Distractions While Driving Privately Owned Vehicle - Research Paper Example

Distractions While Driving Privately Owned Vehicle - Problems Caused by Cell Phone/ Texting. Cell phone and texting have recently become a cause of concern in road safety. Several road accidents have been reported in which talking over cell phone or texting has been the distractions that caused them. It has been scientifically reported that about 23% of “crashes and near-crashes” are brought about by driver distraction (Regan, Lee and Young, 2008). This statistics, quite enormous, gives us a real problem which puts lives of many at stake. Electronic gadgets like cell phones which have become part and parcel of our daily lives cannot be got away with all of a sudden. But user education and user discretion are two areas where lots of changes can be brought about. There has been also a demand from the side of the public and law enforcing agencies to ban altogether the use of cell phones and texting devices while driving a vehicle. It is in this context that this enquiry plans to have a deeper understanding of the problem and also to put forth better mitigation measures. There has been several incidents in the recent past which indicate that driver distraction caused by cell phones and texting is a growing threat. Driver distraction caused by cell phone became a hot topic of discussion when in 2001, the car in which supermodel Niki Taylor was traveling, crashed, owing to the distraction that happened to the driver in the form of a cell phone ringing (McCosh, 2001, December, p.84). After this incident, many states in United States have passed legislations prohibiting drivers “from talking on handheld cell phones” while driving (McCosh, 2001, p.85). In 2008, a commuter train crashed in California killing 25 people and the distraction that caused the accident was the train engineer’s inattention as he was texting on his cell phone (Flagg, December 8, 2008). A study by CNBC showed that when a person was legally drunk, 4 feet was the increase in stopping distance while going 70 mph, and while sending a text, it was shown that an additional 70 feet was added to this (LeBeau, January 25, 2009). Phone calls, personal text mesages and customised information services that come to drivers as text messages over cell phone are a major threat to safety while driving (McCosh, 2001, p.85). These calls and messages may comprise of personally relevant information, advertisements, stock quotes, news or shopping tips (McCosh, 2001, p.86). It has been found in studies that dialing a cell phone takes about three minutes time to complete (McCosh, 2001, p.86). But it is also a scientifically proven fact that the time period that one can drive a vehicle inside the prescribed lane without moving the wheel is only four to six seconds maximum (McCosh, 2001, p.84). These two figures if compared, show, how costly such a distraction can get at times. Reading a text or writing it is bound to consume much more time and can prove to be more dangerous as a distraction. One study carried out by University of Utah (as cited in McCosh, 2001, pp.88) has found that phone conversation had a negative impact on reaction times and attention, while driving. Reaction time was found to be 35% slower when the driver was writing a text message (Flagg, December 8, 2008). The researchers had named the distraction that cell phone causes while driving, as “inattention blindness” (Strayer, Drews and Johnston, 2003 as cited by Markel, 2008, p.23). This is a condition when you are talking over a cell phone and driving as well, you fail to notice the things just before your eyes, though you are seeing them (Markel, 2008, 23). An accident study by NHTSA had showed that driver distraction caused about 20% of the total accidents (as cited in McCosh, 2001, p.88). In 2007, Washington became the first state in US to prohibit texting while driving (Flagg, December 8, 2008). Now 13 more states have followed the course. Vehicle manufacturing companies all over the world have been trying to set the standard time for operating any device inside a car as 15 seconds (McCosh, 2001, p.88). They have also been trying to modify texting devices inside the cars to make them, less time-consuming to operate. Strict legislation prohibiting use of cell phone and texting devices while driving a vehicle is the solution prescribed as the best by the researchers in this field (Markel, 2008; Regan, Lee and Young, 2008, LeBeau, January 25, 2009). A hands-free cell phone is also considered as a partial solution. That is why many laws allow the use of hands-free devices while driving. Voice activation in cellphones and even texting is one possible solution to the problem. Creating personal guidelines for using a cell phone while driving can be another effective way to prevent accidents. Markel has suggested several ways to avoid distraction while using a cell phone and driving a car simultaneously (24). The major suggestions have been “limit using your phone to incoming calls only…(limit outgoing calls to)…numbers on automatic dial, wear a headset, only discuss logistics, and avoid emotional or important conversations” (24). Table-1 Measures to avoid distractions caused by cell phones/texting while driving Degree of effectiveness (number of researchers who have chosen this solution rather than other solutions, out of the researchers referenced in this research paper) Legislation prohibiting use of cell phone/texting while driving 5 User discretion and education 4 Use of hands free devices 2 More user friendly technology 3 Warning system inside the vehicle 1 Table-1   In order to prevent the accidents caused by driver distraction which is specifically caused by use of cell phone and texting, there needs to be strict legislation and its strict implementation. A nationwide user awareness campaign has to precede this step. The campaign can be assigned to the major consumer organizations and NGOs in the country and government should give enough financial support for this process to become a success. The existing laws on this matter have to be amended with more strict clauses in the second phase. The law enforcement has to immediately follow the campaign phase. Public has to be encouraged to report law violations as and when they happen to notice and toll free numbers have to be provided to report them. A specially deputed wing of the police force has to be assigned to monitor violations and enforce the law.   Works Cited LeBeau, P. (June 25, 2009) Texting And Driving Worse Than Drinking and Driving, CNBC. Markel, G.(2008) Defeating the 8 demons of distraction: proven strategies to increase productivity and decrease stress, McCosh, D. (December 2001) Driven to distraction, Popular Science, 259 (6), 84-88. Flagg, S. (December 8, 2008), For drivers, text messaging is becoming most dangerous distraction, Missourian, http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/12/08/text-messaging-becoming-most-dangerous-driving-distraction/ Regan, M.A., Lee, J.D. and Young, K.L. (2008) Driver distraction: theory, effects and mitigation, CRC Press. Read More