After the recent “No Phone Zone” bans that are sweeping across the nation, students share their views on texting while driving and the deadly consequences it could lead to.
Technology has created many ways for humans to communicate but texting has turn into a deadly epidemic of distracted driving, and many students seem to agree.
“Texting while driving can be dangerous and is something I would not advise,” freshman Trevor Brandon said. “Because your mind is not worried about your safety and where you’re trying to go but rather what you’re trying to text to the person on the other end of the message.”
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey raised awareness when she teamed up with different organizations and asked people to participate in national “No Phone Zone Day” where people recognized that their car was a “No Phone Zone.”
Winfrey took this issue head on after hearing about the story of a nine year old girl named Erica who was hit and killed on her bike by a motorist texting while driving.
Texting while driving has become an important issue being that in the United States so far, six states have banned text messaging while driving which are Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington state, and California.
In such countries as Britain, texting while driving has turned into a crime where a person can receive up to seven years in prison for violating the law.
Britain has also released a disturbing and graphic public service announcement that leaves some U.S. newscasters roaring about this subject.
Some students said that the U.S. should adopt the P.S.A. Britain televised to get the message out on how texting while driving has become a bad habit people need to address.
“I think the U.S. should allow the P.S.A. to be televised it would open a lot of people eyes,” senior Hope Thompson said.
“When you are driving on the highway people drive crazy as is so you’re not driving only for yourself but others, if they showed that video it would make people think.”
A recent study published this past summer by AAA showed that 35 percent of drivers feel less safe in today’s driving world than they did five years ago.
AAA also reported that 95 percent of the nations drivers polled acknowledged texting while driving is dangerous, but 21 percent of them also said that they have done it recently anyway.
Some TSU students have expressed their views on texting while driving stating that they believe texting is a problem but they also admit to doing so.
“I have a lot of friends who text on the freeway,” junior Cherrelle Smith said. “And they have their head down and at any moment someone can swerve in front of you. I do text while driving but when I am on the freeway I don’t.”
Students have said that on their way to school they have looked at other people driving along side of them and have seen their phones in hand texting and trying to look at the road all at the same time.
When asked if this was an epidemic that should be handled on a state and national level some students expressed the actual importance of this issue.
“If you look at the death rates for accidents and look at the causes,” senior Courtney Dacus said. “You will see that this has become a big issue that should be talked about and awareness should be raised.”
“A lot of that can be changed if the state and the president took this issue head on and enforced tougher laws against it.”
President Obama signed an executive order on January 26, 2011 saying that federal employees will not be allowed to text while driving, that includes both their personal or government provided cars and phones.
Although the president is making requirements for government employees many students believe nationwide there needs to be requirements and laws for all citizens of the United States in order to stop what may be the becoming of a global epidemic.
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