Reasons to Avoid Talking on a Cell Phone While Driving

According to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, in January 2007 over 231 million people in the United States had subscribed to the use of cellular (mobile) phones. This is a tremendous increase from just 4.3 million back in 1990.

The increased use of cellular phones has also led to an increase in people using them while they are driving. However, it is not not risk-free to do this. There are two main dangers that are associated with this risk. To begin with, a driver must take his eyes off the road when he dials the number. The few seconds that it takes to make a phone call can mean the difference between staying on the road or crashing. The second risk is that drivers may become so absorbed in their conversation that concentration levels go down. This can place the driver, other occupants and all other road users at extreme risk. In 2001 New York banned the use of hand-held phones while driving. While it is true to say that there are other more dangerous distractions that may impair a driver, it is still a common cause of a car crash.

The Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. published its most recent findings in January 2007 with regard to the result of talking on cell phones while driving. The survey included 1,200 drivers and it found that an astonishing 73% talk on their cell phones while they are driving. The report also highlighted that younger drivers were more likely to talk on their cell phones.

It is not just talking on cell phones that is distracting. Many teenagers also engage in text messaging (also known as "texting") one another while they are driving. This was the subject of a survey carried out in August 2006 by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute of Safety. Of the teenagers surveyed, 37% admitted that their biggest distraction involved text messaging their friends. In January 2007, Nationwide found that 19% of motorists overall text messaged while driving.

The results of a study released in April 2006 found that nearly 80% of car crashes and 65% of near-crashes involved a driver who had been inattentive within just three seconds of the event. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discovered that the most common distraction that drivers faced was cell phones, followed by drowsiness. The study went on to explain that while cell phone usage could not be blamed for every car crash or near-crash, other distractions could have been the cause, such as a moving object falling. This increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times, while talking on a cellular phone increased the risk by 1.3 times.

Further studies have shown that using cell phones while driving is a very real distraction. Some may reason that switching over to a hand's free device will be a safer alternative. But according to researchers at the University of Utah, in the journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, driving while talking on a cell phone poses as big a risk as driving while under the influence of alcohol. This is true even if the phone is a hand's free device. Even with a hand's free phone, motorists were found to be 18% slower in braking and they took 17% longer to reach the speed they had been driving before braking.

State and Federal authorities have seen the need to intervene and prevent the dangers and risks associated with talking on cell phones while driving. For example, in January 2007, the Center for Auto Safety filed a petition with the National Traffic Safety Administration asking them to restrict the use of cell phones while driving. This also included navigation aids and security features that could prove to be a distraction while the vehicle was in motion. In California, this is an issue that is also under serious consideration. In September 2006 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill (SB 1613) that will prohibit motorists from talking on their cell phone while they are driving. The law will go into effect in July 2008. When it does, California will be the fourth state to have such a ban in force.

Even if it is still legal to talk on your cell phone in your home state, please think twice before you talk on your phone or text message someone while you are driving. From looking at the studies' results, the evidence does strongly suggest that talking on a cell phone while driving is a distraction and not worth the risk at all. It only takes a second or two to be distracted and then crash. The effects are as bad as those who have been impaired from drinking and they could prove devastating to you and to others if you end up taking your life or that of an innocent person. So think about it. Do not wait for the law to tell you it is wrong to talk on your cell phone. If you have ever had a near miss with a driver who has been talking on their cell phone you will know from personal experience that they were distracted from what they should have been paying attention to, the road. So take the initiative now by turning off your phone while you are driving. If you must call someone, pull over to make the call. Talking on your cell phone while you are driving is not the right time to do so. Your life and the life of other road users is at stake.

Source:

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/