Distracted Drivers Term Paper

Total Length: 761 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

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solutions to the problem of distracted drivers by looking at the advantages and the disadvantages of each solution. Distracted drivers account for at least 1.2 million car accidents every year, according to the Automobile Association of America. Drivers can be distracted by anything from conversation with a passenger in the car, to eating and drinking while driving, or talking on a cell phone. Clearly, driving while distracted is a dangerous occupation on today's highways, and it must be regulated, before more people lose their lives due to senseless and selfish distracted drivers.

One major factor in driver's distraction is eating and drinking while driving. "Driving is a task that requires the driver's full attention,' said Rick Meyers, chief of accident information for the Illinois Department of Transportation. 'To distract one's self with lunch or eating doesn't do justice to the importance of driving. It is a responsibility'" (Librach 01). The proliferation of fast-food restaurants and food designed to be consumed on the go do not help the situation, they simply make it easier for drivers to dine and drive. A ban on eating and drinking is one solution to the problem of distracted drivers.
It would seem people would have enough common sense to know driving and eating do not go together, but they do not. Banning eating and drinking in a car seems like a strict penalty, but it could save numerous lives. Automobiles were not meant to be mobile dining rooms, and driving, with more traffic on the road every day, takes concentration and attention.

Clearly, a big disadvantage in banning food and drink in automobiles is the cost and time to enforce the ban. There are not enough law enforcement officers in the country to make sure that each person driving does not eat or drink while they are driving. A ban on eating and drinking could be handled like current seat belt laws, where people are fined if they are pulled over and are not wearing a seatbelt. Another disadvantage is the popularity of fast food, and the monetary impact a ban on driving and eating might cause fast-food restaurants, who would probably fight any laws. These are certainly disadvantages, but it seems saving lives outweighs the disadvantages.

Cell phones are another source of….....

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