?Persuasive Speech Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to stop using their cell phones while driving a vehicle because it is extremely irresponsible and dangerous. Central Idea: Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous to yourself and others on the road and is one of the top reasons for car accidents. Introduction I. In our technologically advanced world that we live in today, cell phones are at the center of our lives. Not only do they keep us in contact with each other, but they also serve as a form of entertainment. II. The great majority of people are constantly on their cell phones, whether they’re at work, at home, or even while driving. III. Today, I would like to persuade all of you to stop using your cell phone while performing the important task of driving. Not only will it save your life, but also the lives of others around you. IV. I am going to show you how texting and driving is portrayed in the media, science’s stance on texting and driving, and the statistics that are involved with it. (Transition: Let’s first take a look at how texting and driving is portrayed in the media.) Body I. According to an article by Larry Copeland, published in USA TODAY, there was a teenage girl by the name of Mariah West whom, like many of us, was an extremely devoted texter. A. She was so good that she could text at dinnertime under the table, without anyone noticing. 1. All of her friends had seen her texting and driving. 2. They even tried to warn her that it was dangerous. 3. She just did not seem to think so, yet her luck ran out. B. The day before graduation, she was headed to a Minor League Baseball game. 1. She was texting one of the players she was going to see when she lost control of her car which clipped a bridge, skidded on its roof along the edge of the bridge and flipped and flipped back into oncoming traffic. 2. Partially ejected from the vehicle, and her scull crushed 3. Maria