Management Distracted Driving Introduction Section Only

Distracted Driving
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Distracted Driving
Introduction
The actual topic is the culture of distracted driving under traffic and road safety rules and regulations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as any form of driving activity that hampers drivers' level of concentration and heightens the risk of crashing. According to NHTSA, the three types of distractions can cause distracted driving are; visual distractions where drivers take their eyes off the road, manual distraction where drivers take their hands off the wheel and lastly cognitive distractions where drivers take their mind off what they are doing. Particularly distracted driving can be triggered by various forms of distractors, which include grooming while driving, eating, using music controls such as adjusting a CD player, a radio, reading and writing, drinking and smoking as well as talking to passengers. According to NHTSA 2016 road and safety report, at least 23 percent which translates to 1.3 million car accidents were a result of distracted driving, and the majority of the casualties were drivers between the age of 18 and 35. In the same report, 52 percent were victims of texting or calling and driving as approximately 93 % of American aged 18 and 20 own a cell phone.
Importance of the Topic
According to Centers Diseases Control and Prevention, the problem of distracted driving has caused up to 19,561 deaths in the U.S in the last four years. Based on the worrying statistics, road accidents are considered the serious threat to public health and safety. The concern to address the predicament has always been high because of the alarming NHTSA statistics that the number of fatalities is increasing annually despite the punitive measures implemented to curb the problem. However, there is a general reduction in traffic fatalities involving other causative agents of accidents due to the success of the policies adopted. Therefore, understanding the topic is relevant in raising the awareness of distracted driving to promote literature and research actions that could help in developing effective preventive measures. Additionally, addressing this subject is important in summarizing the known facts, information and extent of distracted driving, the potential risks and possible solution to curb the problem. The emphasis of the study is placed on the use of cell phones while driving in reflection to the available literature. Therefore, the insight of the study will provide a comprehensive report on the impact and possible preventive mechanism of distracted driving that aligns to road safety policies.
Concerned Stakeholders
The study would matter to all road, and safety stakeholders who include NHTSA, drivers, passenger, parents, Federal and State Police as well as the government. NHTSA has the biggest concern on distracted driving since it has a duty to enforce the existing traffic laws and order. NHTSA has been steering the initiatives to fight against distracted driving such as educating the American on the dangers and preventive measures and partnering with both federal and state police to enforce laws and policies to curb distracted driving and instill...