Texting While Driving

June 2005, over 190 MILLION reported users. 1990 ONLY 4.3 MILLION. This is a report given by The Telecommunications & Internet Association, but to us, this may not seem to be a surprise because our daily routines, our daily lives revolve around the habitual use of a cellular phone. Facebook, Perez Hilton, ESPN, Youtube, even the news--- Is this what you want the person next to you surfing while driving?
Recently, our state was the 23rd state to pass the NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING LAW, BUT IS THAT ENOUGH?
NOW HOW MANY OF YOU HONESTLY HAVE RECENTLY TEXT MESSAGED, GO ON THE INTERNET, OR TALK AND DRIVE WITH ONE HAND WHILE OPERATING YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE? WELLL…..
Last year, 16 percent of the United States fatalities were made up by car accidents involving cellular phone. The year before that, in 2008, it was only 10 percent. Both of those numbers are HUGE and this what can happen when drivers engage in distractive driving while operating a cell phone. (OVER HEAD) Now why is drinking and driving illegal but not driving while using the cell phone? I’m not talking about talking on the phone while driving, because we engage in talking with passengers in our vehicles often, but driving and holding a cell phone weather its internet, texting or driving with one hand and talking with the other is extremely unsafe!
One of the FIRST addressed reasons cell phone usage should be illegal while operating a motor vehicle according to motor-vehicle-online-research is that it increases the safety risk. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS.
Now in some cities in Michigan SUCH AS ROYAL OAK the use of a cellular phone without a hands free device is TOTALLY ILLEGAL and that’s the way it should be state wide I BELIEVE because in order to operate a cellular phone, the person must take their eyes off the road for an average of 4 seconds (WHICH MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT) but the average traffic accident is caused in a matter of 2 seconds or less.
THIS IS WHAT THOSE PRECIOUS SCONDS CAN PREVEVNT
(change over head to crash slide 2)
Now I know I have seen many close calls caused by individuals talking on the cell phone while driving and I believe it should be ILLEGAL to drive and be on the phone without a hands free device.
Now a friend of mine from UK said to me he was amazed how many people use the phone while they drive when he was in the US. He also said to me his insurance is so much cheaper there due to the amount of car accidents in the UK. I did some digging and concluded that our car insurance is so expensive as a minimum due to the amount of accidents, NOW think about deducing 16 percent of accidents, how much would your car insurance go down?
(SHOW BENTLEY ‘N’ CADDY SLIDE- 4 & 5)
NOW LADIES I DON’T MEAN YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND BUY ONE OF THESE OR YOUR GANA KEEP GETTING TICKETS (OVER HEAD)
AND
GUYS I DON’T MEAN BREAK YOUR PIGGY BANKS AND START RACING ONE OF THESE THROUGH TOWN

BUT
(SHOW SLIDE 6)
A lot of cars today come with built in hands free devices that recognize voice for dialing, texting an much more, but if your car is not new enough, or even fancy enough to come equipped with this type of device…. THEN THESE ARE SOME OPTIONS ALL FOR AROUND 20 DOLLARS….. IS YOUR LIFE ONLY WORTH 20 DOLLARS OR YOUR FRIENDS LIFE? HOW ABOUT A STRANGERS? THINK ABOUT IT.
(CHART SLIDE- SLIDE 7)
This year over 800,00 teens have been in car accidents, almost 10 percent fatal. WHAT CAUSED THESE? Cell Phones! This ban would not only keep our teens safer, but our fellow drivers and passengers safe. Cell phone popularity is only going to continue to grow, I mean look at how many 8 year olds have cell phones? It’s a life style that has consumed our generation, but its also ONE WE CAN PREVENT from consuming our loved ones and friends by putting a ban on cellular phone use while driving by banning cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle.
(SHOW SLIDE 8)
But its not just teenagers, According to Edgar Snyder Law Firm, 58 percent of adults admitted to a close call incident while on their cellular phone, and more than 25 percent of accidents are caused by talking on the phone. The most interesting fact I found was that during any given day, 73 percent which is over 900,000 drivers engaged in cellular phone use while driving, so think about how many accidents correlates to that 25 percent I just talked about a few moments ago each year. LETS MAKE THOSE CARE INSURANCE PAYMENTS GO DOWN!
(SHOW SLIDE 9)
Remember when you could drive without a seat belt? I don’t and you probably don’t, but since the law was passed that you must wear a seat belt while driving, fatalities have decreased by a increase in safety and care while driving. This suit should follow with the ban of cell phone use while driving, I mean can that call wait? Can you pull over? I know I can, but those individuals who refuse or just don’t realize loose precious seconds to react and control their vehicles more safely, don’t be one of those individuals and keep your cell phone out of your hand while driving. Don’t miss that street sign or run that red light, don’t come close to hitting that kid that just got off the school bus or business man crossing the street down town, put your cell phone down, and pay attention. When that thing is in your hand, you’re at four times greater risk for disaster.
(SHOW SLIDE 10)
Still don’t believe me about the car insurance? Don’t think cell phone ban in cars will make your insurance cheaper or make you safer? According to Safety news alert, 43 billion dollars in cell phone related accidents, were funded by insurance companies in 2009. This has come up in many states congress meetings and many defend this ban with the void that there are other more dangerous in-car activities than cell phones such as eating, however the National Safety Council proved that cell phones have become so prevalent, it get more and more dangerous by the day, each month, and each year.

