E.+Persuasive++Research+Essay

“A recent study shows that 71 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 49 admit they text or talk on the phone while they drive” (No Texting). Everyone from teenagers to busy business people text while driving, because they think it is OK, when, in reality, it is not OK at all. A lot of people also text or talk on their phone because of business; for example, to call in when they are running late for a meeting. Teenagers usually use their phones to text their friends and tell them that they are about to be at their house or that they are going to be late. People should not text while driving because it is very distracting, it causes accidents, and it can easily cause death. Texting while driving is very dangerous. Some people do not look at the road while they are texting. “Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, far enough to travel the length of a football field at fifty-five miles per hour” (Hang Up). Texting can also be very dangerous because when people text and drive they let go of the wheel. This can lead to accidents. “Eighty-four percent of cell phone users stated that they believe using a cell phone while driving increases the risk of being in an accident” (Edgar Snyder & Associates). A lot of people in the world these days are involved in accidents that have to do with texting while driving; texting while driving risks the lives of everyone who is on the road at the time. According to the statistics, the accident rates for texting while driving have increased a lot in the past three years. Texting while driving can also lead to death, depending on the situation. “Each year, twenty-one percent of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of sixteen and nineteen were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as four percent every year” (Edgar Snyder & Associates). A driver who texts may also kill his or her passengers. “These accidents made national headlines, but so many others have been killed in communities just like yours. Nearly 500,000 people are injured and 6,000 are killed each year because drivers are talking, texting, and e-mailing behind the wheel” (No Texting). Some people say that cell phone use and texting are getting too much press. “NHTSA says 5,500 people died in 2009 due to distractions. Of those deaths, 18% were linked to cellphones. Speeding and drunken driving are each linked to twice as many deaths” (O’Donnell). However, we already have laws against drunken driving and speeding. To prevent more deaths, states need to enact more laws against texting while driving
 * Texting While Driving **