Description

Problem
The community concern I will be focusing for my Civic Action Project is the prevalence of distracted driving. Distracted driving doesn't only endanger the driver. Everyone is at risk when someone is not dedicating their attention to the road and their surroundings. It does not only refer to cellphone use, but cellphones are the leading cause for teen deaths in motor accidents.

Research
Distracted driving claimed 10 lives per day and injured 10,000 people per day in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the National Safety Council, 2016 was the deadliest year on U.S. roadways since 2007.

Researchers found that drivers manipulating their cell phone (includes calling, texting or other uses), had their eyes off the road for an average of 4.1 out of the final six seconds leading up to a crash, and that teen drivers using a cell phone failed to react more than half of the time before the impact, meaning they crashed without braking or steering.

Best Practice Solutions
Short-term: A short term solution is the use of phone applications that limit a driver's ability while the car is in motion. Putting phones on silent or even the trunk of a car is another solution. Despite the staggering warnings and statistics, 77% of young drivers believe they can drive safely while texting. It is important to admit that you are not capable of being a responsive driver while using a cell phone.

Long-term: The deeper problem is the looming social context that demands immediate response and grants gratification to those who respond in that way. Social behavior and expectation puts pressure on the public to be first and constantly active in every aspect. A long-term solution would be to shift the social norms that cause us to be so hazardous on the road.

Actions Taken
I am guilty of distracted driving. I have used my phone to talk to my mom, change the music, take pictures of sunsets, and plug in addresses in my GPS. I have also been guilty of eating and drinking while driving. These are all factors that can contribute to my death or someone else's death on the road. I need to stop contributing to the problem by giving myself more time to accomplish tasks and letting loved ones know that I am driving before I put the car in drive. I have also seen my friends use their phones while driving. I will encourage them to do the same. When I am with them, I can offer to do whatever chore they need, whether they need to send a text or change the song. I can also express my deep concern and heightened knowledge for their safety and the risks they take when using their cell phone or recording a video. Communicating that not only their life is at risk is an important aspect to understanding that everyone is affected and no one would ever want to confess that they accidentally killed another person all for a text or video.