Running Head: The Dangers of Distracted Driving 1

The Dangers of Distracted Driving

Ange Patrick Amessan

Montgomery College

Author’s Note:
This is a paper written for English 101, taught by Professor Anthony
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As a new driver getting behind the wheel, these words echo in my head: “When you get

behind the wheel, it’s you vs. the world. One wrong move, and you’re finished.” When thinking

about it, those words hint at a life or death situation. They allude to distracted driving, and the

dangers that follow in its wake. The results of distracted driving have increased, causing more

accidents, due to some of the prevalent causes such as smartphones and bad driving habits.

However, in an effort to combat these issues, manufacturers have taken actions to reduce the

impact of driving recklessly.

The amounts of accidents caused by distracted driving have increased exponentially in

recent years compared to the past. With the turn of the century, the rise of electronic devices in

cars have risen, and along with that, distracted driving has increased: “Since January 2000, more

Americans have died in car crashes than did in both World Wars, and the overwhelming majority

of the wrecks were caused by speeding, drunk [,] or distracted drivers…” (Halsey, 2019, para. 1).

Simply hearing those statistics drive home the fact that distracted driving is a serious issue, but to

hear that more people died due to distracted driving accidents than both World Wars combined is

staggering, to say the least. Journalist Ashley Halsey (2019) of The Washington Post notes that

“[M]ore than 197,000 people died as the result of speeding since 2000. And close to 78,000 people

have died in crashes caused by driving since 2000” (para. 10), as verified by the America Public

Health Association and NHTSA data. Hearing all these numbers and statistics makes one wonder

what causes all of these events to happen in the first place. The question is, how can the roads

become safer in the future if more distractions become common? What bothers me the most is the

ignorant mindset drivers have about other drivers, summed up perfectly by Maureen Vogel of the

National Safety Council: “’Unfortunately, our public opinion research has repeatedly shown that

people still believe it will happen to someone else, but not to them’” (Halsey, 2019, para. 12). The
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quote demonstrates that every driver has a theoretical bubble around him or her, feigning security

that is not reflected by reality.

Obviously, the large number of accidents are the results of the distracted driving, which

can be caused by a plethora of factors. The cause that gets the brunt of all the blame are

smartphones. Since the early 2000s, cellphones have become an integral part of everyday life, but

with the introduction of social media apps and other services, it’s something humanity just can’t

stay away from. The Foundation for Traffic Safety determined that people who talk on a phone

behind the wheel “are four times more likely” to get in an accident, while people who look away

and actually “text” are “eight times more likely” to crash (Halsey, 2019, para. 17). Looking away

from the road, no matter how close the screen is to their direct line of sight of the road ahead,

means that the driver is distracted – and their peripheral vision can’t save them. Of course,

smartphones aren’t the only source of the problem. Additional factors include “a passenger,”

listening to loud music, or tuning the radio. J.B. White (2009) of The Wall Street Journal lists the

following factors contributing driving and car crashes: “You can be distracted by a messy

cheeseburger or a hot cup of coffee […], by an iPod not playing what you want, […] or a map or

a paper with directions on it” (para. 10). What White says here goes to show that just about

anything can distract the driver at any given moment. These are some factors that the driver is in

control over before they get behind the wheel. However, while some of these items are things

current drivers can’t help (such as passengers talking, or observing accidents on the road), Halsey

(2019) bluntly states, “Fatal crashes or injuries that fall into those categories are, simply put, driver

stupidity” (para. 6). The fact that drivers have this self-presumed “safety bubble” around them

disillusions them into thinking that they can pull off all these wild stunts, such as speeding, which

endangers not only them (when the car goes out of control), but the rest of the drivers around them.
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That being said, the increase of those accidents was caused by distracted driving, and car

manufacturers have taken notice, offering solutions to hopefully diminish the cause. Normally, car

manufacturers go through extensive measures to make sure the bodies of the passengers and the

driver are safe when the accidents are caused, but how have they dealt with distracted driving? E.

A. Taub of The New York Times notes car makers include tools such as “heads up-displays which

project speed and other information to the windshield”, so driver doesn’t have to look down) and

“audio alerts” (which are sounds to notify the driver of “when the vehicle drifts into another lane”)

to lessen accidents and reduce distraction related problems. (Taub, 2018, para. 14). Not only have

car makers acted, but so have smartphone companies like Android and Apple, with car-specific

apps such as CarPlay or Android Auto. These apps have seemed to work because they “reduced

visual and mental distractions by 15 seconds” (Taub, 2018, para. 20). To most people, 15 seconds

may not seem like a lot, but the car can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, making

those 15 seconds a monumental feat. Chrysler, another manufacturer of cars, have designed its

Pacifa minivan “so that the user cannot raise the radio above a certain level if front seatbelts are

not fastened, and gives the car a speed limit” (Taub, 2018, para. 27). This is a very good practice,

as limiting access to certain features forces drivers to comply by Chrysler’s safety guide lines and

drive in an environment with less distractions. It goes to show that the vehicle manufacturers are

aware of some of the most common issues and are actively adjusting and improving their cars to

help promote safety.

In conclusion, distracted driving is an ongoing battle everywhere, with accidents on the

rise due to underlying causes. It makes me feel safe that half the battle is fought for me, with car

manufacturers making sure their products can keep my body safe. It’s now the drivers’ job to make

sure that they aren’t doing things that can potentially distract them, and that they obey all rules and
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regulations set by the law. Those words ring in my ear once again as I begin to drive: “It’s me vs.

the world.” A world of hurt.

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References

Halsey, A. (2019, July 22). More Americans have died in car crashes since 2000 than in both

world wars: As the opioid crisis takes center stage — almost 100,000 deaths in six years

— 190,000 people were killed by speeding, drunk or distracted drivers in that time. The

Washington Post. Retrieved from ProQuest database.

Stoll, J. D., & Spector, M. (2016, Oct 06). U.S. news: Traffic fatalities surge --- rise of 10.4% in

first half follows an uptick in 2015, raising fears over distracted driving. The Wall Street

Journal. Retrieved from

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1

826080319?accountid=39773

Taub, E. A. (2018, Sep 28). Challenge to designers: Keep drivers focused: Business/Financial

desk]. The New York Times. Retrieved from

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2

113028692?accountid=39773

White, J. B. (2009, Sep 16). Eyes on the road: Driving while texting: Is it the new DWI? The

Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/3

99056981?accountid=39773