5 of the Most Common Excuses to Text

and Drive
Texting and driving is a very important topic in a world in which its often difficult to find a
teenager not on his or her phone. The National Safety Council estimates that at least 1.6 million crashes
each year (about 28% of all traffic accidents) and thousands of fatalities can be attributed to drivers who
are distracted by cell phone use, with estimates indicating that as many as 200,000 of these accidents are
due specifically to texting-while-driving incidents. Thats kind of a lot of people. And as a teenager myself,
Ive heard all of the excuses as to why people text and drive regardless of the dangers. Here are some of
them.

1) Its not a serious issue if you dont crash.

To date, 41 states in the US have passed legislation banning texting while driving. And the other
9 states? They have signed partial bans and restrictions. Therefore, in the US, no matter how good
of a driver you are, how important the text is, or even how slick you are in hiding it, texting and
driving is still illegal. Just because you dont get caught doesnt mean youre not allowed to do it.

2) Texting and driving is not as bad as drunk driving. At

least I dont drink and drive.
We all know to never drink and driver because drunk driving is something that is actually lifethreatening, right? Well, reports suggest that using a cell phone while driving delays drivers
reactions as much as having a blood alcohol level at or above the legal limit of .08%. Basically,
dont do either.

3) Its not even that distracting.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that brain activity related to driving decreases
by 37% when using a cell phone. Lets assume you give 100% attentiveness to driving. Pulling out
that phone automatically puts you at 63%. 63% is a D, and its closer to an F than a C. Almost
automatically, you fail. Congrats.

4) Everyone does it anyway.

Wait. But lots of people do text and drive. Research (and by research, I mean a normal survey)
indicates that as many as 75% or more of drivers report in distracted driving behaviors. So if
nothing gets done, you better hope that all the drivers part of that 75% are one block over, or else
youre a goner. But yes, this statement is actually true.

5) I wont get into an accident while texting and driving

because Im a good driver.
Teenagers and young adults often believe they are invincible, and thus, tend to engage in
dangerous behaviors without considering the inherent risks. Teenagers these days are savages.
Bicycle no helmet. iPhone no case. PB&J with crust. Like slow down there, gangster. And lets
be honest, they probably believe that their driving skills wont be affected when they text.
Studies show that younger drivers who retrieve or send text messages are 4x more likely to be in
an accident serious enough to injure themselves and/or others. Just because youre a good texter
or driver doesnt mean you arent impaired while texting and driving, even if you do live like these
hardcore teenagers.

So there are just some of the many excuses used to defend someones act of texting and driving. I hope
this was interesting enough to read. However, though written in a playful manner, this issue is VERY
serious. While 80% of young drivers agreed that texting while driving is dangerous, about one-third of
them admitted to doing so in the past month. It is imperative that the number of driver who text
simultaneously lowers. Extant research indicates that persuasive messages that focus on fear, especially
the fear of ones own death, may be especially effective at altering individuals attitudes and behaviors.
Therefore, to conclude, it only takes one accident to cause a death. If you do text and drive, the
consequence will eventually come, and you or another WILL die.

No, but seriously. Dont text and drive.

(Applause)
>> Oprah: Hello! Wow! Yes! I FEEL GREAT! Yes! Hello!! We have a great show for you todaaaaay!! Speaking
of a great show, the television series Friends was one of the all-time greatest. One of the main characters,
comic Chandler Bing, is played by Matthew Perry, and we have Matthew Perry in tomorrows Oprah!!
(Cheering)
So lets get through this show to get to that one. But FIRST girlfriend, let me start off on serious note. You
know every day, I get thousands and thousands of letters and girlfriend I dont read any of them.
HOWEVER, my assistant does, and he found one that was very touching. Lets hear it.
>> Monitor: Dear Oprah, I lost my son a couple years ago in a car accident because he was texting and
driving. Since then, I have been campaigning to increase awareness in the dangers of texting while driving,
especially among teenagers. I was hoping I can come on the show and spread my views. You have been
such an inspiration in my life because of the way you change the world for the better. I just want to do
the same.
>> Oprah: Wow. Just Wow. How bout we bring him out? INTRODUCING Ioannis Kareklas!
(Applause)
Now Ioannis. Im very sorry for your son, but Ive got something that will make you smile. We have
Matthew Perry on tomorrows show!!!
(Cheering)
>> Ioannis: Thank you, Oprah. Before I begin, let me start off by saying that you give me so much
motivation every morning I wake up. You are my Hope-rah.
>> Oprah: I already know that
>> Ioannis: Okay, here we go. Texting and driving has become a very prominent issue in todays world.
Text-messaging has been shown to be associated with the highest level of potential distraction.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that brain activity related to driving decreases by 37%
when using a cell phone.
>> Oprah: And THAT is why I hire a chauffeur, people.
>> Ioannis: The National Safety Council estimates that at least 1.6 million crashes each year and thousands
of fatalities can be attributed to drivers who are distracted by cell phone use, with conservative estimates
indicating that as many as 200,000 of these accidents are due specifically to texting-while-driving incidents.
Despite these reported dangers, research indicates that as many as 75% or more of drivers report
engaging in distracted driving behaviors. However, while 80% of young drivers agreed that texting while
driving is dangerous, about one-third of them admitted to doing so in the past month.
>> Oprah: Wow. That is alarming, people. Now as you mentioned, most people are aware of the potential
dangers of texting while driving, yet people still continue to text while driving. Why is that?
>> Ioannis: Well for one, young drivers tend to believe that texting-related traffic accidents and even death
may occur to others, but will not happen to them. That is because they dont understand the seriousness

