Many find that banning the entire use of the cell phone while driving ridiculous though, and say that it impedes upon their civil rights as U.S. citizens. They also say that talking on the cell phone while driving is just the same as having a conversation with a passenger in their car and that the government will not ban people from having passengers in their cars so why should they ban talking on cell phones while driving. They also state that just because the laws are there it doesn’t prove anyone will follow them so why put them in place and stated that certain laws were put into place to prohibit driving while intoxicated and mandatory use of seatbelts while driving and yet, many do not mind those laws so why would they abide by this one. Some, like Saurabh Bhargava and Vicram Pathania, two Berkley graduate students, do not find the banning of cell phones while driving necessary and composed a study on cell phone use while driving and found no correlation between the two, stating “since 1993 the average amount of time a cell phone subscriber spends on calls rose from 140 minutes to 740 minutes per month and that forty percent of Americans use their phones while driving [and] reported that the number of fatal accidents has fallen or stayed flat in all states from 1987 to 2005 and during that period, the number of fatal crashes in seven states was also steady or down” (NEW YORK TIMES, 2007). The Insurance Loss Data Institute, HLDI, studied insurance claims before and after cell phone bans went into effect and found no deduction in car accidents. Adrian Lund, President of IIHS and HLDI, states “the key finding is that crashes aren’t going down where handheld use has been banned” and goes on to say “ this finding doesn’t [arg... ... middle of paper ... ...hile driving. Boy wasn’t that a stupid thing to do’,” said David Teater who lost his son, Joe Teater, six years ago to a distracted driver talking on her cell phone. Joe Teater would be entering into college right now if it were not for the few careless seconds of a distracted driver (CBS NEWS, 2010). I believe that whatever the government decides to do it will be in the best interest of the people. I know many may not agree with bans against cell phone use while driving and say that the government is trying to take away our civil rights but I disagree. We did this to ourselves. We have proven to the government how incompetent and irresponsible we can be with no concern for safety for ourselves or for others. I believe the government is doing what they feel is necessary to do for the public’s general health and overall well-being. One death is one too many.
His data reveals that driving fatalities from 1997 to 2016 have decreased from 6.7 million to 6 million which indicates people are driving safer than ever before. With leading statistics, I am inclined to agree with Mr. Balko that banning texting while driving is the same as banning all cell phone usage when you are steering a car. Imagine living in a world where you cannot even look at your phone for GPS directions without getting pulled over. We must take everything into consideration before people cry out for law change without thinking about the harsh
While it is true that laws do not stop one hundred percent of infractions, they serve as a great disincentive, and can greatly reduce the number of people who do text and drive. With less distracted driving there are fewer accidents, meaning fewer car repairs and hospital bills. Not only that, but it means that fewer people become injured and can even reduce the number of deaths. It is important, therefore, that laws be enacted to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. Every automobile accident that a loved one of mine has experienced has been due to distracted driving. Whether it be friends or family, they all vividly recount a sense of distractedness from the other driver and anger at them for driving recklessly. With this in mind, it becomes more than just an issue of nationwide expenses, it is a personal worry of mine that I or someone I love will be seriously injured in an accident caused by cell phone use. Especially considering that nearly all of my friends have now gotten their licenses and are on the roads, I want them to be as safe as possible. Laws prohibiting cell phone use and distracted driving are therefore very important to me, as they are just one of the necessary steps that our country must take in order to reduce the number of accidents and increase safety
The use of cell phones while 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]. (Mayerowitz, Scott, and Lisa Stark. par. 4)Yet people continue to talk, text and browse the internet while operating a motor vehicle.
Driving is a privilege some people see it as having the right to go where you need to go. But it’s just like riding a bike or even playing a sport there are rules. The rule is to prevent and to keep you and others safe but now texting and driving and gadgets like iPods and GPS devices are a public safety epidemic. People are getting hurt and most people don’t even know the danger in which using a device while driving can cause. On May 2, 2013 the senate passed a law in Florida charging thirty dollars if stopped by the cops for the first time. The second time stopped by the cops you will get six points on your driver’s license which can cause your insurance to increase. This was done so that more people will keep safety and mind and stop the use of gadgets like iPods and GPS devices.
