Specific Purpose: Convince the audience about the dangers of texting while driving.
Central Idea: Texting while driving is a dangerous trend in the US that breaks the law, distracts the driver, and endangers both passengers and bystanders.
Introduction
Attention Getter: Did you know that one in four car accidents in the US is caused by texting while driving?
Central idea: Texting while driving is a dangerous trend in the US that breaks the law, distracts the driver, and endangers both passengers and bystanders.
Establish Credibility: I researched and found many reports of texting while driving-accidents and fatalities.
Motivators: each of us, in one way or another, is either a driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian. Therefore, the problem of texting while driving concerns everyone.
Preview: In this talk, I will take you through the dangers of texting while driving, the current legislation in this area, and the need to tighten it up.
Transition: Thus, let us start with the features of distraction associated with texting while driving and its consequences.
Body
Texting while driving significantly distracts the driver from the situation on the road
According to Kim (2018), there are three main types of distractions associated with texting while driving:
- Visual: look away from the road to look at the phone;
- Physical: take your hands off the wheel to hold the phone;
- Cognitive: take your mind off driving to read or write a message.
Texting while driving has negative consequences:
- Driver safety risk
- Threat to passenger safety
- Pedestrian safety hazard
- Threats to the safety of people in other vehicles
Meldrum et al. (2019) provide statistics on car accidents caused by text messages while driving:
- On average, 10 Americans die from texting while driving in car accidents every day.
- 338,746 car accidents in 2019 were related to text messages.
- Using a mobile phone while driving increases the risk of an accident by 24 times.
Internal Transition: Based on the above, specific legislative instruments are required to combat the problem of texting while driving.
Currently, no country in the world has illegal text messages while driving
However, drivers who are accused of causing accidents due to text messages while driving are severely punished. According to Kim (2018):
- 39 states and the District of Columbia have enacted distraction-free driving laws
- 41 states, DC, and Guam, have banned text messaging for all drivers
- 10 states, DC and Guam, ban drivers from holding their phones while driving
However, drivers continue to text while driving despite the significant legal framework, and the threat remains relevant.
External Transition: Legislation needs to be tightened to eliminate the negative consequences of texting while driving.
Possible measures to tighten the legislation could be:
- Loss of driving license for texting while driving
- Prohibit the use of the phone while driving, including texting, taking photos or videos, playing games, and talking with your hands.
Conclusion
Today we discussed just how dangerous texting while driving is and why we should be more careful. We looked at solutions to solve this problem. Therefore, when the thought of texting while driving comes up, let us remember the statistics so as not to become part of it.
Annotated Bibliography
Kim, H. (2018). The role of legal and moral norms to regulate the behavior of texting while driving. Transportation Research Part F-traffic Psychology and Behavior, 52, 21-31.
The article examines the legal aspects of the regulation of texting while driving in detail. The author explores how the current legislation affects the behavior of drivers. The research methodology is based on an online survey with 313 tri-state college students. The results of the study show that the legislation that restricts texting while driving is inconsistent, as it does not fully work and gives rise to several ambiguous aspects.
Meldrum, R.C., Boman, J.H. & Back, S. (2019). Low self-control, social learning, and texting while driving. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 44, 191–210. Web.
The authors explore the causes and consequences of texting while driving. As an advantage of this source, a wide statistical base of the study should be noted. Meldrum et al. (2019) assess the value of low self-control as well as the extent to which a person perceives other drivers who engage in texting while driving. The results confirm the negative effects of texting while driving.
References
Kim, H. (2018). The role of legal and moral norms to regulate the behavior of texting while driving. Transportation Research Part F-traffic Psychology and Behavior, 52, 21-31.
Meldrum, R.C., Boman, J.H. & Back, S. (2019). Low self-control, social learning, and texting while driving. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 44, 191–210. Web.