While driving, you hear a recognizable voice, it is the ringtone of your phone, and someone is calling you. You try reaching the phone, but it seems not to be where you kept it. You continue searching for it while you try keeping an eye on the road still not finding it. The phone is still ringing but when you find it, it is already a missed call. You decide to return the call. You start dialing the number at the same time trying to focus on the road. Does this ring a bell in your mind?
Cell phones are very important in communication but using them whilst driving is extremely risky and can bring severe effects not only to the driver, but also to many other people. It should be banned completely and laws put in place to restrict drivers from using their phones when driving since it brings adverse effects to the driver, and other road users. In the U.S. it is estimated that 70 to 90 % of drivers use their cell phones while driving. Nowadays, cell phones are most popular devices of communication in the world today. They are owned by nearly everybody from teenagers to adult.
There are many reasons as to why using mobile phones while diving is very dangerous. Firstly, is that cell phones are a distraction to the brain. The brain is programmed to concentrate on one thing at a time and when forced to concentrate on two things at a go, it is distracted. A driver can be distracted either physically or cognitively. Physically whereby he/she has to pick or dial the phone at the same time operate the vehicle and cognitively, where the driver has to divert part of his/her attention from the driving to the phone. This is very dangerous because when the driver is distracted, it can lead to an accident since their concentration on driving has been swayed away by the cell phone.
When one is driving and the phone rings, their instincts will be to check who is calling and receive the call. By doing that, the driver looses focus on driving and this can cause accidents that can cause severe injuries to the people inside the car and outside at the same it can also lead to death. A study done on distractions while driving showed that drivers using cell phones while driving are more distracted than any other drivers and they cause many accidents (Strayer and William, 2001). In order for drivers to stay safe, protect their lives, those of other people, they should avoid using cell phones while driving and keep their eyes on the road without any distraction.
There should be restrictions on mobile phones use while driving so as to decrease car accidents. A study done by Violanti (1998), shows that 28% of car accidents are caused by drivers using their cell phones either by calling, receiving or sending texts while driving. Laws banning the use of cell phones should be introduced and made effective so as to reduce the number of deaths caused by drivers using mobile phones while driving. Countless number of people are losing their lives everyday by road accidents caused by the usage of cell phones while driving.
The usage of cell phones while driving leads to slow reactions and many misses by the driver. When a driver is using a cell phone at the same time driving, their reaction time on traffic signs is very slow and they frequently miss out on traffic signals which can lead to accidents. A driver cannot concentrate on traffic signs when they are using their cell phones and this increases the probability of missing several traffic signs and hitting pedestrians or vehicles in front of them since they are distracted (Hancock, Lesch, and Simmons, 2003). Furthermore, when a driver is on phone while driving, their breaking reaction is slowed down and can lead to accidents that can seriously injure them or leave them on the wheelchair for the rest of their lives.
In conclusion, through cell phones, people communicate with each other perfectly despite the distance. But, the use of cell phones while driving is very dangerous and should be prohibited. The usage of cell phones while driving causes car accidents, distractions on the roads and slow reactions to traffic signals. Drivers should try their best not to use their mobile phones while driving in order to reduce the number of road accidents caused by this behavior. If a driver feels that he/she must pick up that call, it is best to pull over, use the phone and then continue driving.
All drivers should be responsible by valuing their lives and that of the other road users by avoiding using cell phones while driving. Therefore, restrictions should be definitely enforced to restrict drivers so as to save the many lives being lost on our roads. Drivers should think twice before picking up a phone call, texting or making a call before they put their lives and the lives of other road users in danger. In addition apart form enforcing restrictions on the use of mobile phones while driving, hand held phones can be replaced by hand-free phones if one has to pick a call while driving.
References
Strayer D. L. and William J. A. (2001). "Driven to distraction: Dual-Task Studies of Simulated Driving and Conversing on a Cellular Telephone.". Psychological Science 6 (12), 462–466
Hancock, P.A., Lesch, M., & Simmons, L. (2003). The distraction effects of phone use during a crucial driving maneuver. In: Accident Analysis and Prevention, 35(4), 501-514.
Violanti, J. M. (1998). Cellular phones and fatal traffic collisions. In: Accident Analysis and Prevention, 30(4), 519-52
