Distracted Driving Statistics

Distracted Driving Statistics Kaitlyn DAgati   According to the website, Distraction.gov, distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a persons attention away from the primary task of driving. In 2015, the State of Florida recorded a total of 45,740 traffic accidents that were a direct result of distracted driving. Of the total number of distracted driving accidents recorded, a total of 39,396 injuries were reported and, sadly, 214 people lost their lives as a result of distracted driving accidents. With astounding statistics as these, some would ask, is the State of Florida doing enough to prevent distracted driving? Given the statistics, the answer appears to be that the state is not doing enough to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving although some may argue that it has. In order to make a proper determination, it is important to fully understand what distracted driving is, examine the statistics of distracted driving, and explore what more can be done in order to bring awareness to th e dangers of distracted driving. First, in order to properly discuss the topic of distracted driving, it is important to fully understand what distracted driving actually is. As defined earlier, distracted driving involves any activity that would cause the driver of vehicle to divert their attention (Distraction.gov). According the article entitled, Focus on Driving Florida distracted driving can be further broken down into three different categories: visual, manual, and cognitive (Focus on Driving Florida). Any activity that would require a driver to take their eyes off the road is would be a visual distraction. Manual distractions would require that the driver take their hands off the wheel; whereas, cognitive distractions involve the driver thinking about things other than driving (Focus on Driving Florida). Examples of distracted driving include: eating, grooming, unsecure pets, adjusting vehicle control. One of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving is texting because it involves all three categories of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive. Next, in order to better grasp the growing problem of distracted driving, it is important to examine the statistics. In 2014, it was reported that 3,179 people were killed and another 431,000 people were injured in accidents that involved distracted drivers (distraction.gov). However, just the following year, the State of Florida reported that 214 people lost their lives in accidents due to distracted driving. When averaged out among the different states, the statistics provided in 2015 by the State of Florida appear to be an increase in the amount of injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving. It is reported that in any given month, 169.3 billon text messages are sent across the US territories and approximately 660,000 drivers are using their cell phones or electronic devices at any given moment (distraction.gov). Additionally, it has been noted that the amount of drivers observed texting has increased from 1.7 percent in 2013 to 2.2 percent in 2014 (distraction.gov). Fina lly, and perhaps most scary of all, is that it only takes 5 seconds for a distracted driver going about 55 mph to cover approximately 100 yards, which equals the length of a football field (distraction.gov)! Finally, in order to begin to reverse the statistics discussed above, it is important to explore what more can be done in order to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. In 2013, the State of Florida began issuing traffic citations for distracted driving and the number of citations issued since the start has steadily climbed. Currently, texting while driving is considered a secondary offense, which means an officer has to pull a driver over for another reason before the driver can be issued for texting while driving. The fine for the first offense for texting and driving is thirty dollars and isnt considered a moving violation. A second offense within a five-year period could result in a sixty dollar fine and would be considered a moving violation which would add points to the drivers license (Isger, S., 2013). At this time, drivers are allowed to use their phones while stopped at a light or stuck in traffic. In addition, drivers are allowed to speak on their phone whi le driving and can use their phone while driving to check maps, use voice commands, or for other programming (Isger, S., 2013). The State of Florida has attempted to bring awareness to the danger of distracted driving by releasing radio public service announcement ads and launching a social media campaign using the hashtag of FocusonDrivingFL on Twitter and Facebook (Focus on Driving FL). However, according to the article entitled, Brutally Honest: How to keep your teens from texting and driving that was published in August of 2016, 55% of young adult drivers believed that texting and driving was easy while 34% of teens admitted that they had texted while driving even though forty-four states passed laws making it illegal to text and drive (Wallace, 2016). Teens interviewed for the story admitted that they had seen their parents driving while they were distracted including texting while driving. With this knowledge, it soon becomes apparent that the State of Florida has failed to ad equately do enough to educate drivers both young and old so this begs the question, what more can the state do? First, it appears that the campaigns to bring awareness to this issue either need to be more consistent or need to reach a greater audience. The social media campaign stopped with just two platforms: Facebook and Twitter. Although more adults are on Facebook than ever before, most teens have fled that social networking site just for that reason. Instagram has quickly overtaken Twitter as the choice among many teens, yet the State hasnt attempted to launch campaigns on the social networking site. Additionally, tougher penalties need to be considered when a driver is caught texting and driving. In reality, most people will pay more for their designer coffee in a week than they will if they were ticketed for distracted driving! Finally, the state should consider more in-school campaigns, including those that have been injured or caused the injury of someone else because of di stracted driving. It seems as though these type of visual demonstrations have a major impact on teens. In conclusion, distracted driving is defined as any act that would require the driver to divert their attention from the task of driving. Distracted driving can fall into three different categories: visual, manual, and cognitive with some behaviors, such as texting falling into all three categories. The statistics have shown that the incidents of accidents, injuries, and deaths have continued to rise over the last couple of years. Given this information, it soon becomes apparent that the State of Florida has failed to do enough to educate drivers to the dangers of distracted driving. In order to begin to reverse these statistics, it is necessary for drivers, both young and older, to become more educated about the dangers of distracted driving. Works Cited Facts and Statistics. Distracted Driving : Facts And Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Florida Distracted Driving Awareness. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Sonja Isger Palm Beach Post Staff Writers 10:18 P.m Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 Florida and Legislature News. Texting While Driving Illegal in Florida Starting Tuesday. Texting and Driving in Florida Illegal Tuesday. Palm Beach Post, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Wallace, Kelly. Brutally Honest: How To Keep Your Teens From Texting and Driving. CNN. Cable News Network, 1 Aug. 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. .

