“No call, no text, no update is worth a life” (Jansen). With the fast development of cell phones, these little devices have become a must most of the population. We take them everywhere we go and everywhere we drive. Nevertheless, with technological progress, very often new laws need to be implemented. More and more states are introducing the law banning cell phones while driving but some people are still not convinced that this is the right way to go. I am here to set the story straight. Drivers should be forbidden to use cell phones while driving because it takes their attention off the road, it has the same effect as driving while intoxicated and it can lead to instant death.
“We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as when they drive intoxicated at the blood-alcohol limit” (Live Science) If such research already exists, why are people still using phones even if there is no law in place? We strive for equality. This should be true in our law system as well. If intoxication is banned and cell phones are just as bad, then the logical conclusion is that cell phones must be banned as well. Everyone is completely aware of the fact why driving while intoxicated is illegal; the same should be true in our case. Nevertheless, the outcome that we all fear can be the same in both cases – innocent death.
The killer-cell phone is more and more often becoming the cause of deaths and car accidents. Since when has the price of a life been lowered to a call, an SMS or an update? It hasn’t! But we are simply forgetting that we need to protect our lives and the lives of those around us. In the end it does not matter who gets hurt because of a phone call. Be it the driver or the passerby, a tragedy which could have been easily avoided takes place anyway. “A recently published National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey reports that 44 percent of drivers have a phone with them when they drive, 7 percent have e-mail access, and 3 percent have facsimile capabilities. Those numbers are likely to increase” (Hawn). Our reaction time is not as good as when we are doing two things not connected with each other at all. These milliseconds are causing more and more deaths as cell phones are being bought by more and more people. The statistics really is quite frightening. “A study from the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year and a tab of $43 billion, according to a statement from the NSC today.” (Live Science). It is up to us to change these numbers.
Cell phones can be a very useful tool for a driver. For some it is a GPS, for others – the only way to reach help when desperately in need of some. However, it is important to remember that this useful tool needs to be used wisely. Like anything good, there is a bad side to it. As long as the driver understands that a phone conversation requires him to pull over, our roads will be that much safer.
Drivers should be forbidden to use cell phones while behind the wheel of a movie vehicle. They can truly come in handy if used wisely. However, such actions as talking on the phone behind the wheel have been proven to be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. Cell phones distract the driver from the road and turn into killer-cell phones in the blink of an eye. So next time, think when you are behind the wheel and your phone starts ringing. Your future and that of others is in your hands.
1. Brat Jansen. “NTSB: All states should ban cellphone use while driving.” USA Today. 12.13.2011. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-13/cellphone-driving-ban/51876292/1 07.09.2012
2. Karen S. Lissy. “Cellular Phone Use While Driving: Risks and Benefits.” Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. 07.2012. http://cellphonefreedriving.ca/media/harvard.pdf 07.09.2012
3. Robert W.Hahn. “Should You Be Allowed To Use Your Cellular Phone While Driving?” RISK. http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv23n3/hahn.pdf 07.09.2012
4. “Should Cell Phones Be Banned While Driving?” Live Science. 01.12.2009. http://www.livescience.com/3220-cell-phones-banned-driving.html 07.09.2012
5. The Editors. “Should Cellphone Use by Drivers Be Illegal?” The Opinion pages. The New York Times. 18.07.2009. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/should-cellphone-use-by-drivers-be-illegal/ 07.09.2012
