Safe Driving for the Win

As technology has become more accessible and humans have become more reliant on it, car accidents and deaths have risen dramatically. With social media and easy communication, many have become addicted to their phones and find themselves lost without them. It has become a serious societal problem that must be controlled, as many -especially teenagers- use their phones while driving. Whether it be to send a quick email or watch a short video, drivers are still taking their eyes off of the road and risking the lives of themselves and those around them. Society and government must continue to work together to combat these dangerous driving habits. Recognizing the problem and fixing it early will allow for these future generations to learn about the risks they are taking and will prevent these dangerous habits from occurring again in the future. Thus, technology has allowed for humans to develop dangerous driving habits and we, as humans and of the future generations, should work to fix these issues.

In New York State, the texting and driving laws are very clear and are used to prevent drivers from texting and calling while behind the wheel. If caught, one can be punished in multiple ways; however, many fail to realize the consequences and continue to perform dangerous driving habits anyways. According to the New York DMV it states, “Under New York State law you cannot use a hand-held mobile telephone or portable electronic device while you drive.” Illegal actions include texting, talking on a handheld device, taking or looking at images, or playing games. If one is caught performing any of these illegal activities, one can receive a traffic ticket, be subject to a fine and surcharge, and/or receive points on his/her license. If a driver accumulates 6 or more points on his/her license in a span of 18 months or less, he/she will be forced to pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee, which can amount to almost $25 per additional point. For each violation, the amount of points one can receive varies. As per the DMV website, improper cell phone use and the use of an electric device for texting can result in 5 points. If one receives 11 or more points on their driver’s license, he/she is at risk of having their license suspended. Additionally, the more points a driver receives on his/her license, the more money one must pay for insurance. Driving recklessly has its consequences and must be heavily enforced to make our streets safer. Aside from points being added to one’s driver’s license for texting and driving, one may also be asked to pay a fine for their actions, and let’s just say that those fines are not cheap. Fines can range from as low as $50 to as high as $450. On top of these fines, one may also be asked to pay a surcharge of $85. Money is money and the more people continue to perform reckless actions, the less they will have of it.

Despite these fines and laws, you still find many looking down as they drive to send a text or have one hand on the wheel and the other hand on their cell phone. The laws and consequences are in place but not much is done to enforce them. When driving down the highway with my family, I see countless people using their phones openly, with no regard for the laws or for those around them. If these drivers are so open about their actions, more needs to be done to stop them. More drivers need to get pulled over for texting and driving and more officers need to be aware of the dangers that come with using a phone behind the wheel. The more people that are pulled over for using their cell phone, the more people will stop texting and driving. With more cops enforcing this law, the more people are going to fear getting caught and the less texting and driving will occur. The reason many continue to perform these dangerous habits is because they have never gotten caught. The more they fear getting caught, the less likely that they will perform these actions again, as they do not want to suffer the consequence of paying a fine or getting points of their license.

Not only does more need to be done on the streets but, cell phone companies and apps need to also help resolve the problem. When one gets into a car, there should be an app or a notification that knows when one is driving. This will limit the apps that the driver can use, limiting the phone’s easy accessibility. The more difficult it is for people to open their apps or see their texts, the less likely they are to use their phones. Phones are able to track one’s location and cell phone use, making it easy for them to limit one’s screen time when behind the wheel. Insurance companies and cell phone company rates should also encourage safe driving. For example, the less tickets and fines the driver gets for texting and driving, the less the driver pays for their car insurance’s monthly payment. Saving money is attractive to almost everyone and people usually do whatever it takes to keep that extra money in the bank. Not only can police authorities do more to stop this dangerous driving habit but, insurance and cell phone companies can do the same. The more people that are aware of their habits, the more they will try to limit it and protect the streets.

With advances in technology and its easy accessibility, humans have become addicted and have habitually used their cell phones when behind the wheel, making it very dangerous for the driver, the other cars, and pedestrians around him/her. In New York State, the laws are clearly stated; yet, drivers still continue to perform these illegal actions. Fines and points on one’s license seems to not stop people from texting and driving, making more laws and awareness needed to stop these habits. More police officers need to watch drivers carefully and pull those over that are clearly on their phones. Additionally, government and police should partner with insurance and cell phone companies to ensure safety and to make safe driving more appealing. Technology continues to consume our daily lives and habits but should never be used behind the wheel. Texting and driving must be enforced and stopped in order to ensure the safety of everyone.