of the issue. And while this issue has garnered considerable national attention through the likes of the
National Safety Councils tagline One text or call could wreck it all or AT&Ts It Can Wait campaign,
none of them have been deemed effective. In fact, in an experiment that observes test subjects after
viewing PSAs designed to discourage distracted driving behaviors, participants reported a greater
likelihood of engaging in unsafe practices. The authors suggested that the low/moderate level of fear used
in their experiment was perhaps not great enough to produce the anticipated results.
>> Oprah: Astonishing. Absolutely astonishing. So even though people are aware of the issue, and ads are
created to stop the problem, texting while driving continues.
>> Ioannis: Precisely. Ads that dont scare the teenagers away from texting while driving are perceived as
ineffective, because teenagers arent afraid of the consequences. They dont take the issue seriously.
>> Oprah: So what do we do to convey the message to the youth drivers?
>> Ioannis: Like I said, their findings indicated that fear through graphic content and fear arousal,
perceived threat or likelihood and severity of consequences, and perceived efficacy were among the most
influential predictors of the effectiveness of the fear-based appeals. Thus, these anti-texting-while-driving
campaigns need to scare the youth drivers. We need them to believe that death can actually happen to
them. It is a real consequence. Thats why I am campaigning to create a graphic PSA intended for this issue.
>> Oprah: Wow. That is a noble cause. Wow. Yet, wouldnt many parents not approve of their kids viewing
a graphic PSA?
>> Ioannis: Yes, the gruesome effects may be unwanted. However, I believe that the graphicness is
necessary to end this issue. No text is worth a life.
>> Oprah: My heart really goes out to you. So Im going to give you the Oprah Hookup!!!
(Cheering)
Well, to create a commercial, you are going to need a cast camera equipment airtime and lots, and
lots, of cash.
>> Ioannis: (crying) Thank you Oprah!
>> Oprah: So good luck with that! But what Im going to give you is a ladys cashmere scarf from Burberrys!!
(Cheering)
From my favorite things collection in this months O Magazine!! Everyone look under your seat! Yes, every
single one of you gets one too! Thank you, Ioannis, for coming on my show and Ill see YOU after this
commercial break!! YES!!
(Applause)

Mitchell Kim
March 1, 2015
Writing 2
Z. De Piero
Writing Project 3: From One Genre to Another
Converting pieces into different genres can reveal the idea that no piece is limited to its
respective genre. To demonstrate this, I have translated a scholarly article into two different
genres, each tailored to its own audience. The first piece is aimed towards the younger
generation and is in the form of a Buzzfeed list. Buzzfeed is an internet news media company that
provides coverage mostly on social issues. The authors often convey their ideas through the use
of lists, which I hope to imitate in the first translation. The genre of the second essay is a
transcript for a popular TV show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, in which Oprah Winfrey is
interviewing the author of the scholarly article. This genre targets the older generation, or more
specifically, the moms. Both of these genres, though aimed towards different audiences, still
incorporate aspects of the scholarly article. By manipulating the conventions and rhetorical
features, the context and purpose of the scholarly article remains relevant in both translated
genres.
The scholarly article I have chosen to use is Ioannis Kareklass Addressing the Texting and
Driving Epidemic: Mortality Salience Priming Effects on Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions.
Kareklas explains the issue that is texting while driving and the effectiveness of public service
announcements (PSAs). An experiment was conducted as to whether PSAs are actually effective
or not, and Kareklas found that PSAs are only effective when fear is the main element of it. As
mentioned before, this article was converted into a Buzzfeed list and a transcript for The Oprah

