The Danger of Texting and Driving

General Purpose: To persuade

    Specific Purpose: I want to convince my audience to stop texting and driving because it is not worth it, it really can wait.
Thesis Statement: I will show why texting and driving is the worst possible choice to make by including the different types of distractions during texting and driving, the dangers at hand, and the safer alternatives while driving.

Introduction

1. Attention Getter: Did you know that each day in the United States approximately 9 people are killed and more then 1000 injured in crashes due to distracted drivers (CDC 24/7,2017, June 9)
2. Listener Relevance: People need to know and grasp the idea of how bad texting and driving is and the consequences that can happen when doing so.
3. Speaker Credibility: This relates to me because this incident has not happened once but twice to me. I was a contributor in texting and driving and thought I was a master of driving after 6 months I was wrong. I crashed my car looking at my phone for a second and a second time being distracted scrolling through twitter.
4. Thesis Statement: I will show why texting and driving is the worst possible choice to make by including the different types of texting and driving, the dangers at hand, and the safer alternatives while driving.
5. Main Point Preview: So today I am going to be discussing The Three Different Types of Distractions when driving, The Dangers of Texting and Driving, as well as Safer Alternatives When Driving.

Body

Main Point: The Three Different Types of Distractions When Texting and Driving

Support: What is Visual Distraction

1. According to Esurance, Visual distraction occurs when a driver looks at anything other than the road ahead of them. (Esurance”, n.d.).
2. According to Flagger Force (Cognitive, visual and manual driving distractions, July 3,2018). Devices associated with visual distractions can include a Cell Phone, looking for items around the car, Changing the music and observing things outside of your car like billboards or signs.
3. According to Bolt Insurance (Three Types of Distracted Driving, (March 20,2017.) All these factors keep the driver from looking straight ahead where they need to be looking for safe driving.

Support: What Is Manual Distraction

1. According to Bolt Insurance (Cognitive, visual and manual driving distractions, March,20,2017). This is when the driver is taking one or both of their hands of the steering wheel for any reason.
2. According to Esurance Common examples of Manual Distraction includes eating and drinking in the car. Also adjusting the GPS or trying to get something from a purse, wallet or briefcase, or even smoking. (“3 types of distracted driving, 2019)

Support: What is Cognitive Distraction

• According to Flagger force cognitive distraction is when the mind isn’t focused on driving. (Cognitive, visual and manual driving distractions, July 11,2017).
• According to Flagger Force (Cognitive, visual and manual driving distractions, July 3,2018) Distraction examples include listening to the radio, talking to the passengers, being stressed or tired, or even just lost in thought. (
• Cognitive Distraction is the most dangerous type of distraction out of the three this is the main cause of accidents, and reckless behavior because of the fact of being tired when driving is the scariest. (“Understanding the danger of cognitive distraction,2019”.)

Transition: Now that I explained to you guys the three dangerous distractions when texting and driving let’s talk about the danger at hand…

Main Point: The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Support: The amount of deaths and casualties of texting and driving

1. According to Texting and Driving Accident Statistics In 2015 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. (“Distracted Driving”, n.d.).
2. The good thing is the death amount of 3,526 people in 2015 decreased to 3,450 in 2016 at 2.2%”. (EdgarSnyder 2002-2019)
3. According to the CDC 24/7, Each day in the united states approximately 9 people are killed and more then 1000 injured in crashes due to distracted drivers (CDC 24/7,2017, June 9).
4. The cell phone use, and Texting while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. (The National Safety Council”, n.d.).
5. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting and driving. (General Cell Phone Statistics, 2016).
6. 1 out of 4 car accident deaths in the United States is caused by texting and driving. (General Cell Phone Statistics, 2016).
7. Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident then driving drunk. (General Cell Phone Statistics, 2016).

Support: How Many people admit to texting and driving.

1. According to “Do Teens Admit to Texting and Driving”? from more than 100,000 high school students in 35 states the results coming in that teens admitted that 38% of them admitted to driving and texting at least once each month. (Chadra, k,2018).
2. According to The National Safety Council, reports came in and stated that 2 out of 3 teens admit they use apps, and others said while driving, 27% say they text and drive.
3. According to Statistics While Driving and Texting 56% of teenagers admit to talking on their cell phones behind the wheel while 13% admit to texting while driving. (“Guard Child, “Nd.)
4. According to Statistics While Driving and Texting 40% of all-American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a phone to put those people in a dangerous situation. (“Guard Child, “Nd.)
5. According to Statistics While Driving and Texting 52% of 16 and 17-year-old teen drivers confess to making and answering cell phone calls on the road. 34% admit to text messaging while driving. (“Guard Child, “Nd.)

