7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Texting and Driving

Opportunity: People are killed by texting and driving all the time whether they are the ones in the car or walking in the street.

The who: People that text while they drive.

The what: They cause crashes and deaths.

The why: Being distracted by their phones causes them to hit other cars and people.

Testing the who: Not just the drivers have this need. People that look at their phones and walk in the street get hit by cars because they're distracted from looking at their phones.

Testing the what: Do all drivers that text and drive cause the crash or just some? Should the law that says you aren’t allowed to text and drive be more enforced? This law could be more enforced by cops handcuffing people and bringing them to jail instead of just pulling them over and giving them a ticket.

Testing the why: I think people text and drive because they don’t have the patience to wait until they get to their destination. A lot of people don’t understand that there are other drivers on the road.

Interview #1: I think it’s so annoying that people text and drive. Why don’t they just wait until they get to a red light to answer the text? One time my mom was supposed to take an exit and she started texting and we were supposed to get off the highway, but she swerved to the other side causing the person behind her to brake fast.

Interview #2: I’m glad that it’s illegal to text and drive. I think it’s very unsafe for people to do it and I would never do it myself. People always do it and it gets me frustrated because they can just wait to check their phones.

Interview #3: I personally text and drive all the time and I know it’s a bad habit. Sometimes I forget I’m even doing it. I always try to be cautious of others on the road when I do text and drive.

Interview #4: I think there should be a feature in your car that doesn’t allow you to use your phone once you enter the car and sit in the driver’s seat. I think this feature could be very beneficial and could even save lives. I believe people should go to jail if they text and drive instead of just getting a ticket. The laws that prohibit texting and driving should definitely be more enforced.

Interview #5: I don’t understand why people feel the need to look at their phones while they’re driving on the road. I think it is extremely unsafe and they are putting others in harm's way. I’ve heard about a lot of crashes that happen on the highway due to texting and driving. There’s a lot of ads and signs always reminding people not to text and drive.

Summary: I found that almost everyone I interviewed has the same views I have about texting and driving. It is obvious that texting and driving shouldn’t be allowed, and more laws should be enforced on it. It was interesting to me that one person I interviewed is ok with texting and driving. They understand that it isn’t safe and try to be cautious when doing it. After conducting these interviews, I learned that there is an opportunity to make a feature in the car that prohibits someone from looking at their phone while they’re driving.