Why do drivers feel as if their social lives will end if they temporarily cease communications with the rest of the world, even though it puts other’s lives at risk? I have noticed an explosion in the number of people using cell phones while driving. When you’re driving your car, this is one of the most dangerous things to do with a phone, especially when you’re pounding away on a little keyboard. When you drive, you’re going at a speed faster than walking, and even when you’re walking, if you’re not paying attention, you can still hurt yourself. Risk increases dramatically when propelling an object that heavy and you are not paying the attention required to safely operate that automobile.

I have experienced this problem directly. I have seen people that are driving erratically, speeding up and slowing down, and also weaving back and forth in their lane. Most times that person is either driving and texting or talking on the phone, or else they are drunk which, statistically speaking, is the same. Often they don’t even know that they are causing a problem because they are so occupied with the conversation they are having. While sitting in the passenger seat of my mother’s car, I have often heard her comment, “get off the phone and drive.” My dad has even run a red light because he was blabbing away on the phone, and I think my dad is a pretty good driver. But when it is necessary for you to focus on a chat with a person not in your car, you’re not able to fully pay attention to driving and can fail to notice things you should have spotted immediately.

Driving and texting or talking on the phone should be made nationally outlawed, as it is in some states. We are the next generation of people that can make that happen. Because of internet and cell phone use, people have grown accustomed to being connected to the rest of the world instantaneously with the touch of a button. Often times, the more the brain is stimulated by these sources, the more people crave for constant stimulation. However driving is a time in which a person should be paying full attention to their surroundings.

When you drive, you are not only responsible for the lives of the people in your car, but also the people in other cars, or other people, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Driving is dangerous enough, with all the sudden changes in the environment around your car. So with all these lives on the line, why would you want to put them at more risk by texting or talking on the phone?