Cellular Phone Use While Driving - Essay Example

Cell phone use and Driving 20 February Introduction It is simply amazing how cellular phone technology had advanced so very rapidly. It was just a little over three decades ago the first true hand-held communication devices came into being when Motorola first introduced the DynaTac model. From there came the second generation (2G) and then a few years later on, the third-generation cellular phones (3G). The cell phones today bear little resemblance to the earlier models; todays models are smaller but more powerful with so many features added such as Bluetooth, infra-red, radio and cameras. Cellular phone technology was derived from the two-way radios but came a long way from it. Cell phones probably had the most impact on our everyday lives other than Internet. It is being used almost everywhere and for anything, from calling our loved ones and families to contacting office colleagues and business partners. Cell phones have become truly ubiquitous. In school, in the office, in the gym and even in theaters and churches, people use their cellular phones because they want to stay connected all the time. Besides portability, cell phones have allowed us to stay connected instantly and all hours of the day. Everywhere in the country, we see people use their phones for important call messages, just plain chatter and text messages. Motorola was the first company to commercialize cell phone technology which had originally come from its expertise in making car radios and two-way communication devices. It is perhaps ironic that today, we find people using their cell phones while driving. Using cell phones while driving is definitely a dangerous practice as it distracts the driver. Accidents had happened due to drivers sending text messages or answering phone calls while on the road. It has lead to some quarters asking for a total ban and heavy penalties for the violators. Discussion I understand that some people might be resistant to a total ban on cell phone while on the road. But how can we find some common ground on this important issue? We must admit that cell phones are very important for most of us because we had come to rely on them for all crucial aspects of our work, our studies and our social life. There are certainly instances when we need to use a cell phone while driving such as calling for emergency help from 911 if we had passed by a vehicular accident on the highway. Or if there is an on-going hijacking or a hostage situation in which the person in the other car is calling for help. Definitely, we are all allowed to dial 911 for these unusual road emergencies and not wait a moment longer. Although almost everyone agrees that cell phone use while driving is very dangerous, there are exceptions in which using them is justified as I had cited earlier. I am against talking on the phone or texting while driving but a purpose of this paper is to show common ground with those who are against a total ban. We know how rules are made but we also know every rule has an exception. My point is that there are certain circumstances when using them can be allowed or justified but these should be exceptional circumstances indeed. There have been so many accidents that using cell phones while driving has become a hot national issue. Some people do not want a total ban while others are in favor of the ban. Many states throughout the United States tried to address this issue by banning the use of hand-held devices to call someone on the phone or to send a text message while driving. The State of Colorado has recently debated solutions to the problem regarding cell phone use and operating a motor vehicle and a ban went into effect just over a month ago. Despite this, it is obvious that people continue to use cellular phones while driving. This is risky behavior and people need to realize the dangerous associated with cell phone use and driving a car. Statistics demonstrate there is a higher risk associated with driving while using a hand-held. Speaking on a cellphone while driving increases the risk of an accident by 280 percent while sending and reading text messages increases those risks by an incredible 2300 percent! (Richtel, 1). The average time of the drivers distraction is only five seconds but at highway speeds, this is already enough time to cover the length of a football field. The author cited the data gathered by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the study was further validated by another research done by Prof. Strayer from the University of Utah. In his own study, Prof. Strayer stated it is simply crazy to be using cell phones while driving (ibid.). In this study that he co-wrote, Prof. Strayer likened the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk (Hitti, 1). According to this researcher, "clearly the safest course of action is not to use a cell phone while driving”. Cell phone use while driving should be discouraged because it is dangerous behavior. Since it has the potential to save lives, a cell phone ban should be implemented in Colorado as well as throughout the United States (ibid.). There is an important finding about this research that may discourage those who still advocate for the right to use a cell phone while driving. That finding was that primary causes of most crashes was not cell phone use itself but the distraction due to the conversation or the sending of text messages. The accident rates were same for those who used hands-free and the people who used hand-held cell phones. While these figures show how dangerous the practice is, there are clearly times when using a cell phone can be lifesaver