Early English Law Essay

Early English law sought not only to deter crime and immoral behaviour but to exert social control, particularly over the lesser mortals, nothing changes. Crimes committed in early England are not much different to the crimes committed today, although the punishments given are very different. Our methods today for punishment no longer use barbaric methods such as hanging, stoning, burning, drowning, decapitation and the breaking of the neck for serious crimes nor do we amputate , blind, scalp and brand for the lesser crimes committed. Instead we send offenders to prison for the serious crimes and fine/community service for the lesser crimes committed. Abduction, murder, rape, robbery, damage to property and assault are still punishable today but adultery and slaves are no longer offences due to society changes. To exert social control early English law stated â€Å"any person who tried to escape pursuit or to act in self-defence could be cut down irrespective of the magnitude of the suspected offence or the age or sex of the suspected offender† this can be said for today if a suspect were to run from a crime. In Aethelbert’s codes that all men were not equal before the law, and even less so in the case of women does not extend to today as far as the law is today, all men and women are equal regardless of colour, race, age or gender. Early English law did not have prisons and fines were determined by social status, the higher up the person was the less they had to pay. The king did not have the expense in maintaining prisons as as far as he was concerned compensation rather than incarceration was eminently satisfactory method of dealing with crime. Substantial proportion of fines and confiscations were claimed by him, crime did pay as far as the crown was concerned. Today, fines could not be considered for crimes such as rape and murder. Another method of early English law social control was that of hanging, stoning, burning, drowning, decapitation and the breaking of the neck these would be done in public and people would come to watch the executions. Also, mutilation of limbs carried scars and offenders would have to live with this for the rest of their lives. This helped to exert social control as the executions and mutilations would act as a deterrent in that no one would want this to happen to them. None of these methods are done today. It is clear to see that there are no real comparisons to early English law and the law today. Today we have prisons and use fines to exert social control. We no longer use barbaric methods to enforce the law. Sentencing, fines and community service today should be enough to discourage from people offending although in all societies offences do happen as they did back in early England but today we tend to help the offenders by counselling, fining and giving back to the community as in community services, whereas early England the punishments were grotesque. Death, mutilation and maiming were acceptable methods of punishments and social control.

