McNeill |1

To: Maria Torrez Anderson, Founder of the SADD Club

From: Ashley McNeill, UCF writing and rhetoric student
Date: April 20, 2015
RE: The Hazards of Texting While Driving

The following document that I have provided is a proposal in which I

would like to inform you of the rising danger of texting and driving in the
Orlando Florida area. I hope to do this by providing information that I have
gathered personally and through the knowledge of others that are well
versed in this issue.
With the continual expansion of Orlando due to the popularity of its
renowned theme parks and its thriving international airport the roads have
never been more packed, or dangerous. As such we really cannot afford to
take our eyes off of the road for even a moment. However, despite this
texting while driving is becoming an increasingly popular trend in the
Orlando metropolitan area, and as such is causing a rise in vehicular deaths.
It is my hope that by providing a series of presentations that I might be able
to convince these individuals of the dangers of texting-while-driving, and as
a response that there may be a decrease in text-related deaths.
In order to achieve this I would like to work with your school foundation
the SADD Club. It is my hope that with continual interaction with your club
that you may, in the future, consider instituting my issue into your
organizations by-laws. This way we may be able to spread our information
nationwide, and hopefully garner results in which individuals no longer find it
necessary to text while driving.

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Hello Mrs. Anderson,

As you already know the issue of texting while driving has become an
increasingly large problem. As a matter of fact, according to the National
Highway and Safety Patrol, up to 12% of all fatal crashes involving at least
one distracted driver are estimated to be related to cell phone use while
driving (Sherin, 2014). In order to help rectify this issue it is my hope that
by educating the public, particularly teenagers and their parents, that the
performance of this act will decrease and eventually cease overall.
Problem:
Orlando is a densely populated area, with a high tourist rate due to the
international airport located at its center, not to mention its large theme
parks. With the continual influx of visitors the roads are already an
overwhelming place, texting while driving just adds an additional distraction
that will continue to make the road a dangerous place. My fear is that if we
do not start taking preventative measures now by providing essential
information that this issue will continue and lead to a possibly fatal trend. As
a matter of fact, based off of the statistics supplied by an anonymous survey
I randomly distributed to several nearby high schools, four out of every five
students admitted to some form of exposure to this issue (Anonymous),;
whether it is them simply sitting in the passenger seat watching the driver
text while driving or them performing the act themselves. That is eighty
percent of our students that are in jeopardy simply because they have not
been provided the information of why it is essential to do otherwise.
Solution:
In order to best address this issue I have a two-part goal system. My
short term goal would be to provide a series of presentations in order to start
countering this issue. My long term goal would be to make this issue
something acknowledged nationwide.
To achieve my short term goal I would like to correspond with your
school association, the SADD Club, by providing information and giving
presentations to the club members. This presentation would essentially be
drawing all of the information given on this topic into one place. I would like
to start with visual appeals such as the commercials, posters, and bill-board
advertisements. This is to create an emotional appeal, something that
students can relate to. Then I would like to back these images up with facts

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such as statistics, laws, and other students personal accounts. This way I
can localize the issue and allow the students to realize that this is an issue
that is happening to people they know, and can potentially be something
that happens to them if they continue to text while driving.
As for the second part of my goals list I would like to continue working
with your organization. However, it is my hope that, based off my
performance, you may consider instituting my issue into your clubs by-laws.
The reason I feel that this would be the best course of action mostly has to
do with the extensive reach that your club has, you have organizations all
throughout the fifty states. With this much of a reach it would be more than
easy to start spreading the message, so that eventually we may notice a
dramatic decrease in accidents related to texting and driving.

Qualifications:
My experience has mostly been gained through the knowledge of
others. I have done intense research regarding this issue, and have compiled
information from several reliable sources so that I can best provide relevant
information. In addition to this, I personally used to be a member of your
club. My chapter, the Tavares division, focused on this issue due to the death
of a fellow student. We wanted to inform others of how dangerous texting
while driving could be, and worked hard to provide information to those who
were willing to listen. It was during this time that I gained a special interest in
this issue and began to search deeper into the problem.
Conclusion:
Overall, it is my hope that if we make the effort to provide information
on this issue that others will make an effort to try to change their habits. If
not for us then at least for themselves and the people that care about them.

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Works Cited

Anonymous. "Texting While Driving." Paper copy interview.

Sherin, Kevin. "Preventing Texting While Driving." American Journal of Preventative

Medicine 47.5 (2014): 681-688. Web 1 march, 2015.