In Canada there are several different ways civilians manage to harm themselves while driving vehicles. The occurrence of a vehicle disturbance not only causes harm to the drivers involved, but also puts the surrounding environment at further risk. Understanding the causes to distracted driving is crucial for the safety of Canadians, and can help prevent millions of dollars in damage. The invention of the car has increased in popularity within society, resulting in the creation of several different models of cars. Each new model has made attempts to address distracted driving. Through additional attention to case studies involving distracted driving, we can predict driving is caused from use of drugs and alcohol , use of technology/electronics, …show more content…
A variety of risks are involved with driving a vehicle; one of the most important risks associated with driving is impairment. Impaired driving is one the problems that has been a criminal act in Canada since 1921(statcan). Individuals who drive vehicles while under the influence of drugs and alcohol present themselves immediate danger through lack of attention and a rise in unsafe driving practices. Furthermore, impairment also presents drivers increased chances of receiving tickets which pose additional financial issues. Impaired driving can include the use of marijuana, prescription drugs, non-prescribed drugs and alcohol. "Impaired driving is the leading cause of death on highways. Police patrols can reduce road accidents, provided they are effective"(Dionne, 2006). Studies focusing on higher police patrol presence and road blocks have data concluding the positive effects on the communities that are a part of the plan to reduce drinking and driving. Although drinking and driving had steadily been on the decline for the past 25 years there was a small rise from 2006 to 2011.(statcan). The fight against drinking and driving has led to …show more content…
Distracted driving is becoming the one of the highest causes of fatal accidents in youth. People are becoming more and more dependent on their mobile phones due to the economic and social benefits they provide. With advancement of technology and the more widespread use of smartphones distracted driving is become more dangerous than driving impaired. Driving itself needs full focus and attention with new technologies more focused on making mobile phones more easily compatible with cars it has become increasingly difficult to eliminate the problem cell phones and mobile phones cause when linked to each other. Studies show those using mobile devices while driving are 4-6 times more likely to get into a accident, With the risk so high many cell phone use while driving has been banned in many different countries around the world(fatal distractions). The second alternative is hands-free devices allowing drivers to accept calls, compile and send text messages with ought the use of hands, but using a mobile phone whether it be hands-free or not still hinders performance and deviates the focus of the driver. Car companies have recently countered this issue by implementing new technology in vehicles. For instance, cars now come equipped with built in blue tooth and exceptional pairing applications. This technology leads to inconclusive results of using a hand-held device.
Nearly 6,000 people are killed connecting to the outcome of cell phone use while driving, according to Edmunds.com (7). Texting and talking on the phone throughout the time that a person is driving can have deadly consequences, but people still don’t seem to want to give up risking their life. There are many issues that can happen while on the road related to the usage of cell phones. It is important to stop people from looking at their phones while driving, because it is extremely distracting and not safe. Even hands free devices are not as safe as they seem to be. There have to be consequences for people using their cell phones while driving in order to improve the people’s safety. According to Edmunds.com, cell phones are known as distractions everywhere in the world and have created several concerns to several countries (9).
Cell phones are very helpful technological devices as long as they are not used as distractions in the car. Therefore, they should be used to drivers’ advantage.
Cell phones have become an essential part of many peoples’ lives as they are one of the main sources of communication. People are able to complete many tasks using their phones, such as making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails, text messaging, and even snapping photos. Cell phones are not only beneficial, but they are impactful in many ways. As many positive uses there are for cell phones, cell phone usage can be undoubtedly precarious while driving. Cell phone usage while driving is many times done irresponsibly and can put the driver at risk of getting injured. In addition to the driver getting injured, innocent pedestrians could also potentially lose their lives or be crippled due to a texting person who was driving at the same time. According to The Federal Communications Commission, “over 8 people are killed and approximately 1,161 are injured daily in incidents reported as distraction-affected crashes in the United States.” Texting while driving has become the number one distraction of drivers and main cause of car crashes. These crashes could result in hundreds of thousands of people either losing their lives or experiencing life-changing injuries. Although cell phone usage is an effective way to communicate with others and to complete certain tasks, it has become problematic for drivers in recent years as it increased the risk of injury and death while driving. For these reasons, texting while driving should be illegal and punishable by law.
“Distracted driving refers to any nondriving activity that takes motorists ' attention away from the safe operation of their vehicles” (Leone). Every time a driver gets in a vehicle and decides to use a cell phone to have a conversation, either talking or texting, they put themselves and others lives in danger. The convenience a cell phone and the capabilities they offer have made them a substantial distraction and a cause of significant source of vehicle accidents and fatalities. There are three different types of distractions: visual, manual and cognitive. Cell phone use is the most dangerous distraction because it involves all three different types of distraction and plays a part in the increasing issue of distracted driving. Even
In this article “Distracted Driving”, many distractions are mentioned other than just cell phone usage, such as changing the radio station or driving with kids in the back seat. It is stated that the dangers from distracted driving are because of the decrease in brain function and inability to pay full attention to the road. These practices lead to wrecks and in many cases death.