Human nature Essay

Human nature has always emphasized on achieving more. As the history prevail the first ever invention of human was a wheel, and ever since the development of wheel, the mankind has always been in a continuous strive to achieve more. Information is an integral part of human life and the technology has always played an eminent role to increase the lifestyle and living standards of mankind. Communication has always been the core point of interest for people and this is one aspect where the research will continue to eternity. (Rhoton, 2001) Samuel Morse who is considered as one of the pioneer of communication through the development of telegraph was able to give birth to the term information technology. The information technology is totally dependent upon research. Up till now billions of dollars have been spent on the research of communication and information technology. The profound period that affected the development of IT was development of ENIAC computer in the era of 1950s. (O’Brien, 2008) Through the development of ENIAC large amount of calculations were easily completed by the machine and it was used as multipurpose machine for calculations and programming. The speed and flexibility was very high due to which it made a huge impact in World War II. After the development of ENIAC computers were developed in a similar pattern. The need was recognized by different people and researches were conducted to develop such a machine that could automate some difficult processes. (Rappaport , 2002) The development of computers to cell phones to laptops, all were pretty much predictable as they were developed in the need of the hour. The progress of technology has always been a progress of speed and memory, but now in the modern era the three factors that are very important in the technology research are speed, memory and portability. In the future we can assume that we will witness more speed in machines, with high memory storage and high level of portability. References O’Brien, J. (2008) Managment Information Systems (pp. 239) Rappaport, Theodore (2002). Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice. Prentice Hall. Rhoton, John (2001). The Wireless Internet Explained. Digital Press.

John Henry Picture Book by Julius Lester

The legend of John Henry has been celebrated in song and story for generations, but my favorite version is the childrens picture book John Henry by Julius Lester, with illustrations by Jerry Pinkney.  Julius Lesters John Henry is based on the African American folk ballad John Henry, the tale of John Henry, the steel-driving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition between him and the steam-powered drill in digging a railroad tunnel through a mountain. While John Henry dies at the end, this is not a sad story but a celebration of a life well lived.  I recommend Lesters retelling of the story of the African American folk hero as an excellent read aloud for children five and older, as well as a good book for independent readers in grades 4-5. Who Was John Henry? While much has been written about John Henry, much of the true story of John Henry is still shrouded in mystery. However, what the John Henry of song and story represents is very clear in both the words and images in this book. Artist Jerry Pinkney saw John Henry as ... a free man, whose strength and valor bring him fame. He was a strong folk hero for African Americans, a symbol of all the working men who made a major contribution to the building of the roads and railroads in the mountains of West Virginia - a dangerous job for which many paid with their lives. (Source: Penguin Putnam Inc.) John Henry: The Story Julius Lesters story of John Henry begins with his birth and immediate growth to a size so large that his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch of his familys home in 1870s West Virginia. The tall tale continues with the saga of how John Henry grew big, strong, fast, and fearless. His crowning achievement, and the cause of his death, was winning a competition to break through a mountain so the railroad could go through. On one side of the mountain, the railroad boss used a steam drill. On the other side, John Henry used his hammers and amazing strength. When John Henry and the stream drill met inside the mountain, the boss was amazed to find that while he had come only a quarter of a mile, John Henry had come a mile and a quarter. John Henry walked out of the tunnel to the cheers of the other workers, then fell to the ground and died. Everyone who was there came to the realization that Dying aint important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living. Awards and Recognition John Henry was named a Caldecott Honor Book. and to be named a Randolph Cadecott Medal or Honor Book recipient is a prestigious honor. Caldecott honors are awarded annually by the American Library Association in recognition of excellence in American childrens picture book illustration. Other honors for John Henry include  a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and being included on the ALA Notable Childrens Books list. John Henry: My Recommendation There are several things that make this book memorable. The first is Julius Lesters use of imagery and personification. For example, when describing what happened when John Henry laughed loudly, Lester reported, †¦the sun got scared. It scurried from behind the moons skirts and went to bed, which is where it shouldve been anyway. The second is the artwork of Jerry Pinkney. While Pinkney used his usual pencil, colored pencils, and watercolors, his use of shading is exaggerated in the illustrations, to good effect. This creates almost a transparent effect in some scenes, creating the illusion of looking into the far distant past. Its as if you can see what is going on, but you also know that it all has a bigger, broader meaning than just the scene depicted. The third is the extra information provided. It helps to set the context for the story. Included are brief author and illustrator biographies, a note from the author about his collaboration with Pinkney, and an overview of the origin of the John Henry story and the sources used by Lester. This information will be particularly helpful to teachers and librarians as they share the book with students. I recommend this childrens picture book for the children five to ten years old and their families.  Its also a good book for elementary school classrooms. (Puffin Books, Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 1994. Hardcover edition ISBN: 0803716060, 1999, Paperback edition ISBN: 9780140566222)