The Effects of Testing On Road Accidents



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank my supervisors, friends and family, without their support this research study would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I adjudge that the entire content of this dissertation is entirely my own work; the content used in this dissertation has not been submitted before in any educational institution and represents my own opinion.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

This study explores effects of texting on road accidents. Text messages have become one of the world's favorite ways of communicating. The practice has exploded in popularity during the first decade of the 21st century, as more and more people use their cell phones to send short, private messages to their friends and relatives . Although this feature is technically called Short Message Service (SMS), most Americans refer to the practice as "text messaging," or simply "texting." During the calendar year 2009, Americans sent an estimated 1.5 trillion text messages—an average of 13 texts a day for every man, woman and child living in the U.S.

.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION6

Introduction6

Background of Problem7

Problem Statement7

Importance of Problem7

Purpose of the Study8

Research Questions8

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW9

A Great Convenience, and a Great Distraction10

State and Federal Lawmakers Introduce Texting-While-Driving Bans12

Using Visual Imagery to Discourage Texting While Driving12

Bans Are Essentially Pointless, Critics Say13

Texting While Driving Is Too Dangerous to Ignore, Proponents Argue14

Distracted Driving Goes Beyond Just Texting, Experts Say15

CHAPTER 1: RESEARCH METHODS17

Design of Study17

Dependent Variable17

Independent Variable17

Relevant Variable18

Methods of Data collection18

Interviews19

Questionnaires20

References21

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The widespread popularity of texting has created certain problems, however. Every day, many Americans follow Snooki's lead and send texts while driving. The problem with texting while driving is obvious—it distracts the driver while he or she is operating a moving vehicle, which vastly increases the risk of crashing. Indeed, studies show that texting while driving creates a crash risk equal to that of drunk driving. In 2008, the last full year for which data are available, nearly 6,000 people died in car accidents that occurred because of driver distraction, and it is safe to assume that many of those accidents involved texting while driving. According to a September 21, 2010, report on the PBS News Hour, at any given moment, an estimated 250,000 American motorists is texting and driving (Snooki, 2010).

Consequently, states have begun passing laws specifically prohibiting motorists from reading or writing text messages while behind the wheel. (The laws take a broad view of exactly what constitutes a "text message." Drivers who write e-mails—or even, as in Snooki's case, post messages to Twitter can also be found guilty of texting while driving.) Since May 2007, when Washington State passed the first law banning texting while driving, 29 other states have followed suit. "It's the hottest safety issue in the states right now by far," said Jonathan Adkins, a representative for the Governors Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit group that advocates for stricter driving laws. Violators in most states face fines, but some states punish texting motorists with jail time.

Background of Problem

Road-safety advocates have generally praised the laws, ...