But besides just being a visual distraction, there are other reasons using a cell phone while driving is dangerous and should be banned. The amount of time we spend on a cellular phone is simply unhealthy. Not directly correlated, over exposure to cell phone use can cause cancer. How can you prevent cancer? DECREASE CELL PHONE USAGE and refrain from using while driving. We spend a lot of time in the car, so that should cut a majority of your cell phone usage right?
Its also more than that though, drivers get so deep into conversations that they neglect proper turn signal usage, simple driving laws, recognition of street signs or pedestrians and much more. Most people, although thought differently, ARE NOT as good of multi-tasker’s as they believe they are. Could you forgive someone for taking the life of your loved one or friend because they were too engaged in their cell phone to pay proper attention to the road? Would you feel bad for running over a animal let alone a human being while texting or talking? I know I couldn’t and this is why I believe we should ban the use of cell phones while driving.
(SHOW SLIDE 11- Uncel Sam)

Outline
PURPOSE: To persuade the ban on cell phone use in cars
CENTRAL IDEA: Cell phone use is unsafe, should be banned, and is increasing fatalities n accidents rapidly.

INTRODUCTION:
1. 190 millin to 4.3 million- first few sentences
2. 23rd state to pass law on texting
3. question on how many people engage in cell phone usage in vehicles

TRANSITION SENTENCE: “Last year, 16 percent of the United States fatalities were made up by car accidents involving cellular phone. The year before that, in 2008, it was only 10 percent. Both of those numbers are HUGE and this what can happen when drivers engage in distractive driving while operating a cell phone.”

FIRST MAIN POINT:
1. Drinking and driving illegal- why not cell phone while driving
2. Increase in safety concerns
3. Precious seconds taken away from looking down at phone- DISTRACTION time is time needed to stay safe

TRANSITION INTO NEW POINT: “Now I know I have seen many close calls caused by individuals talking on the cell phone while driving and I believe it should be ILLEGAL to drive and be on the phone without a hands free device.”

SECOND MAIN POINT:
1. amazed how many people use the phone while they drive
2. car insurance is so expensive as a minimum due to the amount of accidents

THIRD MAIN POINT:
1. 73 percent which is over 900,000 drivers engaged in cellular phone use while driving
2. 43 billion dollars in cell phone related accidents, were funded by insurance companies in 2009

CONCLUSION: “Could you forgive someone for taking the life of your loved one or friend because they were too engaged in their cell phone to pay proper attention to the road? Would you feel bad for running over a animal let alone a human being while texting or talking? I know I couldn’t and this is why I believe we should ban the use of cell phones while driving.

RESOURCES

FOUND USING THE FOLLOWING:

1. ncs.org

2. http://www.safetynewsalert.com

3. http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html

4. http://www.livescience.com/health/090112-cell-phone-ban.html

5. www.associatedcontent.com/.../why_cell_phone_use_while_driving_should. html

6. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090204200524AAmAc3i

7. www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1916291,00.html

8. www.safetynewsalert.com/should-cell-phone-use-be-banned-while-driving/

IMAGES:

ALL IMAGES FOUND USING:

YAHOO.COM/IMAGES