Should drivers of automobiles be prohibited from using cellular phones - Essay Example

Ann-Marie Allen number: Comp 1503 online Albrecht Should Drivers Of Automobiles Be Prohibited From Using Cellular PhonesYes, drivers of automobiles should be prohibited from using cellular phones. This paper provides arguments in favor of the restriction of use of cellular phones by the drivers of a moving vehicle. IntroductionThe use of cellular phone is increasing very rapidly. The cellular phone industry is considered as one of the several industries that are famous for their fastest growth and rapid development.

An escalation in the number of car crashes that appear to be caused by drivers using cell phones has sparked debate among state policymakers on the need for regulating cell phone use while driving. (Cain, & Burris p. 31) Driver DistractionMany experts agree that the manipulative or surprise effect a ringing phone may have on a driver is not the greatest potential source of problems. The critical issue is the mental load-or driver distraction that conducting conversations may impose on vehicle operators.

(Lissy et al p. 67)A study has been published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology and this study lends credence to this position. It showed that a subject engaged simultaneously in driving and a verbal task (repeating the words of the experimenter) visually scanned a much smaller area outside of the vehicle than when not engaged in such a secondary task (Recarte & Nunes p. 31-42). Performing simple spatial imagery tasks while driving (e.g., mental rotation of letters) caused the scanned area to shrink even more.

Critics cite this study (among many others) to buttress the position that any task which significantly occupies a driver's mental resources (such as talking on a cellular phone) may have a negative impact on safety (by making the driver less likely to notice unexpected events) and, thus, should be addressed by legislation.Driver distraction is a definite problem in terms of its impact on safety. National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 25 percent of traffic accidents involve at least some degree of distraction on the operator's part, although only a small fraction of these involve the use of cellular phones.

(Dreyer et al p. 1814)Driver distraction is a long-standing concern, one that has been debated for more than 90 years. It initially appeared around 1905 regarding the potentially hypnotic effect of windshield wipers on drivers. The issue resurfaced in the 1930s with the advent of car radios; some experts predicted that a multitude of accidents could be expected as drivers became so involved with the program content that they would stop paying attention to the roadway. Few of these predicted problems materialized; windshield wipers and radios are now standard equipment on all cars, and debate regarding their potential negative impact on drivers has largely disappeared during the intervening years.

Most people now regard these items as part of the normal driving environment. (Violanti & Marshall p. 269)Conclusions Although there are obvious benefits to having cellular phones in automobiles, they can create distractions on the highway. Thus far, no state has considered an absolute ban on the use of phones in motor vehicles. It is highly recommended that it should be made illegal for the driver of a moving vehicle to be using a cell phone. Works Cited Cain, A., & Burris, M. Investigation of the use of mobile phones while driving.

Tampa, FL: Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida, 1999.Dreyer, N. A., Loughlin, J. E., & Rothman, K. J. Cause specific mortuary in cellular telephone users (letter). Journal of the American Medical Association, 282(1) (1999), 1814-1815.Lissy, K. S., Cohen, J. T, Park, M. Y., & Graham, J. D. Cellular phone use while driving: Risks and benefits. Boston, MA: Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, 2000.Recarte, M.A. and L.M. Nunes. "Effects of Verbal and Spatial-Imagery Tasks on Eye Fixations While Driving.

" Journal of Experimental Psychology: 6 (2000): 31-42.Violanti, J. M., & Marshall, J. R. Cellular phones and traffic accidents: An epidemiological approach. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 28(2) (1996), 265-270.