english hw

project2.docx

Text messaging while driving

In this case, my research question is “why is text messaging while driving a leading cause of road accidents today?” The reason for asking this question is to address the issue of uncountable deaths that are caused by texting while driving. Statistics provided by a recent study conducted by the Cohen Children Medical Centre show that more than 3000 teenagers die annually in accidents due to the texting behavior while driving. 50% of teenagers admit to texting while driving. Studies also show that drivers are twenty-three times more likely to be involved in car accidents if texting and that distracted driving is becoming more socially acceptable among teenagers. Various studies have also shown that the texting while driving makes a young driver’s reaction time very slow in that it is comparable to that of a 70-year old and that teen drivers are four times more likely than adults to get into car accidents. My intended is audience for the exploration is the age group of between thirteen and twenty years old because statistics have shown many accidents occur in this age range due to texting while driving.

I will use a research plan I intend to use the primary sources of information. Here I will go into the field to conduct primary research by collecting raw data about the issue of texting while driving and using methods such as oral interviews and questionnaires. I will also use secondary sources of information, such as books, journals articles, and newsletters. I will obtain them from online sources. Bibliographical works, almanacs, encyclopedias, chronologies and monographs would be my tertiary sources of information, and I will find them in the library and other institutions, such as hospitals. I will obtain additional information from the various websites which are a primary source as well as the commentaries and criticisms. Having done this, I will obtain quality information to be used in my project writing.

Annotated bibliography for the project

National Safety Council (2003) Traffic Safety-Volumes3-7; Volumes 103-107.Snippet Review, 126, 199

The National safety council writes the various volumes of traffic rules in the US and ensures that roads and road users comply with the requirement of the government as well as developing a model for accident reporting and legislation. The author uses data gathered from statistics about road accidents and shows that text messaging among the motorists while they are driving is a leading cause of death. The author cites researches done by other institutions e.g. World Health Organization to show that most of traffic accidents are caused by text messaging while driving.

Fors. C (2006) Hens: Why Women are Different. Infinity Publishing.com, 72

In this book the author focuses on the issues that make women unique and one of them is the driving. The author researches and explains the reason why women are not made to drive cars. According to the author’s experience with ladies, they like and have a culture of using cell phone while they are driving and this contributes to the rising number of road accidents due to distracted driving. The author uses data obtained by a study done by the University of Toronto, which shows that using a cell phone while driving is equivalent to drunk driving. The author shows reasons why the use of cell phone among the women drivers is the leading cause of road accidents.

Ricks.D (2013) Study: Texting While Driving Now Leading Cause of Death for Teen Drivers. Newsday

The author uses new data that has been found by research studies of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cohen Children Medical Center investigators and the views of Dr. Andrew Adesman. The author acknowledges that distracted driving e.g. texting and calling is a growing cause of concern. The author acknowledges that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agency officials show that the texting behavior is involves mental, visual and manual distractions.

Don’t Text And Drive Because Texting And Driving Kills! (2014) DWI: Driving While Intoxicated. www.textinganddrivingsafety.com. Retrieved from http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/

Unlike the authors of other research material, this author shows that text messaging while driving is not only a problem for the teenagers but also for adults. The author provides minimum numerical statistics of the number of teenagers in involved in accidents due to texting but at the same time show the percentages of the likelihood of the teenagers to be texting while driving. By using the graphics the author creates a clear picture in the mind of a learner.

My research question is “Why is text messaging while driving a leading cause of road accidents today?” The purpose of this question is to address the rampant issue of occurrences of road accidents due to texting while driving and by asking the question, I seek to develop various methods of curbing the menace as well as use the necessary platforms to create awareness on the issue. In my research, I used various method sources of information ranging from the tertiary/secondary sources to the primary sources. I used the book titled ‘Travel Safety’ and it has helped me to develop an understanding of my research question since it provides the basic rules and regulations that are to be adhered to by all motorists while on the roads and at the same time expounds on to why text messaging is a leading cause of accidents. The book uses information from studies by other researchers hence this providing history of the problem.

The other book that I relied on is titled Hens: Why Women are Different. Carl Fors uses both personal experiences on the researches that he has carried out on women. The book is chauvinistic in that in chapter 7, on page 72, it shows women cause many road accidents due to texting while driving. This is true according to the statistics and has enlightened me in realizing that ladies handle phones more than men while driving.

I also used an online journal titled ‘Study: Texting While Driving Now a leading Cause of Death for Teen Drivers’. It helps me to comprehend the research question because it gives the current state of the problem. Findings by various researchers show the seriousness of the situation. The visual source of information is from the internet and the link is http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/ .It provides visual graphics showing the direness of the situation (driving while texting). The source has helped me understand the research question in that texting while driving takes a minimum amount of five seconds of the driver’s attention. This shows that one’s attention could be completely drawn from driving.

The best media platform that suits my audience is the use video, audio speeches and blogging. This is because according to my researches the age group of between ten to twenty four years is the most vulnerable and constitutes teenagers. I will use very minimum amount of the written materials such as brochures, small pamphlets and flyers.