I firmly agree with the state law prohibiting the use of hand-held cellular devices while driving a motor vehicle. There are many dangers on the road already, such as animals and drunk drivers. Operating a motor vehicle while using a cellular device would only add another problem and increase the already large number of teenage deaths by motor vehicle. The first problem that would be posed is that hand-held devices cause what is known as distracted driving. We all know distracted driving, it leads to numerous fatal and non-fatal car accidents. The cell phone would just be another thing to seduce the driver into not paying attention to the road and killing an innocent. People are quick to give in because they think that driving a car …show more content…
The reason for this is the Heisenberg Principle. Although mainly dealing with Quantum Mechanics, the Heisenberg Principle can apply to larger objects as well. Simply put, if you know how fast you're going exactly, you don't know where you are exactly and vice versa. People on their cellular devices have no idea how fast they're going, and if they do, they have no idea where they're going, so they could be going off a cliff for all they know, and that's a danger to them. The purpose of this law is to prevent car crashes that kill more teenagers than suicide and violence combined. Car-related accidents are by far the largest killer of teens in America. There really is no argument against this because nobody can multitask, it's been proven that your brain can only handle one thing at a time effectively, almost like a Pentium chip. There's no possible way that anyone is good enough at driving that they can do this and not cause an accident because, as I said earlier, the Reverse Tinkerbell Effect is in play; they just get lucky. So, with everything in mind, I firmly agree with the states' laws banning the use of hand-held cellular device while operating a motor vehicle. Distracted driving ruins lives
Cell phone use including hands-free should be banned in Texas. People claim they never use their cell phones while driving, but in reality they do. Cell phone use is one of the biggest distractions while driving. It takes away your reflexes and your attention off the road. One in four crashes involves driver distraction (txdot.gov). Drivers who use cell phones in their vehicles have a higher risk of collision than drivers who don't, whether holding the phone or using a hands-free device (txdot.gov).
Another negative effect that mobile phones impair is mental focus while driving. People who are driving have their minds on the task in front of them with their full attention on the road. So when a person is conversing on a phone their attention is split as he or she is trying to multi-task both talking and driving at the same time. An article written by Nathan Seppa, the cause of “split attention”, he noted that David Strayer a psychology professor and his team studied to understand what impairs drivers when they talk on the phone. They conducted an experiment with drivers to see the effects of how varies distractions compare to each other. Strayer’s team accompanied drivers and assign them different distractive tasks while they maintain their eyes on the road in order to assess the effects. In the team’s findings they found that one most distracting tasks was talking on a mobile phone, which caused a driver’s performance to decline significantly. The typical tasks that drivers should perform on a regular basis, such as observing traffic changes, looking in rear-view mirrors, and watching for pedestrians was reduced overall (Seppa). Not many people can multi-task a conversation and driving at the same time without some drawbacks. Another drawback to a person focus was “unintentional blindness”, described by Simons, as “looking at something and not seeing it” (Seppa). So a person who is talking on a phone can end up not seeing an object whether it is a car, a stop sign or a pedestrian that is right in front of him and her. Many experiments were conducted by professionals to understand how “unintentional blindness” can affect a person’s perception, but one notable professional, Simmons, conducted a test of this concept:
It’s time to have an honest look into using phones while we drive. We don't understand why we continue the behavior, and it’s killing us. Distracted driving is leaving tragedy behind on American roadways while there is more likelihood of meeting a “texter’ than to meet an intoxicated driver. Accidents occur when people talk on cellphones or send text messages while driving. According to an article published by the CDC “Injury Prevention and Control: Motor vehicle Safety” “Some activities—such as texting—take the driver’s attention away from driving more frequently and for longer periods than any other distractions.” The CDC reports that younger, inexperienced drivers under the age of 20 may be at increased risk; they have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. There is a lot of media about teen drivers texting, emailing and using popular social media while driving Distracted driving is far from just a teen issue, there is no age limit on this growing epidemic. Looking down at a phone for just mere seconds while driving at highway speeds is the same as driving the distance of a football field without eyes on the road and what's taking place around you. Multitasking is often encouraged in many things we do, however when it comes to operating a motor vehicle, multitasking shouldn't be an option. While laws and programs have helped and have risen awareness to the problem people find ways to cheat the system. The technology world is working hard on devices that jam cell phones while a motor vehicle is in operation. Technology will be our only chance at reducing the injury and death from our ever so popular cellular devices. Technology brought us here and now its up to technology to reevaluate and change...
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States among adolescents, accounting for 1.3 million deaths and 50 million injuries per year. Distracted driving is a major risk factor for many of these accidents, taking a tremendous toll on families and communities, both financially and emotionally. An increasing number of legislative efforts have been put in place to educate the public, reduce the incidence of motor vehicle accidents, and implement new regulatory approaches to prohibit distracted driving. The focus of this report is to investigate human brain activity in response to distraction--particularly during driving, debunk the myth of the brain's ability to multitask, and by extension, the futility of hands-free technologies while driving. This report also aims to increase awareness of the risks and consequences of distracted driving, discuss the problem in relation to texting and driving, and explore possible solutions to put an end to this risky behavior.
