Conclusion Post

This English 1010 class was great. I really learned a lot of useful information in here in a way that was exciting and new.  I love that we had to keep a blog as a portfolio for this class because it was something new and really went along with our subject for our class.  I feel that I could have taken more time on the essays I wrote and could have actually gone to the writing center to get them checked out. I think if I could have redone this semester I would have only taken English instead of trying to juggle a full time schedule with English and Math. This made it extremely difficult for me to excel in both subjects.

I learned a lot about formatting essays which I think will help me in future classes as well. I never did understand how to properly use MLA until I took this class.  I also learned a lot about my (e)dentity which I thought was an extremely neat idea. I never thought about the fact that I have two identities.  

From now on I will be concsious about what I am posting online and will always wonder what if what I am posting online is a true reflection of my life. I will miss you as a teacher and I will miss the discussions we had in class. Thank you for a great semester!

Argumentative Essay

Natalie Greene

Professor Goff

English 1010

7 August 2014

Cellphones and Driving: Why It's a Distraction

            Among the conflicts of distracted driving, cellphone use is a main cause, though some argue that it’s still ok.  As drivers go about their lives they are trying to stay connected to everything else going on.  Not only are they sending texts while driving, they are also checking and sending emails, calls, and even social media websites.  Is staying connected really more important than safety on the road?  As more and more drivers participate in distracted driving more and more lives are put at risk.

According to the statistics provided by the American Journal of public health as text messaging rates have increased so have accidents caused by distracted driving. From 1999 to 2008, deaths resulting from distracted driving have increased about 20%.  It’s not a coincidence that cellphone use increased during this time too.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that driving while distracted has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths per year. Looking at these statistics it would seem logical that we should ban cellphone use completely while operating a vehicle.

            It is estimated that when you send or read a text message you are distracted from the road for 5 seconds or the time it takes you to drive the length of a football field.  Imagine driving across a football field blindfolded.  It’s a frightening thought that couldn’t be completed easily.  This is why drivers can’t safely text and drive.  According to journalist Nathan Eddy those who participate in texting and driving quadruple their risk of getting into a car crash. 

            Texting and driving isn’t the only distraction cellphones provide to drivers.  According to a study completed by State Farm from 2009 to 20111 drivers who accessed the internet while driving increased from 29% to 43%.  In that same time span drivers accessing social media networks increased from 21% to 37%.  That is a huge jump in the percentage of distracted drivers.  As smartphones become more and more popular more and more distractions are being presented to drivers. 

            Using a cellphone while driving impairs the drivers’ awareness of their surroundings, situations, and ability to react, meaning that drivers have a harder time processing what it is that is happening on the road around them.  Even hands free devices cause drivers to be distracted from what is really going on around them.  Research has shown that when using a hands free device the driver is cognitively distracted from recognizing audio and visual cues that would normally help them avoid an accident.

            A total of 14 states have passed laws that don’t allow drivers to use hand-held devices while driving.  The thought behind this is that it is less distracting if drivers use hands free devices while driving. For example, if a driver is using a Bluetooth device to answer their calls they do not have to pick up their phone and are no longer at risk of unsafe driving. As more research is completed on hands free devices and driving the states must take another look at their Distracted Driving Laws and decide if they are actually helping.

            Most states are quickly realizing the need to prevent distracted driving caused by cellphones and are establishing laws to help prevent it.  However, no states have completely banned the use of cellphones while driving.  44 states have laws prohibiting texting while driving.  The other 6 states that haven’t outlawed texting and driving have established rules regarding it.  The most prominent being young drivers are not allowed to text and drive.  Research supports that the most prominent group to participate in using a cellphone while driving are those under the age of 25.

            Due to cellphone use deaths resulting from cellphones on the road have increased about 20%.  According to the Official US Government Website for Distracted Driving nearly 500,000 people are injured each year due to distracted driving.  In 2009 over 5,000 people were killed due to distracted driving. Though people have busy lives and use their cellphones to stay connected it’s not worth it to use these devices while behind the wheel. 

            Though most people agree that texting and driving is dangerous there are those who believe that hands free devices such as Bluetooth devices or speakerphones are fine to use while driving. However, many studies and articles have turned up stating that even hands free devices are not safe. This is because as we are holding a conversation, whether while using our handheld devices or using a hands free device, our brain is still distracted. Drivers are no longer fully focused on the road when holding a conversation.

            According to the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry there are many other activities that are more dangerous than using a cellphone while driving.  Changing a CD, eating, or talking with someone else in the car may also be distracting.  The goal here is to minimize the amount of distractions that happen while driving and adding a cellphone to the mix does not help. 

            Another argument for the use of cellphones while driving is that cellphones provide means for safety and a way to contact help in an emergency.  This may be true and there is nothing wrong about pulling over on the side of the road to use your cellphone to report an accident or to call for assistance.  If the accident you’re calling to report most likely happened due to distracted driving there is where the issue arises.

            The only way to completely stop texting and driving will be to ban the use of cellphones while driving. No texting, no calling, and no accessing your phone in any way while driving.  States should pass laws making it a ticketable offense. No more lives should be put at risk just so a driver can stay connected a while longer.  In the end it comes down to each individual driver and a responsibility put on them.  It’s up to us to decide to put away our cellphones and avoid distractions while driving.  Our lives and the lives of others are in our hands when we get behind the wheel and it’s our jobs to make sure our hands are not distracted.

