Natalie
Greene
Professor
Goff
English
1010
28
July 2014
Distracted Driving Due to Cellphones
Cell phone use is a major cause of
distracted driving. As states attempt to keep their drivers safe from the
dangers of distracted driving the question arises on the correct way to do
so. Many states have banned cellphone
use while driving as part of their Distracted Driving Laws. Others have only
banned the use of handheld devices. The majority, however, have banned texting
and driving all together. As the battle against cellphone use rages on, texting
and calling are not the only distractions cell phones provide. As cellphones become more advanced the problem
arises with accessing social media website while driving.
A total of 14 states have passed laws
that don’t allow drivers to use hand-held devices while driving. The thought behind this is that it is less
distracting if drivers use hands free devices while driving. For example, if a
driver is using a Bluetooth device to answer their calls they do not have to
pick up their phone and are no longer at risk of unsafe driving. However, many
studies and articles have turned up stating that even hands free devices are
not safe. This is because as we are holding a conversation, whether while using
our handheld devices or using a hands free device, our brain is still
distracted. Drivers are no longer fully focused on the road when holding a
conversation. As more research is completed on hands free devices and driving
the states must take another look at their Distracted Driving Laws and decide
if they are actually helping.
44 states have laws prohibiting texting
while driving and the other 6 that haven’t outlawed it have laws regarding it,
the most prominent being young drivers are not allowed to text and drive. Research
supports that most text messaging accidents have involved those under the age
of 25. There are those who argue that it is only teens that pose a threat while
texting and driving. While, statistics support that about 41% of teen drivers
admit to texting and driving, adult drivers ages 25-39 have been the most
common to admit to texting while driving. Due to cellphone use deaths resulting
from distracted driving have increased about 20% in relation to the increase of
text messaging rates.
Another distraction that is caused by
cellphones in vehicles are drivers accessing social media sites such as
Facebook and Twitter while they are driving.
From 2009 to 2011 drivers who accessed the internet while driving
increased from 29% to 43%. During that same time span drivers accessing social
media networks increased from 21% to 43%. Drivers are no longer being
distracted by just text messaging and phone calls. Because of the multiples of
distractions cellphones present to drivers the National Transportation Safety
Board is focusing on these distractions in order to ban the use of cellphones
altogether for drivers. Currently, there are no states that completely ban the
use of cellphones while driving.
Cellphone use, whether texting,
calling, or social networking, is very dangerous while driving. The big
question here is: what is the best way to prevent any more accidents and deaths
from happening due to cellphone use while driving? Laws, ranging from
prohibiting only texting while driving to only allowing hands free devices,
have been passed in an attempt to lower the amount of distracted driving. All
have valid points and all agree that we have an epidemic on our hands. Ultimately it is up to us, the driver, to be
responsible enough to not drive while distracted.
Works
Cited
“Distracted Driving Laws.” Governors Highway Safety Association.
July 2014. 23 July 2014 <www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html>
Wilson, Fernando A., and Jim Stimpson.
“Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 100
(2010): 2213-19.
Eddy, Nathan. “Texting While Driving More
Prevalent Among Adults: AAA.” eWeek 13
December 2013: 2
Rhodan, Maya. “4 in 10 Teens Admit
Texting While Driving.” Time 14 June
2014: 32
“Distracted Driving Problem Extends
Beyond Texting.” Professional Safety
57 (2012): 24
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