“When a driver ‘talks and drives’ they are not only putting themselves at risk, they are also putting everyone around them in a dangerous situation” (ComparisonMarket.com). A study conducted last year by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, had cameras placed inside one hundred cars and trucks to track drivers' activities before a dangerous event occurred. Research shows users of cell phones while driving caused far more crashes and near misses than non-users. These statistics do not change even if the hand held device becomes hands free by means of a blue tooth or speaker phone. Hands-free cell phones may allow the driver to keep both hands on the wheel however, devices such as headsets or voice activated dialing led to longer dialing times causing the same level of driver distraction. Even though a study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety claims bans on handheld cell phones in many states seem to have had no impact on accident rates, drivers still should not use a hand held phone while driving in the car because car accidents associated with hand held phone use account for nearly three hundred deaths per year showing cell phone users are four times as likely to get into an automobile accident serious enough to cause injury.
...drivers are not aware of the consequences of using electronic devices while behind the wheel of a vehicle. It is so important to educate ourselves and those around us of the dangers distracted driving can cause in such a short amount of time. I urge you and your loved ones to support the ban on using these devices while driving.
Texting and driving has become the new D.U.I meaning (driving under the influence) in society today is similar to driving under the influence. Both teenagers and adults have taken upon themselves to text while driving to possibly cause accidents and death. Prevention is a must texting and driving can cause death to society. Choosing to turn off your phone can prevent such tragedy. A study stated by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski stated that ‘’currently there is no national ban on texting or using a wireless phone while driving, but a number of states have passed laws banning texting or wireless phones or requiring hands-free use of wireless phones while driving.’’ Meaning it may be allowed but it is being used as a law to prevent possible accidents.
David Hosansky states that the use of cell phones and texting should not be allowed while driving. The increased uses of cell phones and texting while driving has become the center of safety conversations. In fact, there are more than 5,000 deaths related to the use of cell phones and texting while driving over the last decade. Even if laws were put in place it is believed that motorists would still find it hard to put down their phones down. Hosansky also gave an example on the hazards of texting while driving, especially among young drivers. There are very few states that have implemented laws restricting the use of cell phones or texting while driving. David Hosansky is a freelance writer in the Denver area. This article seems to have been written for the general public and thought to be informative. I found this especially helpful and informative in finding this is not just a local problem.
Tom Smith Professor Rafferty ENG327W Date A Call to Action: Regulate Use of Cell phones On the Road
The invention of the cell phones have changed the lifestyle, and the way people communicate. Despite their effective way of communication, the use of a cell phones while driving results in negative effects to driving performance. Many statics show that driving while talking is a serious issue, because it is the cause of many accidents. The solution is to make cell phone use while driving illegal, and creating phone applications or preventions that will make it difficult to text while in a vehicle. Furthermore, operating a cell phone at the wheel is on the verge of being banned by law in every state, and some have already started this solution to the problem. Cell phones have now become a necessity but have also become a burdens to the human
The use of cell phones while in a vehicle in motion should be banned throughout the United States. Texting, searching the internet, talking on the phone is a very big distraction, and could cause someone to get hurt or even worse killed and the current teenage generation thinks talking on a cellphone while driving is second nature. It’s a known fact that the use of cell phones while driving can be deadly. It only takes one split second for a person to look away from the road to cause an accident. So-called distracted driving crashes claimed 5,474 lives and led to 448,000 injuries across the country last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The use of mobile phones while driving are a major destruction to the drivers, it is definitely no different from a mother trying to nurse a baby at the back sit. A good percentage of road accidents has been attributed to driver destruction. (David and William, 2001) There are evidence of cell phone related road carnages and this remains to be a concern. In 1999 a girl was killed by a driver when he got destructed by a phone, same case reported last year and even the death of a state corrections officer on North Carolina. However much drivers say they have a right to use their mobile phones, they should know of the destructions it causes when
There are so many things in life that we take for granted in our every day life. Have you ever though of how many of them needed to be tested to prove their safety? But then again, how many things have not been tested? One of which has become a big controversy in our society is the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle. This essay will focus specifically on talking on a cell phone while driving and how to safely and accurately get results. We will look at why it is important to have a control group during the experiment, how the subjects should be assigned, and the ways that we can make the only difference in the experiment is the use of a cell phone.
In today's society, technology revolves around our everyday lives. Cell phones, and handheld devices have taken over our fast paced world. Although there are some positive aspects to the growing opportunities in technology, there are still many negatives involved. One of the leading causes of death in the United States today, are car wrecks (Driving While Distracted: Statistics to know). Even though accidents appear to be out of our control, in reality, most car wrecks are caused by lack of attention to the road. To prevent anymore fatalities caused by distracted driving in the United States, cell phone usage while behind the wheel should be completely banned.
Over the last few decades, the use of cell phones has become a very common tool. Furthermore, Technology has certainly advanced, and the cell phone is becoming the most preferred mode of communication. The demand for a cell phone is growing every day. In addition, the use of wireless technology is affordable, and anyone can buy a cell phone at a reasonable price. They come in all shapes and sizes. They range from black to bright metallic white. American public use of cell phones is increasing everyday. As the number of people using cell phones increase, the use of cell phones while driving will also increase on our streets and highways. At the same rate, motorists still converse on cell phones and write text messages while driving. Motorist will also engage in other activities apart from driving. For example, drivers will text when driving, and they will dial numbers. Drivers will receive calls and converse with the recipient for long periods. Again, driving demands your full attention, and your concentration needed when talking on the phone. However, it means that the driver has to divert his attention to the conversation, which leads to less concentration on the road. On the contrary, one can therefore connect motorist’s accidents and cell phone usage while driving.