Is texting and driving just as bad as driving drunk
Distracted driving is an issue that continues to rise till this day. About 10 percent of all fatal car accidents are connected to distracted driving somehow. The two main issues are drunk driving and texting while driving. Distracted driving can be defined as the act of driving while engaged in other activities. These activities impair the driver’s vision, and can also take their full attention away from the road. Both texting while driving, and drinking and driving are issues on the rise that need to be dealt with.
Texting and driving is very common among people today and can be done in any of the following ways: sending, writing, or reading a message, using …show more content…
In 2010, a law was passed in the state of Illinois; texting while driving resulted in a $75 fine, but if there are severe injuries that come with it, the driver can be charged with fines up to $2,500, a year in jail, or even a class A misdemeanor. If there is death involved in the accident, the charges can be increased to class 2 felony, seven years in jail, or fines up to $25,000. Even though these chargers are so major, texting while driving continues to be an issue today. Driving while drunk is also a huge issue when it comes to distracted driving..For it to be considered driving drunk when one is over the age of 21, blood alcohol concentration must be 0.08% or above. For those under the age of 21, you will be convicted of a DUI if your blood alcohol concentration is over 0.00%. Often, the people that are driving drunk are those who suffer with alcohol abuse. “On average, a convicted drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before his or her first arrest.” (Bergen, …show more content…
(Sweat, 2016)
Both texting and driving and drinking and driving are illegal and should not be done by anyone at any age. Being aware of the risks are important because distracted driving is the number 1 cause of death for teen in the United States today. Although the punishment for distracted drivers are pretty high, it is not stopping people from driving while engaged in other activities. Drunk driving and texting while behind the wheel are two issues that need to be dealt with today. Too many people each day die or get injured in car accidents that have to deal with either one of these factors. Anything that can distract you from the road while you are driving is dangerous and there should be a way to fix