Winfrey show. The next couple paragraphs will show what I did to translate to the new genre, as
well as why I did those moves.
To remodel the article into a Buzzfeed list, I must adhere to the conventions of Buzzfeed
articles. Therefore, throughout writing the piece, to mirror it, I often referenced real articles from
the website. First off, the title follows the style of the selected genre. Many of the titles of
Buzzfeed lists are structured in a way such that a number of reasons is followed by the topic. In
my case, I follow the same structure, and use excuses because these excuses may be relatable
and relevant to a teenagers life. Thus, one may be inclined to read the list. In addition, many of
the words are bolded, italicized, or enlarged to make for easier reading, especially when
compared to the tedious text of a scholarly article. These changes in text provide variety and
captivate the readers attention. Lastly, like many Buzzfeed articles, I conjoin a meme to each
reason thatll stimulate laughter from a teenager, hoping that The Joker or Mr. T will suffice. All
of these conventions of the genre that are designed to provoke a viewer to read the list and stay
interested I exploit as moves in my translation.
In addition to the common surface-area conventions of Buzzfeed lists, I also adopt the
rhetorical features of them, such as the tone and style. All the numbered items in a Buzzfeed list
are each followed by a short description to further prove the logic of the reason. These
descriptions are often short and humorous. Likewise, I number five common misconceptions of
texting while driving and followed them with statistics and why they are indeed false. After
revealing the facts and statistics, I attempt to follow them with an entertaining tone in the voice
of my own (a young adult) that often includes sarcasm and satire, such as comparing the statistics
to a D on a test or mentioning the recklessness of todays teenagers through three humorous

examples (Bicycle, iPhone, PB&J). Rather than in the tone of a tedious scholarly article, I display
the information by changing the tone to appeal to the younger generation, because the tone
should engage your audience in a way that will invite them to feel receptive to your message
(Losh & Alexander). While staying true to the intentions of the scholarly article, I incorporate an
aspect of describing the information that appeals to teenagers. Another rhetorical feature of
Buzzfeed articles is the purpose. Although one may believe that they are created to entertain,
they are also created to promote awareness. I apply this concept by concluding the translation
on a serious note, explaining why texting while driving is a significant issue. Therefore, as well as
adhering to the conventions of Buzzfeed, the generated list embodies the rhetorical features.
The second genre I produce is the transcript of an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show
between Kareklas, the author of the scholarly article, and Oprah, the host. A common convention
found in an interview transcript is the names of the speaker and what they say in the show. In
this case, one can see that Oprah and Kareklas are having a conversation on the topic of texting
and driving as I transform Kareklas from the author of a scholarly article into a victim campaigning
against the dangers of texting while driving. In addition, to further echo the conventions of the
transcript, I add the noises created by the audience when they applaud or cheer. Furthermore, I
added many references to Oprahs actual show, such as creating the Oprah Hookup and the O
Magazine. The reader can therefore conclude that the structure is that of a transcript of an
interview in The Oprah Winfrey Show.
While writing the transcript, I thought about how I could place the image of the two
actually having a conversation on the show into the mind of the reader. This involved
manipulating the rhetorical features of Oprah herself. Specifically, I change the tone of the

transcript by incorporating some of Oprahs actual personality, such as her enthusiasm, into the
conversation to make the interview come to life. Emphasizing or repeating certain words like
Wow or YOU forces the reader to read in a more vigorous voice. To be treated as an interview
on The Oprah Winfrey Show, her emotion and passion must differentiate her talk-show from a
regular interview, so it was vital for me to include it by changing the tone. By picking words
that work well with the images around them, I can influence what I want the reader to visualize
(McCloud). Thus, while considering the choices in word and image, I am able to express Oprahs
character and change the tone in a manner that will help the reader picture the transcript.
Moreover, by switching the author as a victim, the tone also becomes more serious. Rather than
an author writing an article, a person is campaigning to end an issue. As a result, parents who
watch the show feel a sense of sympathy for a victim who is calling for change. Thus, by
considering its rhetorical features, the scholarly article can easily be translated into anything,
even a transcript for The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Although the issue of texting while driving is presented in a scholarly article, the context
is not limited to that genre. As shown, the article was translated into two genres that are beyond
different: a Buzzfeed list and a transcript of an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The context
stays almost exactly the same in both, yet the change in conventions and rhetorical features
presents the scholarly article in numerous ways. Therefore, no literary work is limited to a specific
genre.