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ENG215 Hang Up: It's Not Just Your Life

Repeated version of the essay on cellphone use and road safety.

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    1 Running head: HANG UP: IT'S NOT JUST YOUR LIFE Hang Up: It's Not Just Your Life Brad Gardner Michael Hunter ENG215 December 13 , 2014 Discuss the inconsistencies in distracted driving laws across the United States, particularly focusing on mobile device use while driving. In your response, analyze the role of age in determining these laws, compare them to seatbelt laws, and argue whether distracted driving laws should be standardized nationwide. Use specific examples and statistics from the provided text to support your position. (Word count : 600 - 700 words)

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    2 HANG UP: IT'S NOT JUST YOUR LIFE Hang Up: It's Not Just Your L ife Although it appears to be a common sense notion, the differences in laws and regulations regarding the use of mobile devices while driving are not the same from state to state . No one person is a better - distracted driver than the next . Mobile device policies, regulations, and laws should not be any different from federal seat belt laws; make them consistent, not subjective. Everyday people can make a change; make better choices, to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. People can make a simple decision to hang up our cell phone before getting into our car and driving. People can choose not to accidently run over a young child walking across the street on their way to school due to the distraction of a cell phone. It sounds simple enough to do; yet, every second, someone decides to take that child's life. They decide that it is more important to answer their p hone or reply to a text while driving over the well b eing of others. Distracted driving and its repercussions have been a growing concern since the first - day drivers began using mobile devices. The first cellular phones became available for consumer use in the mid - 80s. Widespread use was not marked for almost another decade. In the early 90s, less than 4.5 million people used cell phones. Over the last 15 or so years the population of cell phone users has spiked to over 230 million, according to statistics from the Insurance Information Group (cellp honesafety, 2013). With th e continuing rise in the number of mobile device users, it is only logical to infer that the dangers of distracted driving will continue to escalate. It is a serious problem for drivers, and there is a large discrepancy where our laws are concerned. The co nvenience of small hand - held devices should be given a great deal more attention than it is receiving.

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    3 HANG UP: IT'S NOT JUST YOUR LIFE With greater accessibility to technology; there also, should come a greater responsibility for correctly using that technology. In today's society, the use of mobile devices has become so common that over 97% of adults own a cell phone. ( Gibson , 2014 ). People have become tethered to their technology. The problem is not our dependency on this technology; but, how and where people choose to use this technology. Everyone should drive responsibly and be held accountable for their actions. There are already many distractions inside and outside the vehicle; such as, eating, drinking, music, passengers, video billboards, or people holding those spinning signs on the side of the road. All someone has to do in order to recognize distractions is open their eyes. O r they can educate themselves to gain awareness of what distracted driving is and how to avoid it. D istracted drivers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and forms. Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety ( NH TSA, n.d.) . Drivers must always process the information going on around them from street signs to signals, to pedestrians and other vehicles. All of those could be considered a distraction; b ut, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attenti on from the driver, it is by fa r the most alarming distraction ( NH TSA, n.d.) . Operating a vehicle is more than turning the key , putting it in drive, and keeping it between the lines. In order to drive to safe ly, one need s to be aware of their surroundings, can anticipate to unexpected, and stay focused. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are three main types of distraction: (1) Visual – taking your eyes off the road, (2) Manual – taking your hands off the wheel, and (3) Cognitive – taking your mind off driving.

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