Why All Cell Phone Use While Driving Should Be Banned
Part 1: A Problem Exists
Is society numb from hearing about one fatal accident after another that was caused by distracted driving? When I turn on the news in the morning, the two things I listen for are the weather and the traffic. While brushing my teeth, I say a silent plea that the idiot that will cause today’s major back-up has decided to take the day off. It is sad that it seems society has gone numb and is more focused on their personal comforts than to take a second look at the reasons why too many of these accidents occur in the first place. We know how bad drunk driving is and society finally did something about the issue by creating laws against it. But what laws are in place for distracted driving, more specifically cell phone use while driving? In 2010, the National Safety Council released a study that shows 28% of all car accidents in the U.S. are caused by cell phone use while driving (“Car Accidents Due to Cell Phone Use,” 2012). This means that one in every four accidents is due to driving while on the phone. Currently only ten states and the District of Columbia have bans on handheld cell phone use while driving - California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington. Thirty-four states have varying laws from bans only for texting, to bans of cell phone use only for certain age group, to limiting the ban to just bus drivers. Four states – Montana, South Dakota, Ohio, and Florida do not even have any bans on distracted driving. We should be doing more to address this growing issue by getting all the states to adopt a law that bans cell phone use while driving. All states should pass a law that bans cell phone use while driving. Distracted driving due to cell phone use is becoming a key contributor to car crashes ending in fatalities. According to U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (2010a) there were 5,474 car related fatalities on the U.S.
Is society numb from hearing about one fatal accident after another that was caused by distracted driving? When I turn on the news in the morning, the two things I listen for are the weather and the traffic. While brushing my teeth, I say a silent plea that the idiot that will cause today’s major back-up has decided to take the day off. It is sad that it seems society has gone numb and is more focused on their personal comforts than to take a second look at the reasons why too many of these accidents occur in the first place. We know how bad drunk driving is and society finally did something about the issue by creating laws against it. But what laws are in place for distracted driving, more specifically cell phone use while driving? In 2010, the National Safety Council released a study that shows 28% of all car accidents in the U.S. are caused by cell phone use while driving (“Car Accidents Due to Cell Phone Use,” 2012). This means that one in every four accidents is due to driving while on the phone. Currently only ten states and the District of Columbia have bans on handheld cell phone use while driving - California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington. Thirty-four states have varying laws from bans only for texting, to bans of cell phone use only for certain age group, to limiting the ban to just bus drivers. Four states – Montana, South Dakota, Ohio, and Florida do not even have any bans on distracted driving. We should be doing more to address this growing issue by getting all the states to adopt a law that bans cell phone use while driving. All states should pass a law that bans cell phone use while driving. Distracted driving due to cell phone use is becoming a key contributor to car crashes ending in fatalities. According to U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (2010a) there were 5,474 car related fatalities on the U.S.
References: 24-7 PressRelease. (April 12, 2012). Car Accidents Due to Cell Phone Use [Press Release] Clifford, C. (2008, March 5). U.S. Car Accident Cost: $164.2 Billion. CNNMoney. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/05/news/economy/AAA_study/ Hands-Free Info. (2012a). California: Cell Phone Laws, Legislation. Retrieved from http://handsfreeinfo.com/california-cell-phone-laws-legislation Hands-Free Info. (2012b). New York: Cell Phone Laws, Legislation. Retrieved from http://handsfreeinfo.com/new-york-cell-phone-laws-legislation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2010a). Distracted Driving 2009 [Pamphlet] Strayer, David L., Drews, Frank A., Crouch, Dennis J. (2006). A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver SWOV. (2010b). SWOV Fact Sheet Use of the Mobile Phone While Driving. Retrieved from http://www.swov.nl/rapport/Factsheets/UK/FS_Mobile_phones.pdf Who invented the cell phone and when?. (n.d.) . Retrieved May 19, 2012, from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_the_cell_phone_and_when