In the mid-1980’s, before technology became ingrained into everyday life, it was quite the ordeal if one was driving down the road and had to stop to make a phone call. An individual would have to find a pay phone to use. If he did not know the phone number, he would have to go into a business to borrow a phone book. If there was an emergency, finding a pay phone could take precious time. However, today we have the capability to make an emergency phone call in a matter of seconds with cell phones. Technology has improved the way doctors research medicine and diseases, it can help protect our homes when we are gone, but it has many negative qualities as well. Texting and driving leads to several distractions that puts people’s families and lives at risk. For years, drinking and driving has been on the forefront of law officials’ minds. More recently, cell phone usage while driving, such as texting and driving, has become an even bigger problem. One has to love it when they are driving down the road and the vehicle in front of them is swerving all over the road. One may wonder to his or herself if the other driver is drunk, tired, or just not paying attention. How many times has one seen a person driving down the road and instead of their eyes focusing on the road, he or she is focusing on a cellular device? Normally, an individual is texting and driving. Texting and driving is an extremely dangerous trap one may fall into. People live in a fast-paced world where they need to have their project or objective completed yesterday. An individual may feel that they can drive and text at the same time safely. People think that they have the ability to multi task while driving, but statistics prove otherwise. Nearly 25 percent of ALL car accidents were due to texting and driving in 2011, which resulted in 330,000 injuries. This is one of many reasons why texting and driving has become one of the worst epidemics in the U.S. (“Because”). According to the website cdc.gov, there are three major distractions related to driving which include visual, manual, and cognitive.
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A visual distraction is described as taking ones eyes off the road. One might see a herd of deer on the side of the road, and the next thing one knows is his or her eyes are glued to the deer and ignoring the road. Manual distractions are defined as simply pulling one’s hands off the wheel. People make this mistake when they decide to eat a meal while driving. Cognitive impairment consists of one’s mind wondering off and the inability to concentrate on the task at hand. One may be driving and all of a sudden he or she begins to think about his or her upcoming vacation. All of these distractions are bad enough, combine all of them and the result is texting and driving. Texting and driving requires a person’s hands, eyes, as well as their mind. It is easy to understand why texting and driving is so dangerous!
What causes a person to text and drive? Why do people engage in foolish things of this magnitude when their life, as well as many other lives are put at risk? The answer to this question is a little chemical in our brain called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that aids in the transmission of signals in the brain and other vital areas. Dopamine is the molecule behind the most sinful of behaviors and secret cravings. Dopamine can be love, lust, as well as addiction. For instance, a recovering gambling addict, who hears the sound of slot machines, may feel an overwhelming urge to start gambling once again. This is a part of the reason so many people text and drive. A person is driving down the road when he or she hears the text message alert and reaches for the phone; by now, the driver has forgotten about what is really important. Now, the driver’s eyes, as well as his or her mind, are fixated on the phone. Next, the person realizes that the paramedics are surrounding him or her and asking a lot of questions that do not make any sense. The person does not realize that he or she has not only wrecked his or her life, but the person has wrecked another family’s lives as
A visual distraction is described as taking ones eyes off the road. One might see a herd of deer on the side of the road, and the next thing one knows is his or her eyes are glued to the deer and ignoring the road. Manual distractions are defined as simply pulling one’s hands off the wheel. People make this mistake when they decide to eat a meal while driving. Cognitive impairment consists of one’s mind wondering off and the inability to concentrate on the task at hand. One may be driving and all of a sudden he or she begins to think about his or her upcoming vacation. All of these distractions are bad enough, combine all of them and the result is texting and driving. Texting and driving requires a person’s hands, eyes, as well as their mind. It is easy to understand why texting and driving is so dangerous!
What causes a person to text and drive? Why do people engage in foolish things of this magnitude when their life, as well as many other lives are put at risk? The answer to this question is a little chemical in our brain called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that aids in the transmission of signals in the brain and other vital areas. Dopamine is the molecule behind the most sinful of behaviors and secret cravings. Dopamine can be love, lust, as well as addiction. For instance, a recovering gambling addict, who hears the sound of slot machines, may feel an overwhelming urge to start gambling once again. This is a part of the reason so many people text and drive. A person is driving down the road when he or she hears the text message alert and reaches for the phone; by now, the driver has forgotten about what is really important. Now, the driver’s eyes, as well as his or her mind, are fixated on the phone. Next, the person realizes that the paramedics are surrounding him or her and asking a lot of questions that do not make any sense. The person does not realize that he or she has not only wrecked his or her life, but the person has wrecked another family’s lives as