Support: Comparing drunk driving to distracted driving.

1. According to Texting and Driving Accident Statistics Cohen Children’s Medical Center revealed in 2013, that in teenagers around 3,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries occur per year result from distracted driving. This shows that teens in particular send and read their text messages has actually become a greater hazard then driving under the influence. (“Distracted Driving Vs DUI/DWI”)
2. According to HG Org In 2010, 10,228 people died in alcohol impaired driving accidents in the united states. This accounted for 31% of all traffic related deaths. (Drunk Vs Distracted Driving: Which Is Worse, “ND”)?
3. According to HG Org, In the ages of 21-24 34% are involved in alcohol deaths followed by 25-34 in 30% and 35-44 of 25%
4. In a 2011 study of yearly deaths, 66% of the deaths where the drivers and 26% were motor vehicles, and the remaining 7% where the non-occupants (Drunk Vs. Distracted Driving: Which Is Worse)?

Personnel Experience: Take it from me, on a Saturday night my family wanted to get some dinner and for me to pick it up. Sure, why not I said. It was only 5 minutes up the road, so it wasn’t a problem. I was just about to get home when my friend Mark was texting me. Does everyone know that saying “Don’t text and drive it can wait!” I never abided by that rule and that it was false. I see my parents do it all the time it’s no big deal. I looked at my phone for a quick second on what Mark had texted me. I was on a curvy road at the moment thinking I was turning but I wasn’t. I look back up and I was off the road trying to slam on my brakes steer out of the way, but it clearly did not work. I ended up going forty-five miles per hour straight into a tree off the road.

Transition: Now that you guys know the severity and dangers of texting and driving let’s look at the penalty’s you can receive if getting caught in the process.

Main Point: Safer Alternatives While Driving

Support: Hiding your devices until you get to your destination

1. It doesn’t sound fun to do but hiding your phone until your get to your destination is the best case in a driving scenario.
2. If you want to listen to music off your phone pick a playlist and let the music playout as you drive instead of changing a song
3. If your phone starts to ring or you get a notification of some sort set your phone on the DO NOT DISTURB setting on your phone.
4. AT&T and other phone companies have this feature where you can set your phone on the driving setting where if someone contacts you they get a message saying he or she is driving and your phone won’t beep so you will not get distracted while driving as bad as you want to check your phone.

Support: Wait to communicate

1. According to 3 alternatives to texting and driving, no message or phone call is more important then you and the safety of others. (Thomson, Purvis, October 23, 2018).
2. Purvis Thompson stated that “The best alternative to texting and driving is to simply wait until you are at your destination to look at your phone and respond. This reduces the possibility of a car accident exponentially. (3 alternatives to texting and driving).
3. According to Physics Proves No One Can Safely Text And Drive Rhett Allain states that “I will only be a second and I should be fine- right?” Wrong. “You travel 1 meter in one second going 2.2 mph, but if your zipping along at (56 mph, 90kph) then you travel 25 meters in one second. That’s about one fourth of a football field or the length of two school buses. The Statement I love that he says is “It’s not just the time spent moving that matters- there’s also the required to react to anything that just might happen (Allen, Rhett, January 14,2017).”

Support: Hands-free Phone calls

1. According to Can You Talk on Your Cellphone While Driving in North Carolina? It is legal to talk on the phone while driving when using a hands-free device. (“Strickland, Agner,2019, March,18).”
2. Purvis Thompson stated that “Also Bluetooth is another similar system to talk on the phone without ever looking away from the road or taking your hands away from the wheel (3 alternatives to texting and driving).
3. Isn’t that great! These two new features added to cars and phones greatly reduces the risk of distracted drivers and much less car crashes.
4. According to 3 alternatives to texting and driving Thomson says “It can wait, at the end of the day no text message or phone call is more important than your safety and the safety of other drivers on the road, most messages too are not of an urgent nature.”(Thomson, Purvis, 2018,October,23).

Transition: These main points are the causes to texting and driving and the events that occur.

Conclusion: In conclusion, texting and driving is bad.

1. Restate Thesis: I will show why texting and driving is the worst possible choice to make by including the different types of texting and driving, the dangers at hand, the penalties at stake, and the safer alternatives while driving.
2. Main Point Preview: The Three Different Types of Distractions When Texting and Driving can be life threatening, The Dangers of Texting and Driving and the statistics and numbers that speak for themselves, as well as the new and Safer Alternatives When Driving.
3. Clincher: This is why texting and driving has recently become a prominent issue in modern society and needs to be addressed immediately for the safety of all people.

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