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.
Imagine a man frantically dialing numbers on his cell phone as he attempts to drive. Suddenly, he veers into the neighboring lane, crashing into another vehicle, instantly killing all of the occupants. This crash could have easily been prevented if he was not distracted by his phone. Incidents like this are leading many states to outlaw the use of a hand held cell phone while behind the wheel. Some people disagree with this law, but they do not understand how dangerous distracted driving really is. It should be illegal to use a hand held phone while driving because they are distracting, the roads will be safer, and their are other methods of communications.
I declare myself independent of texting and driving. I am sending my thoughts to people who text while driving. These drivers are punishing citizens with numerous unnecessary car accidents. I see many people texting while driving when I am on the road. These risky people should understand the dangers of doing this activity. Careless drivers should be able to comprehend why I feel this way.
After analyzing both arguments, I strongly agree Cell Phones and Texting Endanger Drivers. Cell phones should never be used while driving, this decision puts everyone at risk from the driver and any passenger in the car. You can cause an accident. Secondly, it’s illegal. Finally, you can injure any passengers in the car.
There are many things to consider when deciding if cell phone usage should be banned while driving. One of the most important aspects in the decision process is the dangers it can cause toward other drivers. When a person is texting and driving, they are taking their hands off the wheel and their attention off of the road. By the driver taking their hands off the wheel, this causes their reaction time to become lower, simply because it will take them longer to get their hands back on the wheel and make the movement necessary. Also, taking their attention off of the road, can cause the driver to underestimate the distance between them and the car in front of them, as well as not seeing things in their way. Not knowing how
Texting and driving can increase the risk of killing people. Between 2014 and 2015, the amount of deadly car crashes increased by about seven percent. Many states, including Idaho, are banning talking on a cell phone while driving (“Texting while driving is costing us all”). Texting and talking while driving became such an issue, that Texas also passed a law, on September 1, 2017, stating that it is illegal to hold your phone up to your ear to call, and text, at all while driving. It is still legal to use a cell phone hands-free for things like GPS, talking on speaker, etc. Our families and friends are all at risk if our world continues to text and drive. In 2015, 6.3 billion car accidents were reported to police. Because, an estimated 542,000 drivers use their cell phones at any given point in the day, many of these accidents reported to police were probably due to the use of a phone:
Driving is a major responsibility, just like having access to a phone. When these two mix, scary things can happen. For the safety of everyone on the road, many states have made cell pone use while driving illegal. I believe this was a very good decision on behalf of those areas, because using a cell phone shouldn't be a priority while behind the wheel and it is a very dangerous act. First of all, while on the road drivers already have a lot of multitasking to do, between their own actions, and those of other drivers. Drivers have to pay attention to their mirrors, their speedometer, their blind spots, and everything going on around them; whether it be a parent with kids in the backseat, or friends on the way to a sports game.
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
Also, there are cases when mobile phones use while driving becomes important. Such happens when people need to respond to emergencies. Mobile phones are primarily used for communication purposes. Mobile phone use while driving if banned might show that the government is impeding the right to communicate. The government just needs to ensure that mobile phone users are also responsible enough. This is done through rigorous dialogue and not those proposed legislations. For example, mobile phones is necessary if someone is chasing you in a car, then you might have to call the police. If there is an emergency, like someone was sent to the hospital, it would be nice to be able to receive that information, even if you are driving.
In 2005 in the UK 13 deaths and over 400 injuries were attributed to accidents where drivers were using cell phones, deaths which could have possibly been avoided. There are 4 main reasons for banning cell phones at the wheel:
...ering the lives that have been lost in our roads. Personally, I recommend that driving and using cell phones at the same time should be against the law.