Discussion

Part of your assignment is to discuss the problems and solutions in relation to distracted driving and to comment on a quotation from Text II, “Drivers Can Turn to Technology to Save Them from the Distractions of Technology”.

We will first present the problems and solutions in relation to distracted driving mentioned in the three texts, and then we will help you comment on the quotation.

Problems and solutions in relation to distracted driving

All three texts in your assignment explore both problems and solutions in relation to distracted driving.

The main problems connected with distracted driving mentioned in the texts are:

• Distracted driving is one of the main causes of car accidents. It was the cause of 6,000 total deaths in the US in 2008 (Text II) and causes 4,000 teen deaths every year (Text I).
• One of the main causes of driver distractions is modern technology like mobile phones (Texts I and II).
• Many people are not aware of the dangers of using technology while driving; people think they can use their mobile phones and drive safely, but they can’t (Text I).

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The main solutions to distracted driving mentioned in the texts are:

• Distracted driving can be curbed and prevented through mobile phone software and car programs. A new mobile software can send an automatic reply to callers when the person is driving. Car owners can also get software that monitors teenage driving and alerts parents when their children are not driving responsibly (Text II).
• More education about the risks and dangers of distracted driving can make people more aware of their responsibility.

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Comment

The quotation from “Drivers can turn to technology to save them from the distractions of technology” (Text II) that you have to comment on is: “In 2008, nearly 6,000 Americans died in crashes involving drivers who were busy doing something other than driving”.

In the context of the video—which presents software designed to curb distracted driving—the quotation is meant to convince the audience of the necessity of implementing new measures to counteract distracted driving. The quotation shows that distracted driving is the cause of 6,000 deaths every year, in the US.

Considering that Text I mentions that 4,000 American teenagers die every year in car crashes, this suggests that the majority of deaths caused by distracted driving are those of teenagers.

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