Should_the_Use_of_Cell_Phones_Be_Legal_While_Driving

Katherine A. Van Liew 07/08/2010 UNV-103 University Success 31-May-2010 (O127) Karen Guthrie Should the Use of Cell Phones Be Illegal When Driving' The state of Georgia just implemented a new law making it punishable by a fine of $150 and one point against your driver’s license should you get caught driving and texting. I believe that this is one step in the right direction; however, my opinion is that we should take this one step further and make it punishable by law to use a cell phone in any capacity while driving. The use of cell phones (in any way; talking or texting) has been outlawed for motorists in only about six US states so far. I must admit that I have been guilty of driving and texting and also driving without a hands-free set-up for my cell phone. I have been driving for 34 years and have never received a citation in any shape or form and yet, I have come close to running off the road, pulling into the next lane and causing an accident just because I looked down for a second to text or make a phone call. I know that I have been fortunate, indeed, thus far and realize that if I can see that there is a problem for me, then there is the definite likelihood that it could be a problem for others, too. Studies have shown that people under the influence of alcohol are safer that people who are texting and driving! “In 2008, at any given moment, over 800,000 Americans were texting, making calls, or using a handheld cell phone while driving during the daytime. With distracted driving killing nearly 6,000 Americans in the same year, it's no mystery that cell phone use is risky for drivers. Talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver's reaction time as slow as that of a 70-year-old.[1] In 2002, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis calculated that 2,600 people die each year as a result of using cell phones while driving. They estimated that another 330,000 are injured. These numbers, no doubt have risen, as it has been estimated that 95% of people 15 – 25 own a cell phone. Talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25% of car accidents. A study of dangerous driver behavior released in January 2007 by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. found that of 1,200 surveyed drivers, 73 percent talk on cell phones while driving. In 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that ten percent of drivers are on handheld or hands free cell phones at any given hour of the day.[2] While it is advantageous to multi-task in this day and time, driving and talking on the cell phone is not a good choice. Even using a hands-free cell phone adapter isn’t the absolute best scenario, as this option still seems to cut the brain's ability to operate a vehicle and process information about traffic by 50 percent according to David Strayer, a University of Utah psychology professor who led a study regarding this issue.[3] Strayer went on to report that driving while chatting on a "hands-free" cellular phone is just as dangerous as driving while holding a mobile phone. My conclusion is that while driving, we should not use a cell phone in any capacity for our sakes and for the sake of others. Let’s keep it safe out there! ----------------------- [1] http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell/statistics.html [2] http://www.aaat.com/ [3] http://www.breitbart.com/article.php'id=060815161706.0xbugxlr&show_article=1