Distracted Driving Lesson

NAME___Kaitlyn Flippin______________
DATE___11/2/21____ HOUR____5____

Objectives:
Students will use multiple types of resources to use in a persuasive writing assignment.
Students will understand the dangers of using a cell phone while driving.

Sequence of Lessons:

Day 1- Read the Time Magazine Article, “Distracted Driving: Should Talking, Texting Be
Banned?” Answer questions on the worksheet, questions are located below.

Day 2- Watch the AT&T Documentary on Dangers of Texting While Driving. Answer questions
on the worksheet below. I would recommend watching it again.

Day 3- Writing Assignment- (Summative Assessment) Look at the colorful Infographic,

“Driving While Texting” below and then use information from all three sources to write a letter
to a new teen driver urging them not to use their cell phone while driving.

 Use Information from all three sources to write a letter to a new teen driver
trying to persuade them not to be on their phone while driving. You must cite
the three sources in your letter. The letter can be to an actual person or a
made up person.
Monday, Aug. 24, 2009

Distracted Driving: Should Talking, Texting Be

Banned?
By Gilbert Cruz and Kristi Oloffson

Most of us are neither pilots nor astronauts. We are not trained to steer large, hurtling hulks
of steel and gasoline while manipulating small computers. So there's something blindingly
obvious about the risks of texting while driving. Yet research is beginning to show that
driving while simply talking on a cell phone — including using hands-free technology — can
prove dangerous, even deadly.

In late July, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) released hundreds of pages of a previously
buried 2003 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study that identified
the cell phone as a serious safety hazard when used on the road. A bill introduced last
month in the Senate would require all states to impose a ban on texting while driving; 17
states (including, most recently, Illinois, on Aug. 6) and the District of Columbia have
passed such a ban, and seven states have outlawed driver use of handheld communication
devices altogether. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood considers cell phones such a
problem that he is planning a summit next month to discuss the dangers of driving while
distracted. And though it's impossible to accurately gauge how many car accidents
nationwide are cell phone related, David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of
Utah, estimates that only 2% of people are able to safely multitask while driving.

Strayer, who for more than a decade has been studying the effects driving and cell-phone
use have on the brain, says those 2% are probably the same people who would be really good
fighter pilots. Rarities. Some of Strayer's other findings show that most drivers tend to stare
straight ahead while using a cell phone and are less influenced by peripheral vision. In other
words, "cell phones," he says, "make you blind to your own bad driving."
And even though the common assumption is that hands-free technology has mitigated the
more dangerous side effects of cell-phone use — it's just like talking to someone sitting next
to you, isn't it? — a series of 2007 simulator tests conducted by Strayer seems to indicate the
opposite. A passenger acted as another set of eyes for the driver in the test and even stopped
or started talking depending on the difficulty of conditions outside the car. Meanwhile, half
the drivers talking on a hands-free phone failed, bypassing the rest area the test had called
for them to stop at.

Part of the problem may be that when people direct their attention to sound, the visual
capacity of their brain decreases, says Steven Yantis, a professor of psychological and brain
sciences at Johns Hopkins University. It can be as if a driver is seeing the image in her head
of the person she is talking to, thereby decreasing her ability to see what's actually in front of
her. "When people are listening to a cell-phone conversation, they're slower to respond to
things they're looking at," Yantis says. "It requires you to select one thing at the cost of being
less able to respond to other things."

This may explain why participants in one of Strayer's simulator studies were faster to brake
and caused fewer crashes when they had a .08% blood-alcohol content than while sober and
talking on a cell phone.

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute are skeptical, however, of simulator
studies. In July the institute released a data analysis of the behavior of scores of drivers who
agreed to have a camera placed in their vehicle for a year or so. After examining footage that
preceded crashes and near crashes, the researchers concluded that while manual
manipulation of a cell phone (dialing and texting) led to a greater risk of an accident, simple
participation in a phone conversation (talking or listening) did not lead to a statistically
significant increase in risk. The study will be presented next month at the first international
conference on driver distraction and inattention, in Göteborg, Sweden. (Read "Texting and
Walking: Dangerous Mix.")

In spite of the proliferation of anti-cell-phone laws, drivers' habits don't appear to be

changing. A 2008 Nationwide Mutual Insurance survey found that only 63% of drivers
planned to abide by laws prohibiting cell phones. So parents, employers and insurance
companies are stepping in to help minimize driver distraction. In the next few months,
several technology start-ups will release new products for phones that can detect when a car
is in motion and automatically log incoming calls and texts much as a personal assistant
would. All the products have provisions that allow both incoming and outgoing calls during
emergencies.

Knowing that people will be unlikely to volunteer for a service that takes away their phone
privileges, Nationwide has partnered with one of the start-ups and is planning to offer a
discounted rate for those who use the distraction reducer. The insurer says its discount will
most likely cover the cost of Aegis Mobility's DriveAssist, which will be available next year.

Meanwhile, the CAS is calling for more draconian measures. Now that it has uncovered the
NHTSA research, it is filing a petition calling for all new cars to have a device installed that
allows only emergency calls. "We do not see how [NHTSA] can turn down a problem that's
rapidly turning out to be as bad as drunk driving," says Clarence Ditlow, CAS's executive
director. "We're asking that technology be installed in cars to disable their cell phones
whenever you shift out of park."

Though Ditlow admits that such a move could be years away, the organization's goal
remains to "make talking and driving as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving," he
says. "It's just a question of when we get there."