Texting and driving has become a recent issue in today's society and is one of the largest epidemics to sweep our nation. The progression of text messaging, with more capable phones and larger numbers of people engaging than ever before, has turned into one of the largest distractions in our world. Many teens, as well as adults, have formed a habit of using their cell phones while driving their cars. Several people do not think that a quick text or even a glance at a phone while they are driving will do any harm. A great bit of accidents has taken place due to a careless individual that decided to look at their phone while they were in the process of driving. These days, phones have gotten even more
The risks of distracted driving are great and lead to unfathomable results. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), there are three main types of distracted driving. The first is visual - taking your eyes off of the road. The second is manual- taking your hands off of the wheel, and the third is cognitive - taking your mind off of driving (CDCP). While all of these exist amongst distracted drivers, the major distraction for most people is visual and manual. For example, whether an individual is changing the radio or the most common and dangerous thing, texting; particularly because texting involves all three forms. It involves
1). Texting and using a cell phone are the two most common distractions while driving (“Distracted” para. 1). It Can Wait campaign has started to stop drivers from using handheld devices (“Distracted” para. 3). Distractions affect one’s driving performance (“Distracted” para. 5). Drivers are distracted around half the time they drive (“Distracted” para. 5).15% to 25% of crashes on all levels are caused by distraction (“Distracted” para. 5). Texting increases the driving risk, even more than regular cell phone use (“Distracted” para. 5). When cops fill out crash reports, the states should keep track of them (“Distracted” para. 6). There are many distraction while driving that may cause the driver to take focus off the road (“Distracted” para. 8). Some distraction that everyone does is : changing the radio or a CD, talking to passenger, and observing the event outside the vehicle (Distracted para. 8). There are effects on telematics on driving behaviors (“Distracted” para. 9). Some say that the electronic device companies need to inform the public about the real use of these devices (“Distracted” para.
Distracted driving has been the most recent cause of accidents on the road presently. Of course there are many other reasons why drivers get into accidents, but it is mainly because they get distracted. Police in El Cerrito, California even gave more than 600 citations in April to drivers for distracted driving violations (“El Cerrito”).Also,“nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in the U.S. due to drivers being distracted”(“Distracted”).Distracted driving today causes many accidents through the use of technology, eating and drinking, and children in the backseat.
In Alberta, Bill 16 was introduced to combat distracted driving. This law prohibits drivers from using hand-held cell phone devices but still allows the use of cell phones and other devices in handsfree mode. Meaning, as long as a driver is not physically holding up a cell phone, they are not participating in distracted driving. However, many studies have questioned the use of handsfree devices and whether or not they have really solved the problem of distracted driving. Today, there is ample evidence that driving and cell phone use do not mix. Several studies have found that handsfree devices while driving are almost or equally detrimental as a hand-held device, questioning the usefulness of laws across the country that simply prohibit hand-held devices. In this essay, the consequences of using handsfree technology will be evaluated and the effectiveness of distracted driving laws will be appraised. The discussed research will establish the fact that current distracted driving laws overlook the actual problem of technology use while
Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing problems in the United States. It is starting to be considered as serious as drunk driving based on the dangerous outcomes. According to the Department of Transportation (2012), “distracted driving was a cause of roughly 450,000 accident-related injuries and nearly 5,500 fatalities in 2009 alone” (para. 1). Drivers who allow themselves to become distracted while driving are not only endangering themselves, but other innocent bystanders.
As technology advances, people are relying on it more and more. Cell phones have literally become a necessity. Every day on the roads, people are driving and using their cell phones to talk, text, browse the internet, use GPS, etc. According to the International Telecommunication Union, “the number of mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide is approaching the number of people on earth. Mobile cellular subscriptions will reach almost 7 billion by end 2014, corresponding to a penetration rate of 96%” (3). If the number of cell phone subscribers reaches the world’s population by the end of 2014, almost every driver will have a cell phone in their car and consequently, more drivers will be using them while driving. Can cell phone use while driving affect driving performance and safety? The answer is yes.
Texting while driving has developed into a growing danger amongst many drivers. Driving requires full attention at all times; moreover, texting impairs the drivers’ abilities, causing his or her reaction time to decrease dramatically. When his or her full attention is on the phone rather than on the road, the driver is unable to witness the traffic; therefore, causing a collision due to lack of focus. When both hands are on the phone texting, the driver easily loses control of the vehicle because of his or her inability to concentrate on the road. Improper driving is an unnecessary risk to
Today using a cellphone while driving has become the norm. Drivers are now forced to either focus on the conversation or on the road in front of them. Many studies have shown that driving while having a conversation is extremely dangerous. The evidence that supports banning cellphones including hands-free phone is due to signs of visual impairedness and an increase in vehicle accidents. The evidence that suggests cell phones and hands-free phones impose no risk are that there are many distractions when driving and cars have safety features to allow talking on the phone while driving.
There are many dangers of using certain forms of technology while driving, such as smartphones. The use of cellphones in cars has led to an increase in car accidents in recent years. The National Safety Council’s annual injury and fatality report states “26% of all accidents are caused by use of cell phones” (NSC Report 8). This statistic shows us that a high percentage of accidents in America are due to drivers who are distracted by their phones. Since mobile phones have been around they have caused drivers to be distracted and the death toll is on the rise due to distracted driving. “In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers” (Distracted Driving 10). Drivers use their phones when they are driving all the time but most