Drunk Driving Vs. Texting & Driving

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Drunk Driving Vs. Texting & Driving

There are two visual objects depicted in the picture. Both of the objects are cars on the road, which are just a few seconds away from colliding with other cars on the opposite side of the road. The visuals are also depicting that the cars heading towards the collision are moving at a great speed and it would not be possible to avoid the accident when it has come so near. Although the two visuals and other objects in them are same, however, there is a small difference in it. The visuals are shedding light on the fact that the driver of one car which is heading towards the collision is drunk, while the other driver in the same condition is texting while driving. One of the most important things in this regard is that these drivers are not becoming the victims of a road accident; however, they are taking an active part in causing the accidents. Another remarkable thing about the visuals is that there is no difference in the visual presentation of a few seconds before the collision takes place, due to the drunk driving or texting while driving. Drunk driving has always been one of the most important reasons for road accident, after over speeding. However, texting while driving has emerged as other important reasons for road accidents, since the time of the invention and common usage of mobile phones. Drunk driving and texting while driving may have been two separate conditions; however, they give rise to the common effect in the form of accidents, which is due to the impaired concentration of the drivers.

Road accident has always resulted in a number of causalities while taking the life of the people who were acting carelessly, as well as of the innocent people who were going on their way in a very careful manner. The society stressed on the road and traffic laws, in order to ensure the decrease in the number of accidents. Wearing the seat belts and maintaining a controlled speed are some of the most important rules set up by society, in order to ensure the safety of each and every individual on the road. After that, drunk driving emerged as the most common reason for causing the accident. The drunken people are legally prohibited for driving while they are drunk. However, the majority of the general population is unable to understand the fact that they are drunk even if they had just one drink. Apparently, they do not look drunk, and they can talk and walk in a proper manner, however, the alcohol level in their blood, even at that time, is enough to cause the visual impaired-ness at any time. There is no doubt in the fact that drinking causes drowsiness, due to which the drivers are not able to keep their eyes open. Moreover, drinking also impacts the motor skills and nervous system of the person. He or she would not be able to concentrate on the road for a longer time, and they would not be able to control their car if they lose track of the traffic. Another important thing is this regard is that a drunken person loses the strength of making a judgment and reacts on time, therefore, when he suddenly finds himself in a colliding situation, he would not be able to react timely and avoid the accident. So, there is a greater tendency of getting involved in an accident or actually causing the accident when a person is driving while being drunk (Carter, and McBride, 3).

On the other hand, each and every individual of the society, who is above the age of eighteen years, has the authority of keeping a mobile phone and getting a driver’s license. Getting the permission of driving and having a mobile phone of their own are two of the most attractive things for the teenagers. They try to depict their skills, in order to show off in front of their friends by breaking the rules and laws of traffic. Most of the teenagers use mobile phones while driving, for the purpose of texting. They find it quite cool; however, it brings adverse effects. Texting while driving, shift the concentration of the visual, motor and nervous skills to the mobile phone from driving and road. The driver gets involved in the typing or reading the text and loses track of the traffic. They lose their visual concentration, due to which their motor skills become weak. Each and every second is quite important while driving, so being ignorant of the traffic for a few seconds has the tendency of causing or getting involved in the accident. Texting while driving is not just limited to the teenagers, but also the adults do not restrain from texting while driving. They think that they are able to control their cars while typing or reading the text; however, the impaired visuals disturb their concentration and play a very important role in causing the accident (Shinar, and Gurion, 227).

A great majority of society thinks that there is no comparison of the accidents caused due to drunk driving and texting while driving. They are of the view that texting while driving is not a major issue, as the person is completely sane and has control over his/her body and the car as well. While in the case of drunk driving, the driver does not have any control on the car as well as on his boys, which become the major source of causing the accidents. However, the visuals of a few seconds before the accident of the two scenarios show the same picture. It sheds light on the fact that there is no difference in drunken driving texting while driving because both of the scenarios have an equal tendency of causing the accidents. Both of the scenarios cause visual impaired-ness, as well as impact the nervous and motor skills of the drivers while making them unable to react in a timely manner, by making a fair judgment. So even if they see beforehand that there are chances of collision, they would not be able to control it by reacting sensibly. However, they would become nervous and lose control over their vehicle, which would result in an accident. According to the P-I-E model, the performance of the drivers gets affected due to the shift of image and their exposure to the traffic, makes them unable to react on time. On the other hand, drivers can improve their performance by keeping the concentration on the image of roads and traffic. Their exposure would enable them to make them timely decisions and avoid accidents (McBride, and Carter, 16).

Drunk driving and texting while driving are two of the most important causes of road accidents in modern times. Most of the teenagers become the victim of the accidents, due to texting while driving. They ignore the fact that their visuals become impaired when they shift their concentration from road to mobile phone. On the other hand, drunk driving is equally hazardous, as it also impairs the visuals and hinders the ability to make the right judgment, so drunk as well as texting while driving should be avoided to keep all the individuals on the road safe and not contribute to accidents.

Works Cited

McBride, Maranda, and Lemuria Carter. Distracted Driving: How Individual Differences Influence Youth Texting While Driving Behavior. No. 16-1192. 2016.

Carter, Lemuria, and Maranda McBride. "Texting while driving among teens: Exploring user perceptions to identify policy recommendations." Proceedings of the 17th International Digital Government Research Conference on Digital Government Research. ACM, 2016.

Shinar, David, and Ben Gurion. "Crash causes, countermeasures, and safety policy implications." Accident Analysis & Prevention 125 (2019): 224-231.