without proper education, technological advancements, and enforcement. By reaching more people and having them understand how distractions while driving have contributed to vehicular fatalities and the systems that are in place to help combat them, we can begin to make the roads safer.
It is pertinent that the general population receives the proper education and necessary training so that this epidemic can be remediated. Prior to obtaining a license to operate a motor vehicle, an individual should be required to go through proper training and more extensive educational programs to ensure they are truly ready. They need to address not only the importance of being an engaged and active driver but also the consequences in the event of being disengaged and/or distracted.
Once a licensed driver passes all the required classes to obtain their license, they must partake in continuing education courses to ensure that they are aware of the severity of the consequences when being distracted or utilizing devices while operating a motor vehicle. These courses need to be implemented, and an individual must complete them annually to stay in good standing with the Department of Transportation. Such courses could go on to include continuing defensive driving classes that are required to be taken through the state. “Defensive driving is driving to save lives, time, and money in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others.” (Defensive Driving) Implementing these courses into a driver's regular responsibility could help make for safer and more active drivers on American roads.
Defensive driving classes have shown some remarkable results when we talk about how it has affected drivers who have participated and completed them. It has been shown that the fatality rate for drivers who have participated in defensive driving courses can drop by about fifty percent. (MyImprov) In these classes, drivers are taught and refreshed on many different skills to ensure not only their own safety but also the safety of other drivers. Such skills include ensuring the driver is making safe and legal decisions, creating a stress free driving environment in and out of the vehicle, common sense, courtesy, and cooperation, and recognizing risks and certain driving conditions and the safest way to navigate them. (Defensive Driving) If defensive driving classes were to be mandatory and enforced in order for an individual to continue to hold a driver's license, it could lead to a much higher number of safe, engaged, and active drivers on the road.
Cell phones have proven to be one of the most common and dangerous distractions a driver can experience while driving today. According to the National Safety Council, drivers using either handheld or hands free technology only see about fifty percent of all the information in their driving environment. (Distracted Driving Tech. Solutions) One way to help eliminate this distraction for drivers would be some form of cell phone blocking technology or application. The application or technology would block any incoming or outgoing calls and texts while also restricting access to the internet while the vehicle is in motion. This type of technology should be implemented and enforced for all licensed drivers or be standard on any phone sold in the United States. Implementing cell phone blocking software into every driver’s phone would help to eliminate the potential for individuals to utilize their cellular devices while the vehicle is in motion.
Although cell phone blocking technology can be greatly beneficial in decreasing device use while driving, there are some concerns that remain regarding the safety of the driver. For example, in the event of an emergency, how would one contact help? According to the National Safety Council (Distracted Driving Tech. Solutions), most of the phone blocking apps provide a short list of contacts that are still able to contact the driver. Another drawback could be the use of the phone's navigation system or music applications while driving. In a study conducted on teens, it was found that fifty nine percent of teens who participated were not willing to give up the navigation system, and forty three percent were not willing to give up music applications. (Traffic Injury Prevention) With this evidence, it is obvious that cell phone blocking technology that is made for drivers will require much improvement before it can be implemented and enforced on the public, but once perfected, it would drastically affect the number of cell phone related fatalities.
Distracted driving has become a major issue in our society, and the effects have led to countless fatalities and injuries on American roads. Prioritizing proper education on defensive and active driving for new drivers and implementing continuing educational programs for licensed drivers is important in addressing the issue. Defensive driving classes have been proven to be effective in promoting safe and active driving practices, leading to a lower fatality rate due to distracted driving. Additionally, the use of any cell phone blocking technology can help to eliminate any possible distractions that may arise and lower cell phone use while the vehicle is in motion. However, further improvements are needed to ensure the safety of the driver in an emergency situation, as well as the want for the phone’s navigation system and music applications. By combining education, enforcement, and technology, our society can move towards creating a safer driving environment to ensure the number of distracted driving fatalities is reduced.
References
Defensive driving. (n.d.). Office of Management and Enterprise Services, from https://oklahoma.gov/omes/divisions/capital-assets-management/fleet-management/driver-resources/defensive-driving.html
Delgado, M. K., McDonald, C. C., Winston, F. K., Halpern, S. D., Buttenheim, A. M., Setubal, C., Huang, Y., Saulsgiver, K. A., & Lee, Y.-C. (2018). Attitudes on technological, social, and behavioral economic strategies to reduce cellphone use among teens while driving. Traffic Injury Prevention, 19(6), 569–576. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2018.1458100
Distracted driving | nhtsa. (n.d.). from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
Distracted driving technology solutions. National Safety Council. (n.d.). https://www.nsc.org/road/safety-topics/distracted-driving/technology-solutions
Statistics prove defensive driving prevents accidents. (n.d.). MyImprov. from https://www.myimprov.com/defensive-driving/texas/no-joke-essential/
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