Works Cited

 “Distracted Driving Laws.” Governors Highway Safety Association. July 2014. 23 July 2014 <www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html>

Wilson, Fernando A., and Jim Stimpson. “Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 100 (2010): 2213-19.

Eddy, Nathan. “Texting While Driving More Prevalent Among Adults: AAA.” eWeek 13 December 2013: 2

Rhodan, Maya. “4 in 10 Teens Admit Texting While Driving.” Time 14 June 2014: 32

“Distracted Driving Problem Extends Beyond Texting.” Professional Safety 57 (2012): 24

International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry (CTIA), "CTIA Consumer Info: Driving Tips," www.ctia.org

“Get The Facts: Frequently Asked Questions.” Official US Government Website for Distracted Driving. 3 August 2014 < http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/faq.html>

In class writing: a whole week without technology

If I had to go a whole week without technology I would spend the whole time camping. I would not miss technology if I was up in the mountains boating or fishing. I go camping for a week a few times a year and have no issue without cellphone reception or internet. I may miss playing games on my phone.

Journal #12: simplifying writing

Rules for simplifying writing:
-keep sentences in active voice where the subject is doing the action.
-using too many words is one of the most common mistakes made.
-remove unneeded words and shorten phrases.

Simplified sentences:
1. He dropped out of school to sleep support his family.
2. The bus company should announce the new schedule soon.
3. There are many ways for students to meet foreign students.
4. It is rare to find someone who has never purposely lied.
5. People cause trouble when they break rules.

In class writing #6: thesis statement

Here is my thesis statement for my argumentative essay.
Among the conflicts of distracted driving, cell phone use of a main cause, though some people argue that hands free devices are still OK.

MWA #2: Literary Review

Natalie Greene

Professor Goff

English 1010

28 July 2014

Distracted Driving Due to Cellphones

Cell phone use is a major cause of distracted driving. As states attempt to keep their drivers safe from the dangers of distracted driving the question arises on the correct way to do so.  Many states have banned cellphone use while driving as part of their Distracted Driving Laws. Others have only banned the use of handheld devices. The majority, however, have banned texting and driving all together. As the battle against cellphone use rages on, texting and calling are not the only distractions cell phones provide.  As cellphones become more advanced the problem arises with accessing social media website while driving.

A total of 14 states have passed laws that don’t allow drivers to use hand-held devices while driving.  The thought behind this is that it is less distracting if drivers use hands free devices while driving. For example, if a driver is using a Bluetooth device to answer their calls they do not have to pick up their phone and are no longer at risk of unsafe driving. However, many studies and articles have turned up stating that even hands free devices are not safe. This is because as we are holding a conversation, whether while using our handheld devices or using a hands free device, our brain is still distracted. Drivers are no longer fully focused on the road when holding a conversation. As more research is completed on hands free devices and driving the states must take another look at their Distracted Driving Laws and decide if they are actually helping.

44 states have laws prohibiting texting while driving and the other 6 that haven’t outlawed it have laws regarding it, the most prominent being young drivers are not allowed to text and drive. Research supports that most text messaging accidents have involved those under the age of 25. There are those who argue that it is only teens that pose a threat while texting and driving. While, statistics support that about 41% of teen drivers admit to texting and driving, adult drivers ages 25-39 have been the most common to admit to texting while driving. Due to cellphone use deaths resulting from distracted driving have increased about 20% in relation to the increase of text messaging rates.

Another distraction that is caused by cellphones in vehicles are drivers accessing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter while they are driving.  From 2009 to 2011 drivers who accessed the internet while driving increased from 29% to 43%. During that same time span drivers accessing social media networks increased from 21% to 43%. Drivers are no longer being distracted by just text messaging and phone calls. Because of the multiples of distractions cellphones present to drivers the National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on these distractions in order to ban the use of cellphones altogether for drivers. Currently, there are no states that completely ban the use of cellphones while driving.

Cellphone use, whether texting, calling, or social networking, is very dangerous while driving. The big question here is: what is the best way to prevent any more accidents and deaths from happening due to cellphone use while driving? Laws, ranging from prohibiting only texting while driving to only allowing hands free devices, have been passed in an attempt to lower the amount of distracted driving. All have valid points and all agree that we have an epidemic on our hands.  Ultimately it is up to us, the driver, to be responsible enough to not drive while distracted.

Works Cited

 “Distracted Driving Laws.” Governors Highway Safety Association. July 2014. 23 July 2014 <www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html>

Wilson, Fernando A., and Jim Stimpson. “Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 100 (2010): 2213-19.

Eddy, Nathan. “Texting While Driving More Prevalent Among Adults: AAA.” eWeek 13 December 2013: 2

Rhodan, Maya. “4 in 10 Teens Admit Texting While Driving.” Time 14 June 2014: 32

“Distracted Driving Problem Extends Beyond Texting.” Professional Safety 57 (2012): 24

Journal Entry #11 - Help with Titling Your Paper

Hello Everyone!

I found this great website that helps with figuring out the correct capitalization of your paper's title!  It's great if you struggle with knowing when to capitalize a letter or when to keep it lowercase.

Title Capitalization Site

Also, if you are having issues with citing your sources this is a wonderful website to help you get a feel for creating those citations.

Citation Machine Site