I don’t think anyone can argue that being distracted while driving a car, especially at high speeds or in dense traffic is not a good thing. Six states as of October 2008, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington State and the District of Columbia have all passed laws banning the use of cellphones while driving. Along with 17 more states that passed laws banning or restricting young drivers from cellphone use. In May of 2007 Washington State banned texting with a cellphone while driving. By October 2008 six more states joined the ban of driving while texting, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.
But just exactly how distracting is talking on a cell phone?
According to the Insurance Information Institute the United States has over 266 million people with wireless subscriptions as of October 2008, compared with the 4.3 million subscribers in 1990. There are 2 reasons why driving and cellphone useage is dangerous.
- Drivers take their eyes off the road while dialing or texting.
- The distraction level simply from the conversation can impair driving ability.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Perth, Australia released findings in July 2005 the drivers operating cell phones were four times more likely to get into an accident. In August 2006 a survey by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) announced that sending text messages via cellphones was a teen drivers biggest distraction. 37 percent admitted text messaging was extremely or very distracting, 20 percent said their emotional states were also a distraction and 19 percent said that having friends in the car was distracting.
The summer 2006 Issue of Human Factors published by the University of Utah stated that cellphone usage while driving was as equally dangerous as driving drunk, even if it was a hands-free model. A January 2007 survey by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. showed that 19 percent of drivers text message while driving and that a survey of 1,200 dangerous drivers disclosed 73 percent talk on cellphones while driving.
May 2008 the Public Policy Institute of California released a study concluded that the ban will reduce traffic deaths by about 300 a year, but only in adverse conditions, such as on wet or icy roads.
A University of South Carolina psychology study published in The Experimental Psychology Journal explains that talking and listening as in cell phone usage interferes with visual tasks, such as driving. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced this past April that 25 percent of all car accidents are caused by distractions.
There is no doubt cell phones are distracting. Common sense should rule when people should use cell phones while driving. Teenagers should not use them at all while driving, they have neither the skill or experience to drive and use a cell phone at the same time. The key here is education. If insurance companies send out documentation to the parents of new drivers about the risks of cell phones and driving the parents will be more likely to enforce these restrictions as well as following the suggestions of proper usage of cell phones while in your car.
This is a simple, easy thing that everyone can do to lower their risk of accidents. Why wouldn’t anyone try to reduce their cell phone usage while driving if it met a safer trip home from school for their kids?
