Automobile crashes as a result of texting while driving is an epidemic that has taken our nation by storm over the past decade. Whether people think they can safely type on their phone while driving, or just don’t think there is any real danger in the act does not matter. Texting while driving must be stopped. To do this our government must take action to both add uniformity to the laws and punishments bestowed on the offenders. But, it is also vital that the government provide ample educational programs in order to spread the message about the dangers of tapping the keyboard while behind the wheel.
“Where u at” – These were the simple last words that Mariah West, a senior in high school who was one day away from graduation, saw in this world. On that fateful summer night, she was texting her friend on the way to the baseball game she was planning on attending. As she looked down at her phone to read the new text message, she lost control of her car, which proceeded to slide across the median, hit a bridge, and kill the young girl with a bright future. Officer Grant Hendrix of the Missouri State Highway Patrol was one of the first to arrive on the scene. He later described the horrific scene to reporters saying, “When I got to the scene, her face was disfigured from sliding down the roadway… Lying in the roadway in a large pool of blood I noticed her shoes and I thought this is a young girl. That’s the first thing I thought when I saw this. And at that point was when I noticed her cap and gown was still in her car. She was going to graduate the next day. It was just a really horrific scene all because of a senseless text message. It’s just sad, sorry, it’s just sad (“Texting While Driving Stories & Accidents”)
Texting and driving is one of the largest epidemics to sweep our nation. The progression of text messaging, with more capable phones and larger numbers of people engaging than ever before, has turned into one of the largest distractions in our world....