Texting and Driving

Critical Analysis

This critical analysis is expressing the evaluation of the image shown about texting while driving (See Fig. 1). This analysis is breaking down and studying specific areas of the image. The author's purpose, audience, reasons and evidentiary support will be analyzed in order to judge the validity of the author's ideas.

Sheryl Tuttle posted this image on her blog talking about the dangers that accompany texting while driving. The purpose of this image was to show a graphic description of what could happen if you choose to send a text message while behind the wheel. This image is obviously meant to warn an audience against this action and to conduct fear in order to prevent drivers' from making the same mistakes that others have. By using this image to show what has happened in another person's life, the author intended to have this horrific scene save potential lives. Persuasion also played a key role in this author's purpose. The diction of the few words in this image show irony and induce the audience to feel somber and serious. The use of death and injury in this image is meant to appeal to the audience's reason and emotions to make drivers' make safer choices.

Another aspect to look at is the author's support and evidence backing up the image. There are a couple of holes that could be improved on. There is minimal textual support and the only thing really guiding the audience is their own imagination. The support is extremely limited and there is not sufficient evidence to back up that texting and driving are linked in this accident. This image claims that the text at the bottom is what caused the wreck. However, there is really no textual evidence proving that. Although it is clear that both the volume and sophistication of the wireless communications technology has grown dramatically over the last decade, it is unclear as to whether cell phones are any more distracting than say, the radio or a baby in the back seat. Granting, cell phones were cited as a factor in 11 percent of inattention-related crashes, more than any other single factor (Sundeen). This being said, this image did nothing to show that cell phones are any more dangerous than any other distractions. The support would need to be strengthened by even giving a single statistic about the percentage of deaths related to cell phone use while driving. Relying on the audience to piece together the point and expecting one to trust that texting was the cause of this accident does not make for a sound argument.

On the other hand, the reasons that back up this image are completely sensible. The image is playing on a common sense fact that it is a horrible idea to text while driving ad give your attention to something other than the road in front of you. In the image, the text at the bottom of the screen is explaining that texting while driving is not being taken