Dear Future President,

Although I still have a few years before I can drive, the issue of distracted driving still affects me. The choices people make while they drive can affect everyone, even infants. By simply answering a text they prove that they don’t care about their life and the lives of those around them. They should not be ignoring the commercials and laws, but instead be mindful of others.About 9 people are killed and 1,060 people are injured each day due to a distracted driver. Distracted driving is a cruel act that people can commit, hence why I would like to stop it.

Thousands of people are on the road each day and one person’s choice could hurt those people. The effects of a car accident might require the victim to be hospitalized due to their injuries(depending on how severe it is). Another big issue that the victim has to deal with is the condition of their car. They might have to even buy a new car depending on the damage. There are multiple effects to crashes caused by distracted driving and most of them cost about 412.1 billion dollars a year.

Distracted driving affects everyone on the road. No matter where you live, there is bound to be someone that you encounter on the road looking at their phone.There is not a single state that bans all cell phone use, but 46 states ban text messaging for all drivers. When I’m in the car with my parents I have seen countless amounts of people(even semi drivers, which is a bit frightening) with their eyes glued to their phone as they drive. It’s disheartening to know that these people don’t listen and continue to risk their lives just to text or check social media.

In my lifetime, I have seen several campaigns and advertisements on television that endorse the fact that texting and driving is dangerous. Even in one of my classrooms there is a magnet on the whiteboard that says “Stay alive, don’t text and drive”. As people continue to use social media to emphasize this, people ignore it. I realize that it is unlikely for everyone to suddenly stop texting while driving because we tell them to, but they could at least acknowledge the risks.

If cell phone use on the road had serious consequences and was statutory, then the amount of people actually doing it would be reduced. If nothing is done about this, innocent people will continue to be affected. As more people continue to reach the legal driving age, the amount of distracted drivers will increase. So Future President, will you let these insensitive and careless people continue to ruin the lives of others?

Sincerely,

Mara