Distracted driving something that is known too well, and can been seen on a day to day basis on the road. But what is the underlining cause, and biggest reason for the negative impact of distracted driving. The conversation addresses the issue of DD (distracted driving), convey that adults and teens need to educate themselves about distracted driving. To inform adults and teens, 3 main points will be addressed in this paper, what is counts as distracted driving, what is the culture of entitlement, and lastly address some data.
First off what even counts as distracted driving, since there can be many ways adults and teens can be distracted well driving. To start, there are many different parts to DD, in which one must look at what the classifications of DD. What is considered to be distracted driving in today’s world, is it just using devices or talking. Well in research article from BMC Public Health, “DD is an activity that can take a driver’s eyes off the road and divert his/her attention to something else”. Distracted driving includes but is not limited to using a mobile device, using a GPS, personal hygiene, talking to passengers, reading, even just adjusting the radio/stereo and list goes on and on. So how do adults and teen drivers classify these, well it is broken down in to 3 different parts. Visual, Manual, and Cognitive. Each equal having a negative effect on adult and teen drivers, cause them to become a DD. These three categories of DD, as found in Maclean’s Magazine, that each one has a certain effect on adult and teen drivers causing them to lose focus on the road in which makes them unaware of their surroundings.
The Visual side is anything that cause the adult or teen driver to take their eyes off the road in which causing them to place their eyes on something else. The Manual side is in which the adult or teen driver takes his/hers hands off the wheel for something else in which takes control of motor vehicle away from driver. Finally, last example is Cognitive, in which driver’s mind engages with or in another activity, in which driver no longer is paying attention to what is happening on and around road around them. (Bernstein 2) In 2015 (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) found that using a Bluetooth or hands-free for phone conversation, which is legal, is mentally demanding and associated with moderate to high levels of cognitive distraction. This is why DD is and has many types of ways in which Adult and teen drivers become DD and why it has a negative effect on driver but others.
To continue the conversation, one must address the effect that today’s culture and the entitlement that adult and teen drivers have in which creates new hazard. A quote from Maclean’s Magazine, “Just having your eyes open isn’t enough to see dangerous situations; your brain has to be engaged.” (DiCicco 44) This is one of many points of this culture today where it has become a normal to be an adult or teen DD. The fact that DD now accounts for more fatal car accidents then impaired driving and the culture hasn’t shifted DD habits. (DiCicco 44) Todays culture has become this “Me First” behavior, in which there is a disregard for traffic signs, running through red lights, not sharing the road and road rage. In this which is not just effecting drivers but everyone around them wither in a motor vehicle or a pedestrian on sidewalk. Some would even say it is immoral to expose others to risk, evidence found in the stores from real people. Consider Sheryl Sandberg’s widely circulated Facebook post last year after her husband died of a heart attack. On Facebook it recounts the “unbearably slow trip to the hospital in an ambulance because drivers refused to get out of the way”. (Kingston 44) This was something as simple as Adult and teen drivers yielding and getting out of the way for emergency vehicles. This is what the culture has become and is what it will be because of the way the current culture is entitled and privileged. That’s why culture has such a high impact on DD because it effects the drivers of today adults and teen drivers.
Now on the other side of the argument, one must address the aspect of multitasking. Is multitasking effective and does it help people be more productive. This is true in some situations multitasking can be beneficial, but on the flip side when one is multitasking and driving we become a DD because it is a Cognitive distraction in which our mind is taken of the focus of task at hand. The facts prove it to be true, in fact texting and driving which is one of the most hazardous and deadly of DD, since it uses visual, manual, and cognitive attention. (Kingston 45) Found in 2011 (from article by BMC Public Health), at least 26%, which is 1.3 million, of car accidents, involved a cell phone. That is 1.3 million of car accidents, think about that for number, and that shows adult and teen drivers the effect of DD. The reason for this is driver is not able to respond to sudden changes in the road conditions. This is why DD has a negative impact on not only one’s self, but also affects others and the environment around adults and teens.
The conversation will continue on until laws or something is put in place, until then DD accidents will continue to be on the rise. One way students and celebrities have taken action has been through campaigns in which one pledges not to text well driving or be a DD. Just think if adults and teen drivers don’t speak out and stand up, then DD will just continue to have an effect on this culture and many people’s lives. So the question is will adults and teens stand up and educate themselves about DD and not be a victim of distracted driving.
