Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Texing While Driving

      Mark Hanna is an insurance expert who has voiced his support for a ban on texting when driving in Texas. He believes that drivers who are texting are more dangerous than drivers who are drunk. I think it is true that it can be dangerous to text and drive. When someone is texting while driving, they have to take their eyes off the road for at least a little bit, and that can always end in an accident. Also, when texting, a driver can be very distracted and unable to focus on driving.
       On the other hand, people are constantly taking their eyes off the road or not focusing on driving. Parents look back at their kids, people listen to music, talk to the person in the passenger seat, do makeup, eat, and many other things that are potential distractions.
       Much of it depends on the person driving. For instance, a young teenage girl who just got her lisence and is texting her boyfriend would most likely be more dangerous than a middle aged woman who is texing one of her friends.
       But experience isn't the only factor. When someone is driving, they aren't the only car on the road. Someone could be the safest driver there ever was and still end up in an accident because of another person's mistake. That is one of the reasons that it's so important to be alert and aware of what's going on. If someone is texting, it is more difficult to anticipate and avoid other's mistakes
       When someone is drunk, they are totally unable to think straight and they are often unable to control their actions. Putting that and driving together can result in an unfortunate event. Although when someone is texting their brain isn't focusing on driving, the brain is still in correct working order and they are able to make decisions. The brain's reaction time may be a bit slower when someone is texing, but not as slow as when they're drunk. So even though texing while driving is dangerous, It's not as dangerous as drinking and driving.