New Services to Reduce Driver Distraction

Key2SafeDriving
Parents can set up a password-protected profile that won't allow calls or texts when a
Bluetooth device detects that the car is in motion.
$99, then $10 per month for Web services

Aegis Mobility DriveAssist

Downloaded software will use a phone's GPS to determine whether it is in a moving vehicle,
then log incoming calls and texts, and respond with a message that you're driving.
$6 to $12 per month

ZoomSafer
The least restrictive of these three products, this downloadable software lets you dictate text
messages and updates to social-networking sites while you're driving.
Free; premium subscription is $5 per month
Questions that go along with the text: Worth 5 points per question. (15 Total Points).

1. Give three specific examples from the article that shows how dangerous it is to use a
cell phone while driving.

"When people are listening to a cell-phone conversation, they're slower to respond to things
they're looking at," Yantis says. "It requires you to select one thing at the cost of being less
able to respond to other things."

participants in one of Strayer's simulator studies were faster to brake and caused fewer
crashes when they had a .08% blood-alcohol content than while sober and talking on a cell
phone.

Part of the problem may be that when people direct their attention to sound, the visual
capacity of their brain decreases

2. What is more dangerous while driving, drinking or using your cell phone? Use a
detail from the text to support your answer.

Using a cell phone. “participants in one of Strayer's simulator studies were faster to brake
and caused fewer crashes when they had a .08% blood-alcohol content than while sober and
talking on a cell phone”
 3. What are some proposed solutions to minimize the use of cell phones while driving?
Provided examples from the text.

several technology start-ups will release new products for phones that can detect when a car is in
motion and automatically log incoming calls and texts much as a personal assistant would. All the
products have provisions that allow both incoming and outgoing calls during emergencies.

Clarence Ditlow, CAS's executive director. "We're asking that technology be installed in cars to disable
their cell phones whenever you shift out of park."

Documentary Link: Dangers of Text Messaging and Driving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dht-Vy25jPs

Questions that require students to take an active role in the video: The documentary is 8 minutes long, it
may require watching twice to give students a better chance at collecting information. Worth 5 points
per question (25 Total Points)

1. Give two specific examples of grief from the video.

Mariah West’s family and friends grieving the loss of her

Ashley’s sister grieving the loss of her, and feeling like it was her fault

2. Give one specific example of remorse from the video.

Ashley’s sister was texting her right up until the moment she died, and she felt like it was her fault
because she was the one sending messages, causing Ashley to be distracted. Her truck flipped, she was
ejected, and she landed 300 feet from her truck.

3. Give two specific examples of the result of texting while driving.

Mariah West’s accident-she was texting while driving and horrifically lost her life because of it

The boy in the video (it didn’t say his name) lost some of his body functions. His body doesn’t work how
it used to, he cant do the same things he used to be able to do. He was the passenger, so it wasn’t even
his fault.

4. Provide at least one statistic from the documentary that was shown to support why texting
while driving is dangerous.

Studies show that you are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident when texting and driving

5. What effective filming techniques did the director of the documentary use in order to get the
message out effectively?

The director made it seem like they were just having a conversation about the loss of these people,
and just what their experiences were. They also showed the victim’s families holding the phones
with the text message and at the end, signs with the words of the message. This was very powerful
and it made you think about the fact that just a few letters or words could cost someone their life
and cost their family a person they care about.
 Writing Assignment

Using the three sources provided (AT&T Documentary, Graphic, and Times Article), write a letter to a
new teen driver persuading them not to use a cellphone while driving. You must use at least one piece
of evidence from each source to support your letter. Use proper grammar, spelling, and citations. (50
Total Points) The paper must be typed out.

Dear new teen driver, using a cellphone while driving is extremely dangerous and can cause more harm
than good. You can answer that text once you’ve stopped. Cellphones and other distractions make your
attention turn away from the road and onto something else, which can cause you to miss a potential
hazard. Studies done by David Strayer, a professor of psychology, have shown that when you use a cell
phone, you tend to pay attention to things directly in front of you and not your surroundings. This can
“make you blind to your own bad driving” (Strayer). Many distractions are the cause of traffic accidents.
Cell phones, by far are the worst. When you are drunk or taking a phone call, you are 4 times more likely
to cause a crash than with little to no distractions. When you are texting while driving, you are 8 times
more likely. And this type of accident is usually severe because you miss seemingly obvious hazards
because you are focused on something else. Many victims’ families have shared their stories of how
their lives have been drastically changed, whether that be them losing use of parts of their body, or their
friend or family member losing their life. These kinds of stories were shared in the AT&T documentary,
Don’t Text While Driving. One girl, named Mariah, was her friends and her family’s “sunshine” and a text
message saying the simple words “where u at” took away her life and their “sunshine” forever. All
because of a text message. You are also 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident when texting
and driving (AT&T documentary) So please, when you’re thinking about answering a text message, wait
until you are safe and parked to do so. Don’t try to answer it while driving.

Art of Persuasion
Supporting Details
Writing Mechanics
Cites Sources

Excellent Average Below Average 30 Poor

50 pts 40 pts pts 0-20
Supporting Student makes Students uses Student uses Student uses
Details insightful supporting details support from minimal or no
connections to from all three sources, but does details from the
supporting details sources. not make use of sources.
in the letter to all all.
three sources.
 Writing No errors in Minimal errors in Many errors in Many errors in
Mechanics writing. writing. writing that do writing that do
not hinder hinder
comprehension. comprehension.
Citations All 3 Citations 2 Citations used. 1Citation used. NO evidence of
used. citations.
Art of Persuasion Student uses Student uses a Minimal NO evidence of
many techniques technique of persuasive persuasion at all,
to persuade the persuasion. techniques used, or mostly a
reader. mostly personal response
informative.

Student Name _________________________________________________

Score __________

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