The Use of Cell Phones While Driving - Paper Example

To persuade all my audience of the reasons why the use of cell phones while driving is dangerous and hence should be banned at a national level.

B. Specific Purpose

To ensure that my audience is well informed of the substantial dangers of using cell phones while driving and also convince them of the importance of thinking of the risks that are associated with this act, before thinking of doing it.

C. Central idea

The core idea of this issue revolves around the fact that the use of cell phones and other mobile devices while driving or operating any automobile always results to distraction. This, in turn, causes serious accidents and fatalities.

I. Introduction

A. Key point #1: Too much reliance on cell phones.

B. Key point #2: What constitutes a distracted driver?

C. Key point #3: Reasons for a mandatory ban on cell phone usage, while behind the wheel.

II. Body of the Presentation

A. Main Point #1: In the modern day today, cell phones have become more common to us more than any other essential in our pockets. This being the case, a majority of us rely too much on them to a point they have become addictive even when driving.

1. Supporting material: Scholars have substantiated that cell phone usage while driving is tantamount to drinking and driving (Teater, 2013).

2. Supporting material: Statistics show that the distraction that is as a result of the use of cell phones is greatly attributed to a decrease in brain activity, which leads to impaired driving.

B. Main Point #2: A distracted driver leads to distracted driving. According to studies, distracted driving is the act of driving while engaged in other activities which may youre your attention as a driver. Besides, Teater (2013) points out that people are often devastated and humiliated when they are ticketed for driving under the influence, and most often ignore the fact that the penalties that are associated with drinking and driving are comparable to those of cell phone usage while driving.

1. Supporting material: A driver is said to be distracted when he or she voluntarily diverts their driving attention to something else.

2. Supporting material: The following are the most common driving destructions; manual, auditory, cognitive, and visual, among others.

C. Main Point #3: In my opinion, there are so many sporadic and inconsistent laws that are enforced at state levels. This being the case, drivers have continually ignored the dangers that are associated with the usage of cell phones while driving and hence the many cases of accidents and fatalities. There should, therefore, be a mandatory enforcement that includes the ramifications that are to face the drivers who break the law.

1. Supporting material: There should be an implementation of both state and national laws that will help reduce the numerous issues of driving distractions. This will, therefore, mean fewer accidents on our roads, and hence decrease the number of fatalities.

2. Supporting material: According to Nikolaev, Robbins & Jacobson (2013), currently, no state completely bans the usage of cell phones while driving.

I. Conclusion

In conclusion, cell phones have been known to be the most common causes of careless and distracted driving. However, it is possible to mitigate, or rather reduce the number of accidents which are as a result of distracted driving, through educating people, at a national level, of the dangers that the use of cell phones poses. Besides, these acts can also be mitigated through enacting new laws that will effectively discourage drivers from voluntarily choosing to be distracted.

References

Nikolaev, A. G., Robbins, M. J., & Jacobson, S. H. (2010). Evaluating the impact of legislation prohibiting hand-held cell phone use while driving. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 44(3), 182-193. doi:10.1016/j.tra.2010.01.006

Teater, D. D. (2013). Dangers of Distracted Driving. JAMA, 309(23), 2436. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.6008