Cell-Phones and Driver Safety

Last weekend, a colleague dropped her cellular phone while she was driving on a county highway, just five miles from her home.

She bent to pick her phone, and her life will never be the same. In that moment, a young driver zipped in front of her without looking. Suddenly, her spiffy little sports car smashed into his borrowed pickup truck, dividing it in two.

After the collision, both drivers were airlifted to a hospital, where they are in intensive care. A teenage passenger was killed.

The doctors tell us my friend will recover. Is that even possible?

Handy or harmful?

Cell-phones are a wonderful convenience, especially for commuters. These cute little gadgets allow us to reach anyone anytime anywhere. Today, you can pick up a tiny phone that accesses the internet, takes photographs, plays full-length movies, manages your daily schedule, and does everything but the evening dishes. However, this convenience demands caution.

According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, "approximately 40 percent of all cell-phone minutes are used daily in the United States while talkers are behind the wheel."

That's a lot of multi-tasking! Add our wireless conversations to our on-board satellite radios, global positioning systems, bickering children, panting dogs, and other in-car confusions. We sure have a lot going on in our vehicles!

A 2006 University of Utah study proposed that driving while using a cell-phone may be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. "Just like you put yourself and other people at risk when you drive drunk, you put yourself and others at risk when you use a cell-phone and drive," writes Professor David Strayer. "The level of impairment is very similar."

It's good to be prepared.

Certainly having a cell-phone in the car is an excellent safety precaution. When my oldest child was a toddler, our car broke down in a scary section of Gary, Indiana. She and I hovered in a dark truck stop, waiting for assistance. Finally, the burly tow truck driver loaded us into the cab of his truck, and we bounced along (baby car-seat and all) to the repair shop.

The next day, I signed on for a cell-phone!

Caution is key.

However, if that same cell-phone distracts you from your driving and impairs your reactions to roadway dangers, then that becomes a very real concern.

What's the first lesson every student learns in driver education? Keep both hands on the steering wheel and both eyes on the road. Of course, cell-phone usage negates all of that, as drivers pilot automobiles at full speed with their knees, while juggling their phones and the occasional hot coffee?

If a cell-phone conversation becomes so complex that it requires most of your attention, then perhaps you should seek a safe spot to pull over for a few minutes. Finish the call, and jot down any notes you may need. When you're done, you can resume your journey!

Go off-road for texting!

The entrance to our local high school was draped in black last spring, after two students were killed in a tragic car crash. Subsequent investigations uncovered the sad fact that the one who was driving had been composing a text message to a friend. Texting behind the wheel is downright dangerous!

Regulations are spreading.

If you travel from state to state, you will find several statutes are already in place. It pays to be informed, so you are not ticketed for your cell-phone use. Many US states (including California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington D.C) have enacted laws requiring drivers to use hands-free headsets for cell-phone usage while driving. Other states may soon follow.

However, the Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) insists that these standards may not be enough. Apparently, voice-activated dialing may take longer than the traditional means, adding to driver distraction. Simply pressing a speed-dial number may be simpler than trying to talk your phone into calling the right person automatically. Either way, just initiating a phone call requires a fair amount of your concentration, which ought to be focused on your driving. As with my unfortunate friend, a tragic accident can happen in a nanosecond.

Rules vary by country.

Dozens of countries have banned cell-phone usage altogether while driving. Check local laws, if you plan to drive in a foreign country.

Fines and penalties vary, but the following countries have outlawed it altogether: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and others.

Do they know something we don't know?