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Mahum Kudia

Mr. Van Velzer

Beginning Composition- Block 4

5 December 2014

What is a situation that requires upstanding? How can we be upstanders?

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a major issue in our community today because it poses major health

and safety risks, and we can be upstanders by following driving safety laws, making sure that

others do to, and coming up with safer ways to use technology in the car.

We should follow all driving safety rules, take precautions to insure that we will drive

safely, and if you cant drive, then be sure to not disturb whoever is driving. I remember one day

when my mom was driving me somewhere. We were on the freeway when her phone started to

ring. My mom said, Pick that up and tell whoever it is that I am driving. I picked up the phone,

and one of my moms friends replied with, Hi! How are you doing? I answered saying, Uh,

my mom is busy driving right now, so she cant talk. Her friend then said, Oh, ok. Tell her so-

and-so said hi. An article on NPR.org by Sonari Glinton discusses some tips on avoiding

distracted driving. He says, Dont distract people you know are driving; check in with your

loved ones before you head home, prepare before you leave, and, Turn the sound off on your

devices. (Glinton) From this evidence we can see that there are many ways to ensure safe,

distraction-free driving. If you know that your loved ones are driving, dont call and text them.

The classic When will you get here? and Where are you? messages shouldnt be sent if you

know they are on their way because it distracts the driver and puts him or her at risk. Instead,

before you leave call your loved ones and inform them that you are leaving and will be home
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soon, or wherever it is you are going. Before you start driving, prepare for the trip by, turning on

your music beforehand, and entering in coordinates into your GPS, so you dont have to do it

while driving. Also, silence your phone so it isnt distracting if it goes off. Just by completing

these easy steps we can guarantee almost completely distraction-free driving, and we can keep

ourselves and others safe. This is just one way we can be upstanders. Another way is by making

sure others do the same.

It is our job as responsible citizens to ensure that our friends and family follow the laws

that keep them safe. I remember one day in particular; my dad had just picked me up from

basketball practice, and he received a text. He took his eyes off the road to respond, and my heart

rate sped up. When people are on their phone while driving and Im in the car, I freak out. I knew

that what my dad was doing was dangerous and unsafe, so I said, Dad, what youre doing isnt

safe. If you cant drive without looking at your phone, please give it to me. I held out my hand,

and my dad gave me his phone. He then put his full attention back on the road. I sighed in relief.

The website textinganddrivingsafety.com is dedicated to stopping people from texting while

driving. The website quotes from the National Highway Safety Administration that, Texting

while driving makes you 23x more likely to crash, and, Texting while driving is about 6 times

more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated. The website also quotes from the

National Safety Council, Texting while driving causes 1,600,000 accidents per year. (DWI).

We can see that distracted driving is a major safety risk. It causes nearly 25% of all car

accidents. (DWI). Every time somebody looks at their phone while driving, someone could get

hurt; or worse. Countless lives have been unjustly ended because somebody decided that their

phone is more important than human lives. But every little thing we do can help make a

difference, and save lives. Just by saying, please dont do that, or what you are doing is
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dangerous, we could be upstanders and save lives. So the next time you see a case of distracted

driving, speak up and stand up for whats right.

Sometimes, people cant prevent themselves from looking at their phones, so there is tech

that they can use that either prevents or allows hands-free use of phones. In a New York Times

article, Matt Richtel quotes from another NY Times article by Kevin Moloney who wrote, Scott

Tibbitts has developed a system that uses a small black box, plugged in under a cars steering

column, to block incoming and outgoing texts and prevent phone calls from reaching the

driver.(Richtel). There are also apps that can be installed, like the AT&T Drive Mode, which,

according to att.com automatically replies to texts, emails, and wireless calls letting your friends

know that you are driving and unable to respond. ("AT&T DriveMode). Lastly, nowadays,

most cars come equipped with hands-free Bluetooth systems, so we can call, dial, and answer

phones with just our voices.

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Works Cited

AT&T DriveMode Fact Sheet and Q&A. Att.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec 2014.

DWI:Driving while Intexticated. Texting and Driving Safety. Textingthumbands.com. Web. 3

Dec 2014.

Glinton, Sonari. Distracted Driving: Were All Guilty, So What Should We Do About

It?. NPR.org 11 November 2012, n. pag. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

Richtel, Matt. Trying to Hit the Brake on Texting While Driving. New York Times 13

September 2014, n. pag. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.