Peer Review Assignment W6 R&W

Assignment 3: Persuasive Paper Part 1: A Problem Exists

Is a “Selfie, Text, or Like,” Worth Your Life?

Jene’ Boone

Strayer University - Research & Writing: ENG2150

Professor Weslea Bell

November 11th, 2016

Everyday someone loses a love one from a distracted driver, me myself has been one of those people. So I know the pain that that person, my friend was posting a selfie on Facebook through their phone when they crashed and was killed. This is a growing danger amongst drivers in the US. According to the CDC’s website on districted drivers it reports that 1,161 people are either injured or killed in crashes. This should be an issues and a notational concern that law makers should take serious and make some chances to standardize the laws in every state. Is that selfie, text, or like really worth yours or even someone else’s life?

The First step is Awareness, the CDC reports that, “Each day in the United States, over 8 people are killed and 1,161 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver” (2016, CDC.org) This number is to high especially for an everyday activity and I think that people should using their cell phone as a distraction while driving a life or death safely concern. With the growing number of technology usage, using an electronic devices, especially a cell phone, while driving is also growing. This is making the dangers on the road are also growing with this trend. Making the people aware of this everyday danger is extremely important.

Experienced drivers should lead by example to the teen and young drivers. That would be a great second step, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Campaign”, is very vocal about teens and young distracted drivers on the road. “10 percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crash.” (2016, transportation.org) Knowing this should cause an outcry of everyday people like yourself to, try and reach out to someone you know that is guilty of texting while driving. Even if that someone is you.

“On September 30, 2009, President Obama issued an executive order prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving on government business or with government equipment.” Many other companies followed after that, such as the rail road lines and carrier companies. (2016, CDC.org) Making this a state wide law, for every state, is very important and making sure it is something that the people we elect in office share the same values, would be a third and final step to changing a huge issue that so effects every single one of our lives.

Making people aware of the facts and warnings, and by spreading the word. Starting in school, such as driver’s education. Our loved ones stopping old habits and correcting ourselves and leading by example. Lastly we can also start by implementing laws for every state to stop distracted drivers. All are all realistic steps to making our road ways safer, and a selfie, text or like is not worth your life.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention