The Dangers with Using a Cell Phone While Driving

The Dangers with Using a Cell Phone While Driving

We have all heard the debate. Is driving while talking on your cell phone distracting to the driver? If it is what should be done about it? Since the culprit of some accidents has been the cell phone, many people are calling for a ban on the use of cell phones while driving. Since 1995, at least 45 states have proposed bills concerning cell phones in automobiles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (15). There has been one state to put a ban on cell phones while driving and that is New York. On June 28, 2001, New York Governor George Pataki signed the legislation that banned New Yorkers from using handheld cell phones while driving (15). There have also been many countries that have banned cell phone use while driving.

Statistics show that cell phones have been the cause for some accidents. Each year an estimated 2,600 people are killed and 330,000 people are injured by drivers who use their cell phones (12). However out of all the wrecks that were caused by distraction, cell phones accounted for 1.5 percent. The leading factor was "things outside the car" (13). Since these statistics were released many people think that we shouldn't rush to ban cell phone use while driving. These people think that since it is only 1.5 percent of distractions there are other things that can be improved. There are still others that think that it is a big deal and because of this many studies have been conducted on the effect of cell phone use while driving.

In 2001, David L. Strayer of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and his colleagues reported that people talking on either handheld or hands free cell phones during simulated drives ran red lights more often and reacted more slowly to traffic signals than when not talking on a phone (14). David L. Strayer has run many tests to see how people react while talking and driving. He recently tested college students and found that many caused rear-end collisions and reacted more slowly to vehicles breaking in front of them (14).

There were even some shocking reports from the British. Direct Line, England’s leading insurer, commissioned a study at the Transport Research Laboratory. Direct Line is hoping their findings will lend support to a total ban on the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving.