Distracted Driving Essay

Surely, mobile phones are not the only cause of distracted driving, as it appears that any multi-tasking can interfere with a driver's attention to driving, but they are a large problem. Police in the United Arab Emirates reported that a 3-day outage in 2011 of the local Blackberry cellular network resulted in a 40 per cent reduction in traffic accidents.3

Today, a more complete picture of mobile phones and driving is emerging:

•Studies, such as the one we publish herein, confirm and refine the observation that distracted driving is a major cause of accidents.4

•Around the world, new communication technology is ever more ubiquitous.5, 6

•Large commercial interests promote these communication technologies.

It has always been a problem to keep powerful vehicles fully under control. To do so, society has built safer vehicles and designed safer roads. We have written laws to deter dangerous driving. Yet addictions have always challenged road safety efforts, because under the influence of drugs and alcohol, to which they may be

E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and many elements of new media appear to be addictive, as the users feel a compulsion to communicate immediately.7 Mobile phone use, particularly texting, has become a distraction that many people, particularly the young, cannot hold at bay.

How are commercial interests adapting to and enhancing user demand?

•The makers of telephones and other communications devices have made them faster and easier to use, and, of course, more attractive to look at.

•The telephone companies (Internet service providers) have spread their signals to reach almost everyone, everywhere, with more and more information sent and received per second.

•The makers of cars and trucks are creating a new image to sell their product. Buyers seem attracted by new in-vehicle environments that emphasize distractions and communication rather than the road