Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

In the era of information technology, most people are guilty of sending text messages while driving. Whether it’s reading the text just received, sending a quick message to a friend, or having a full-text conversation, everyone has done one of these actions at least once. The invention of the smartphone did everything a person could wish for: get the news quickly, schedule a meeting with a friend, or inquire about how grandmother is feeling. Thus, most communication and entertainment needs can be met with a smartphone within minutes. This fact allows drivers to feel the need to perform multiple tasks at the same time while driving. Although drivers know that this action has legal consequences, many still do it today. The introduction of a ban on sending text messages while driving prevents some drivers from sending text messages while driving, but not all. Therefore, the introduction of stricter laws and tougher punishment would help reduce the number of text messages sent while driving, which would make the environment safer.

With over 330 million wireless users in the United States, texting while driving has become an epidemic. Tontodonato and Drinkard note that over half of drivers admitted to engaging in cell phone-related distractions while driving (827). At the same time, texting while driving not only takes cognitive skills but motor skills as well. Studies have shown that driving while on a cell phone reduces brain activity by 37%. One may think that any distractions while driving, whether it is talking to a passenger or having kids in the car, possess the same distraction as texting. However the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging reported that texting while driving is a greater distraction than talking to others due to the time eyes are away from the road and the amount of cognitive and motor skills it takes to text (Gupta et al., 89). Thus, many drivers send messages while driving, which is a distraction.

Although sending text messages while driving is prohibited in many US states, drivers continue to break the law. About and Adams state that the initial number of accidents caused by distracted driving decreased in the months after the initial texting ban while driving (180). However, the effect of the prohibition wears off after a few months. They conclude that drivers are reacting to the ban itself and not the act of texting while driving, only to return to their old habits later. Drivers are likely reacting to limited enforcement of bans or learning new ways to not get caught. Ferdinand et al. assert that the relationship between collision claims frequency and texting bans in Washington, California, Montana, and Louisiana reported an increase in collision claims when these states implemented the law (1373). It may be caused by individuals trying to hide their phones while still texting, making it, so their eyes are off the road for a longer period of time, causing more collisions. It shows that even with the current law on texting while driving, many users are still texting on their phones driving.

One of the tools in the fight against the distraction of drivers on their phones can be a license suspension. Since the penalties in most states for violating the ban on texting and driving are very low, in the order of several hundred dollars, this is not an effective deterrent to prevent people from texting while driving. It is noteworthy that some states have already begun the practice of limiting the license for using the phone while driving. For instance, according to McCurley, these include Rhode Island, which has a license suspension of 30 days for the first violation and 3 to 6 months for subsequent violations. Thus, more stringent legislation is required in the form of license suspension.

An even more severe measure against violators can be revocation of the license if the driver repeatedly suppresses the ban on texting while driving. So, if driving is the primary source of livelihood for the offender, trying not to lose the right to drive, people will be more attentive to the legislation. The revocation of a driving license aims to ensure public safety and increase the discipline of road users. Both suspension and revocation of a driver’s license include moral condemnation and material impact aimed at increasing discipline, the responsibility of citizens, and improving the social well-being of society.

Thus, as practice shows, most people will follow the law only when they know that they can face big trouble for breaking the law. With the lack of obedience that individuals have to the current laws against texting while driving, it would make sense that if they had harsher consequences for this act, they would have more respect for the law and follow it at a greater rate than they do now. Getting one’s license suspended for any period of time negatively affects their life. If the driver knew that this would be the consequence of texting while driving, the situation would surely change, and there would be a decrease in the number of people breaking this law.

Works Cited

Abouk, Rahi, and Scott Adams. “Texting Bans and Fatal Accidents on Roadways: Do They Work? Or Do Drivers Just React to Announcements of Bans?” American Economic Journal. Applied Economics, vol. 5, no. 2, American Economic Association, 2013, pp. 179–199.

Ferdinand, Alva O., et al. “Impact of Texting Laws on Motor Vehicular Fatalities in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health (1971), vol. 104, no. 8, 2014, pp. 1370–1377.

Gupta, Pola B., et al. “Texting While Driving: An Empirical Investigation of Students’ Attitudes and Behaviors.” Information Systems Management, vol. 33, no. 1, Taylor & Francis, 2016, pp. 88–101.

McCurley, John. “Rhode Island’s Cellphone-Use and Texting-While-Driving Laws.” Driving Laws, Web.

Tontodonato, Pamela, and Allyson Drinkard. “Social Learning and Distracted Driving Among Young Adults.” American Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 45, no. 5, 2020, pp. 821–843.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, November 14). Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tougher-punishment-for-texting-while-driving/

Work Cited

"Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving." IvyPanda, 14 Nov. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/tougher-punishment-for-texting-while-driving/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving'. 14 November.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving." November 14, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tougher-punishment-for-texting-while-driving/.

1. IvyPanda. "Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving." November 14, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tougher-punishment-for-texting-while-driving/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Tougher Punishment for Texting While Driving." November 14, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tougher-punishment-for-texting-while-driving/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1