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Ismael Robles
English 101
Issues in the Community
18 September 2016
Texting and Driving: When Death Calls, Do You Answer?
Texting and driving is one of the largest fatal epidemics to sweep the nation. The
evolution of text messaging, with more capable phones and an ever increasing number of
people engaging in texting than ever before, has turned the act into the largest distraction of
the modern world. People are constantly fixated on their phones, checking Twitter, Facebook
and text messages. The use of a cell phone while driving is extremely disrupting and
dangerous to not only the person behind the wheel, but everyone else on the road as well.
Every year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of sixteen and
nineteen were the result of using their cell phone behind the wheel (US Department of
Transportation State Laws 2013). This statistic is expected to grow in upwards of 4% every
year. Cell phone use and driving is not just a problem among teen drivers either. An
estimated one-fifth of adult drivers in the United States send text messages while driving
(Edgar Synder & Associates "Texting and Driving Statistics - Distracted Driving Drives Up
Risk." 2013). To combat this problem, the United States government must finally put its foot
down and take a stronger stance to open the general publics eye to this deadly killer.
Education supporting legislation in the fight against texting behind the wheel is what needs

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to be amended in order to send the message loud and clear to future drivers: texting and
driving kills.
The vast majority of motorists would agree that a proactive ban on cell phone use by
the driver would be infinitely beneficial. The only problem is that the culture of cell phone
use ingrained in our everyday culture makes that seemingly impossible. The truth behind the
numbers for texting and driving related accidents is resoundingly appalling. At any given
time of the day, roughly 660,000 drivers are fully immersed in cell phone use behind the
wheel in the United States (Texting Thumb Bands Texting and Driving Statistics 2012). In
comparison to the total population of the U.S., eleven people for approximately every fivethousand are getting their cell phone fix while driving at all times of the day (Worldometers
U.S. Population (LIVE) 2016). It cannot be so wrong if everyone is doing it, right?
On average, answering a text takes away your attention from the road for about five
seconds. If a commuter is traveling at fifty-five miles per hour, that is enough time to travel
the length of a football field (Edgar Synder & Associates "Texting and Driving Statistics Distracted Driving Drives Up Risk." 2013). In an instant, those five precious seconds could
be the last seconds you or another person ever spends on this Earth. Disturbingly so, those
five seconds end eleven teens lives every single day. Even more shocking, is that texting
while driving is widely known to be dangerous, yet the implications are still severely
underestimated.
In the realm of legislation, currently forty-six of the fifty states, including our nations
capital Washington D.C., have banned text messaging for all drivers (Texting Thumb Bands
Texting and Driving Statistics 2012). Of the four states without texting ban on all drivers,

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only two prohibit text messaging by drivers under the age of eighteen, and one restricts
school bus drivers from texting. Fourteen states prohibit drivers of all ages from using
handheld cell phones while driving, while promoting the use of hands-free devices. No state
bans all cell phone use for all drivers because of the inherent impracticality of such a law.
Texting and driving causes more grief than it should and is ultimately easily
avoidable. Better self-control against the constant urge to be-in-the-know and overall
patience would drive cell phone related accidents down significantly. With Ninety-two
percent participation with strict regulations against texting and driving, the United States is
leading the charge in keeping veteran and young drivers alike, safe. Break the status quo of
being glued to a phone: dont text and drive, stay alive.

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Works Cited
NHTSA. "State Laws." Distracted Driving. US Department of Transportation, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/state-laws.html#Arizona>.
Synder & Associates, Edgar. "Texting and Driving Statistics - Distracted Driving Drives Up
Risk." Edgarsnyder.com. Edgar Snyder & Associates, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
<https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phonestatistics.html>.
Texting Thumb Bands. "Texting and Driving Statistics." Texting and Driving Statistics.
TextingThumbBands.com, 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats>.
"U.S. Population (LIVE)." U.S. Population (2016). Worldometers, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/>.