Proposal Summary



Proposal Summary

The Problem

Our group decided to discuss the problems associated with text messaging on cellular phones while driving. Text messaging, or texting, is quickly becoming a very popular method of communication. This is starting to become a problem as people are starting to text message while they are driving. This takes their eyes and attention off the road. This obviously increases the risk of accidents as drivers pay less attention to the road and their surroundings. If people are shown how dangerous texting while driving is, they may think twice about typing a message when they are behind the wheel.

The Solution

The goal of this proposal is not to completely eradicate this dangerous habit. We plan on presenting this problem to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). This organization deals with the issues of drunk driving and underage drinking. Our goal is to have MADD broaden their purpose and include texting while driving in their awareness programs. Such an organization is extremely influential and can have a great impact on reducing the number of people who choose to text message while behind the wheel.

The Audience

We will address our proposal to Glynn Birch, the National President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. His term as president started in July 2005 and will last until June 2008. He is the first male president and the first African-American president of MADD. His son was ran over by a drunk driver going more than twice the speed limit and having a blood alcohol concentration level of more than three times the legal limit. We will appeal to Mr. Birch in three different ways:

1) We will present statistics of how texting while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving.

2) We will discuss how adopting our proposal will benefit MADD and its purpose.

3) We will describe how and why they need to broaden their purpose if they wish to truly keep the roads safe for all Americans.

Proposal Outline

Cover Letter to Dr. Fricke

We will write an informal cover memo to you. Since the majority of this assignment is to see how we work in group settings, we will each discuss how we personally thought it worked out. Furthermore, we will explain our proposal report and point out specific details we feel you should take into consideration when grading our assignment.

Cover Letter to MADD

We will write a cover letter to Mr. Glynn Birch, president and the first male to head MADD The letter will describe why text messaging while driving is a problem. We will then propose to him that they should expand their purpose and get involved with this issue. Finally, we will give a slight overview of the proposal. We will try to keep this letter upbeat and interesting to keep the president’s attention. The goal of this proposal report is to convince Mr. Glynn Birch that drunk drivers aren't the only reasons for car wrecks. Furthermore, if people were more aware of the consequences of text messaging while driving, many lives could be saved.

Title Page

Table of Contents

Proposal Overview

This section will summarize our problem and solution. This will not be a very detailed overview. More detailed information will be provided in the problem and solution sections. This overview will help the reader quickly see what the proposal is about. It will also be helpful when the proposal is read by people who may not have seen the cover memo.

Problem Background

This section will describe in detail the problems associated with text messaging while driving. We will present statistics and facts to show to back up our claims. The following is part of what we will include in the section.

Text messaging is rapidly becoming a major method of communication in our society. Rather than use valuable minutes on a calling plan, people send short messages on their cellular phone to communicate with others. This relatively new type of communication, combined with today’s hectic “on-the-go” schedules, gives way to a dangerous habit: text messaging while driving.

Any time a person is distracted behind the wheel of a car is a dangerous situation. The government estimates that 30 percent of all crashes in the United States involve driver distraction.[1] Text messaging takes not only people’s attention off the road, but also their eyes. A quick glance at a cell phone can have dangerous results. Vehicles traveling at highway speeds, or any speed for that matter, move a great distance in just the blink of an eye. Therefore, situations can change drastically as drivers take their eyes off the road for just a moment. They can unknowingly drift out of their lane, a car in front of them can suddenly stop or slow down, or any number of unforeseen situations can arise. Therefore, drivers must always stay alert while on the road. An alarming number of people ignore this fact. A study done by Nationwide Mutual Insurance revealed that 19% of all drivers, and 37% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 27, choose to text message while they are driving.[2] Today, there are an estimated 240 million motorists in America.[3] Using this number, there are more than 45 million drivers on the road who admit to text messaging when they are behind the wheel. This is an astounding number of distracted drivers who are not paying attention to the road.

Solution

The solution to the problem addressed above will be to get MADD involved with this issue. Because they are an existing organization with an established reputation, they will be able to make a large impact on American drivers. We will present statistics to show that MADD will be able to reduce the number of drivers who text message while on the road. We will do this by showing them because they have been effective in reducing the number of drunk drivers, they will also be able to have a positive impact on this issue.

Effects on American Drivers

In this section we will talk about what kind of an impact MADD would be able to make on American drivers. Raising awareness about the dangers of text messaging while driving will make America’s roads safer.

Sample Brochure

This will be a sample brochure we will make to act as an example of what MADD could distribute to raise awareness about the dangers associated with texting while driving. It will include a catchy phrase, some pictures, and several statistics about how large the problem is.

Conclusion/ Call to Action

In this section we will summarize the proposal and give a call to action. We will ask that MADD include texting while driving in their awareness program. Without their support, this important issue may not receive the attention it needs.

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[1] Anonymous, “Driving While Texting: A Clear Danger”, CBS News, internet page posted 10/22/2006 ()

[2] Cooper, Christopher, “Should Driving While Texting be a Crime?”, MSN News ()

[3] Jones, Charisse, “Getting a Driver’s License to Get Harder”, USA Today, internet page posted 3/14/2006 ()

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