Policy Proposal-Cub Use Of Cell Phones When Driving
Policy Proposal-Cub Use Of Cell Phones When Driving
Assignment 1: LASA 2: Generating a Policy Proposal
Although some states and cities have passed laws to ban texting and using handheld phones while driving, there is no current law to ban all cell phone use while driving. However, according to the National Safety Council (2009), 28 percent of all crashes—1.6 million per year—are caused by cell phone use and texting by drivers. The mission of a new national nonprofit organization called FocusDriven, patterned after Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is to make phone use while driving as illegal and socially unacceptable as drunk driving. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood supports FocusDriven and its efforts: According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, LaHood said this movement will become “an army of people traveling the countryside” to push for bans on cell phone use and tough enforcement (Schmit, 2010).
As a political advocate interested in this issue, you will be writing a policy proposal that utilizes the current research to propose a solution to the issue and submit it in this assignment.
Please note that your proposal is not an opinion/position paper, and your conclusions need to be based on the scientific research you reviewed earlier. Please follow the typical steps in proper academic writing (planning, outlining, drafting, revising, proofing, and editing) to generate the following proposal structure:
Introduction
In the introduction, you should set up the purpose for the proposal, provide a bit of background on the topic, and present your thesis.
Policy
Now that you have researched a variety of studies (in M4: Assignment 2), compile that information together to create a recommendation for policy makers regarding cell phone use while driving.
1: In a one-page summary, compare and contrast the results of the various studies regarding the cognitive abilities that are affected during cell phone use while driving.
2: Using that research, develop and explain particular recommendations for policy makers. For instance, restrict texting, or regulate the use of hand-held phones. All your recommendations must be supported by your research findings.
3: Based on the gaps in current research, describe the variables, populations, and situations which you would like to see future research address.
Conclusion
Review the important current research, your conclusions from that research, and how the future could look in both policy and research. Keep your goal in mind: To convince the reader to support your current policy proposal and future research to examine this issue more closely.
Your proposal should be written in APA style (which includes a title page with running header and a reference page), and free of typographical and grammatical errors. The body of your proposal should be 4 pages long.
By Saturday, July 12, 2014, deliver your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.
Course Project Grading Criteria and Rubric
| Assignment 1 Grading Criteria | Maximum Points |
| Analysis and comparison of current research on cognitive effects of phone use, intoxication, age, and other factors while driving. (Course Objectives [CO]1 CO2) | 72 |
| Recommendations for public policy. (CO3) |
72 |
| Recommendations for future research. (CO2, CO3) |
92 |
| Writing Components: Organization (16) Usage and Mechanics (16) APA Elements (24) Style (8) |
64 |
| Total: | 300 |
 |
Schmitz, J. (2010, January 13). Cell phone ban for drivers is focus of new group.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/
National Research Council. (2010). National Safety Council Estimates that At Least 1.6 Million Crashes Each Year Involve Drivers Using Cell Phones and Texting. Available at
http://www.nsc.org/pages
/
Answer preview
Texting and using handheld devices while driving have led to a lot of controversy in the states on what is acceptable or not. Talking on a cell phone and texting while driving have become a common place. Most of the crashes that occur are due to driver distraction through the use of handheld devices. Drivers who use handheld devices while driving have a higher risk of collision than drivers who do not. As a political advocate, I recommend that using handheld devices while driving to be illegal and socially unacceptable. Drive distraction is a contributing factor to about 25% of all accidents in the states. Research has shown that using handheld devices distracts drivers when driving and contributes to the increased accident rates. There has been debate about the safety of handheld devices in the states. Here in the United States, individuals feel that it is their right to use cell phones while driving no matter the risk that is involved in the driving scene…………………
WORD COUNT:1343WORDS
FORMAT:APA