Kathleen Windsor
Communication Issue Speech Outline
Topic: Texting While Driving
General Purpose: To inform the audience
Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about the statistics and dangers of texting while driving.
Thesis: Since 2010, more than 660,000 drivers use their cell phone while driving a
motor vehicle.
I. Introduction
a. Attention Getter: As a driver you have to be aware of the other drivers around
you. Being a defensive driver can end up saving your life, by reducing the possible
distractions in the vehicle and following all traffic laws a driver can reduce their risk of
being involved in an accident.
b. Reason to Listen: 43 states and Washington D.C. prohibit the use of a phone while
driving but according to the United States Department of Transportation 421,000
people in the United States have been injured each year by a distracted driver. Drivers
distracted by texting are 23 times more likely to get into a crash.
c. Thesis Statement: One of the most dangerous acts that a person can do is using a
phone while operating a vehicle.
d. Credibility Statement:
1. I have read multiple articles about distracted driving and the effect of
texting while driving.
2. The statistics that I have heard and researched have shocked me and
made me want to inform my audience to help them be safe on the road.
e. Preview of Main Points:
1. Today I will start by discussing the meaning of distracted driving
2. Then, I will discuss the statistics of texting while driving
3. Finally, I will discuss the laws and bans against distracted driving
II. What is distracted driving? Distracted driving is any activity that takes the drivers attention away
from driving. This includes texting or talking on the phone, eating or drinking, talking to the
other occupants of the vehicle, playing with the radio or anything that takes your eyes away
from the road.
A. Sending a single text takes roughly 5 seconds while driving 55mph on the road is the same
as driving the size of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
1. Anything that makes you take your eyes off the road is a potential
distraction and will increase your risk of an accident.
a. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), in 2016, distracted driving claimed 3450 lives and
391,000 were injured in crashes in 2015.
b. Teenagers are the most common age group to be reported as
distracted at the time of a fatal accident.
c. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, the maximum
amount of time that a driver can safely look away from the road
is only two seconds.
2. 43 states and Washington D.C. prohibit all drivers from texting while
behind the wheel of a vehicle.
a. State legislature and the state governor make the laws that
have to do with distracted driving.
b. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures 16
states as well as D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin
Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones
while driving this is the Hand-held Cell Phone Use Ban.
c. 38 states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by beginner or teen
drivers.
d. 21 states and D.C. prohibit all school bus drivers from using
their cell phone while operating a bus.
e. The Text Messaging ban prohibits text messaging for all drivers
in 47 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands
but Missouri prohibits text messaging for beginning and
teenaged drivers.
3. Teens aren’t the only age group to blame for texting and driving.
a. According to 77% of teens, adults say not to text and drive, even
though they do it as well.
b. The National Occupant Protection Use Survey concluded that
women are more likely than men to reach for their phone while
driving.
c. 19 % of drivers of all age groups admit to using their phone
while driving, whether it’s to search the internet, text, use a
GPS, or any other function of a cell phone.
d. A University of Utah study reported that a teen driver who is
using a cell phone has the same reaction time as a 70-year-old
driver who isn’t using a cell phone.
Transition: Now that we have discussed distracted driving and a few facts that are related, I will now
discuss more information about the dangers of texting and driving.
B. Each year, thousands of accidents are caused by distracted driving.
1. People who text while driving are 6 times more likely to get into an accident
when compared to those who drive while intoxicated.
a. Since 2010, 660 thousand drivers are using a cell phone while driving
at any given moment in the United States.
b. In 2014, 520 pedestrians were killed by distracted drivers
c. 421,000 people in the United States are injured each year by
distracted drivers.
2. 11 teenagers die every day because of texting and driving
a. Teenagers are 400% more likely to be involved in an accident from
texting and driving.
b. According to DoSomething.org AT&T did a Teen Driver Survey and
found that 97% of teens agreed that texting while driving is dangerous;
however, 43% of them text and drive anyway.
c. The National Safety Council determined that cell phone use while
driving leads to roughly 6 million accidents per year.
3. Auto accidents are the leading cause of accidental deaths among teenagers.
a. 64% of all vehicle accidents per year in the United States are caused
from the driver using a cell phone behind the wheel.
b. That is about 1.6 million accidents a year just in the United States.
c. According to Maryland Personal Injury Lawyers, 25% of accidents
caused by phone use occur between 3-6pm, 18% occurs between 6-
9am.
Transition: Now that we have discussed statistics about texting and driving, I will discuss laws against
distracted driving.
C. As the amount of accidents caused by texting and driving increases, state legislatures have
enacted new laws to prevent accidents.
1. Texting while driving is completely banned in 47 out of 50 states in the
United States.
a. 16 states prohibit talking on the phone without a hands-free device.
b. Specifically in Maryland, hand-held devices are banned for all drivers.
c. Also in Maryland, drivers younger than 18 are banned from all cell
phone use while behind the wheel. All drivers are banned from texting
and the enforcement is primary which means that law enforcement
officers do not have to have another reason besides the cell phone use
in order to stop someone.
III. Conclusion
A. Review of Main Points:
1. Today I discussed the meaning of distracted driving
2. Then, I discussed statistics of texting while driving
3. Finally, I discussed the laws that prohibit the use of a cell phone while
operating a vehicle.
B. Restate Thesis: One of the most dangerous acts that a person can do is using a phone
while operating a vehicle.
C. Closure: In conclusion, please be aware that all actions have a reaction, good or bad.
Texting and driving can take a life, long before the proper time. In order to avoid this
unfortunate outcome, refraining from using a phone while operating a vehicle can not only
save your life but save the life of someone else. Thank you.
Works Cited
11 Facts About Texting and Driving. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2019, from
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-fact-about-texting-and-driving
Bennett, L. (2018, May 30). 10 Terrifying Facts About Texting And Driving. Retrieved February 9,
2019, from https://www.driversalert.com/10-terrifying-facts-about-texting-and-driving/
Delgado, M. K., Wanner, K. J., & Mcdonald, C. (2016). Adolescent Cellphone Use While Driving:
An Overview of the Literature and Promising Future Directions for Prevention. Media and
Communication,4(3), 79. doi:10.17645/mac.v4i3.536
Distracted driving. (2019, February). Retrieved February 13, 2019, from
https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/cellphonelaws?topicName=Distracted driving#tableData
Essex, A. (2018, April 30). Cellular Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws. Retrieved
February 10, 2019, from http://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/cellular-phone-use-and-
texting-while-driving-laws.aspx
U Drive. U Text. U Pay. (2018, December 20). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
Waldron, T. (n.d.). Texting and Driving Statistics. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from
https://www.millerandzois.com/texting-driving-statistics.html
3 Discussion Questions
1. How many states prohibit the use of a cell phone while operating a vehicle and do you agree
with these laws?
2. What age group is reported to most likely to text and drive? Explain why you think this group
is more likely to text and drive.
3. Have you ever used a cell phone while driving? If yes, justify why you did it.