as well. This happens when you witness a shooting on the highway and need to call in the police and inform them about some important details like the plate number of the car, the color, the model and the brand of the assailants car before you forget all these details or if the car gets lost in the traffic. Using a cell phone is necessary and justified in this case but this should be done with extreme caution. A good way to do so is to pull over and stop at the road shoulder to make that crucial call. In 2008 alone, Americans who owned cellphones sent a total of 1 trillion messages as cited by wireless industry association CEO Steve Largent (Newlaunches.com). This is tripling the previous years 363 billion text messages sent. This translates to about 10 text messages each day for every cell phone owner. It is this troubling trend that prompted some groups to advocate for a total ban against cell phone use while driving or operating any motor vehicle. It is the reason why at the start of the New Year in 2008, the California Department of Motor Vehicles established new regulations prohibiting text messaging while operating a vehicle within the state. This is an important legislative response to the risks associated with this behavior. Colorado has just recently likewise proposed legislation to ban cell phone use while driving and people need to start respecting it. Driving a car while using a cell phone can kill. The likelihood that one will get into an accident using a cell phone and/or texting increases a lot and people who operate a vehicle while using their cell phone behave like they were drunk behind the wheel. The state of Colorado would not allow drunk drivers on the road so in the same manner, it makes no sense to allow people to use cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. The results are the same and the state must react in the same manner. A ban is the only way in which the dangerous act of driving while using a cell phone can be stopped. In fact, many states had enacted laws against this dangerous practice or contemplating introducing newer laws that will specifically address this problem on the nations roads. Even pending laws are now more strict to include all communications devices other than cellphones like on-board computers or any other interactive communications devices while operating a motor vehicle (DrivingLaws.org). The state of Colorado had passed House Bill No. 1094 that became effective last December 1, 2009 because of this statewide concern about widespread use of wireless communications devices and violators are guilty of a class A traffic infraction. The only exceptions are contacting a public safety entity or during emergencies (ibid.). Conclusion The high incidence rates of vehicular crashes and accidents caused by the use of cell phones and other wireless communications devices has finally prompted various states to pass laws to regulate this dangerous behavior among our nations drivers. It is a fact that people had gotten addicted to using their cellphones almost everywhere but using them while driving is definitely not one of them. It is alright maybe if this practice does not impact on innocent bystanders but as what often happens, people who were just traveling innocently were killed due to the reckless actions of their fellow drivers who convert their vehicles into a some sort of a mobile office and improve their efficiency by multi-tasking (Richtel, 1). A way to reconcile those who want a total ban and people who want the flexibility and freedom to continue using their cell phones while driving is incorporated into most state laws passed recently. At certain age limits, it is alright to use a cell phone for talking but not using them for sending text messages. This is an attempt to satisfy both sides of the public debate between those who want safety on the road and those who want the freedom to do what they want. For example, the Colorado Bill cited earlier prohibits anyone under 18 years of age from using cell phones, period. For those 18 years and above, they can use cell phone only for talking but not for texting messages. This is the middle ground that hopefully satisfies all the parties concerned since everyone wants safety on the road. This was what the State of California did when it passed a law allowing cell phone use while driving if the device is specially designed and re-configured to allow for hands-free talk and listening (Brown 76) and used in that while manner all throughout while driving except in making emergency calls. Many people will not drive while texting (DWT) if it is against the law (85% of respondents), according to a recent survey (Guerin 157). The cell phone is surely a necessity of modern life but there are limits to its use when safety becomes an issue. Works Cited “Americans Sent 1 Trillion Text Messages in 2008.” Newlaunches.com n.d. Web. 21 February 2010. Brown, David. Fight Your Ticket and Win in California. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2009. Print. DrivingLaws.org n.d. Web. 21 February 2010. Guerin, Lisa. Smart Policies for Workplace Technologies: E-mail, blogs, cell phones and More. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2009. Print. Hitti, Miranda. “Study: Chatting on Cell Phones While Driving May Be as Bad as Driving Drunk.” WebMD Health News. 29 June 2006. Web. 21 February 2010. Richtel, Matt. “In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin.” The New York Times, 27 July 2009. Web. 21 February 2010. Richtel, Matt. “Driven to Distraction: At 60 M.P.H, Office Work is High Risk.” The New York Times, 30 September 2009. Web. 21 February 2010. Read More