Perhaps bumper stickers are one of the most overlooked means of advertising social issues, for countless people look at our cars on a daily basis, even over the course of a short car ride. Although they are sometimes used for other reasons, bumper stickers can be a way to promote virtuous behavior or combat negative actions. So, why not make a point to post something we believe in on the back of our cars?

The bumper sticker above states, “Watch out for TEXTING DRIVERS The IDIOTS are EVERYWHERE!” The quote is a stripped-down appeal to logos because of the sheer amount of people who are texting and driving and the considerable amount of accidents that are caused by such drivers. 

As the bumper sticker claimed with the term “everywhere,” texter and drivers are quite literally everywhere. In a more advanced analysis of the logos appeal at hand, according to an article on texting and driving written by Edgar Snyder and Associates, “at any given time throughout the day, approximately 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while behind the wheel of an automobile.” Additionally, The National Safety Council reports “that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year,” and “1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.” The statistics are daunting. 

Explicitly, the grand purpose of the bumper sticker is to call attention to the logic behind texting and driving as a safety hazard. However, the sticker portrays an additional appeal as well, using the term “idiots” to form an application to ethos. The goal behind the term is to make those that do text and drive feel ashamed of their behavior, as “idiots” is a derogatory word that people often try to avoid being called.   

To consider how simple it is to put our phones down and wait until the end of a long car ride to text, and then realize how many people still place their lives in danger to send a meaningless message is truly baffling. No wonder the bumper sticker calls these people idiots! If you happen to be one of the few that restrain from the detrimental habit, keep it up, you are saving the life of yourself and others.