Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedShould cell phone use be banned while driving?
Results so far:
| Yes | 69% | 3448 votes | Total: 5014 votes | |
| No | 31% | 1566 votes |
Yes
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesIf you can't control yourself, someone will control you.
Cell phone usage without a hands-free attachment should be banned from use while driving. It is very rare that I will take a position of encouraging interference from the law, but manthe things I have seen, very unfortunate. In some states cell phones have been banned, but with little impact. It is amazing to me how the law must often step in to society when the intrusion could be avoided if we just exhibited consideration for each other.
Last summer, as I pulled out of a parking space, I almost ran into another car. Inside this car, there was a woman driving while smoking a cigarette with one hand and talking on her cell phone with another. There was a young teenager in the passenger seat. I braked, she braked. I accelerated, she accelerated. This comedic act was repeated a few times before I rolled down the window and yelled, "Get off your cell phone". She responded, "shut-up dickhead". She was not only a class act, but also a role model mother.
About six months ago, I was driving to work early in the morning. The car in front of me was swerving pretty crazily. I couldn't see anyone in the driver's seat. It wasn't a busy street and it was very early, so rather than honk, I watched. Suddenly, a rather large female head appeared with a cell phone plastered to her head. I couldn't believe it. This woman apparently had dropped something and while driving and talking on her phone, she attempted to retrieve whatever she dropped.
A few months ago, I was crossing a bridge. The speed limit on this bridge is about 45 miles per hour. As I paid the toll, I noticed the driver in front of me was distracted. As we approached the bridge, this person was backing up traffic at a speed of about 25 miles per hour. As I passed him, I glanced over and he was having a full-on conversation on his cell phone. I guess I should mention, the car was a Mercedes and it was around 7PM. those damn business happy hours that continue into the drive home.
A few weeks ago, I was behind, I think a Lexus, that had a few people in the car. Apparently, the driver was so leaned back in his seat, that you can barely see him from the rear. Traffic easily rolled by him. When it was my turn to pass, I glanced over and I swear this guy was so leaned-back comfortable and talking on his cell phone that he might as well have been in his pajamas drinking a Martini. I was actually a bit impressed.
A few weeks ago, on a narrow street with many driveways, I barely avoided an accident. It had been raining and the streets were slippery. Thankfully and luckily, I had made a conscious decision to drive the speed limit. Suddenly, a car tore out of one of the driveways cutting me off. I was able to stop without incident because I have learned to keep an eye on the driveways of this street. The driver was, of course, on his cell phone.
I have seen police officers talking on their cell phones as they drove past me.
Apparently, no-one is completely innocent or immune to the moment-club. Moment people thrive on technology and are evolved by technology. We've become a society of moment people that thrive on immediacy. The issue shouldn't be so much about a ban, but rather about common sense and considerationsomethi ng greatly lacking in our modern society.
Learn more about this author, Jose Astorga.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
No
With cell phone use consistently on the rise for the past two decades, there has been increasing controversy over whether or not their use while driving should be banned. The fact that cell phones have been linked with an increase in auto accidents cannot be disputed. However, banning their use is not necessarily the best solution.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, 80% of crashes and 65% of near crashes involve some type of driver distraction. Cell phones are one of many possible distractions. Other distractions include passengers in the vehicle, drowsiness, other drivers on the road, and participating in non-driving activities, such as reading a map or changing stations on the radio.
The answer to the use of cell phones while driving in many cities and states has been to require the use of a hands-free device. There is no evidence to show that this is a safer alternative. Additionally, studies exploring the dangerousness of cell phone use while driving have yielded widely mixed results.
Lawmakers are left with the task of finding an effective solution. The solution is twofold. First, law enforcement officers should be on the lookout for drivers who are distracted to the point of compromising safety. This might include taking ones eyes of the road for an extended period while talking to passengers, swerving while changing radio stations, or tailgating while eating breakfast. Second, cell phone manufacturers should strive to improve safety features on cell phones, such as voice activated commands for dialing and answering the phone.
The reality is that driving is the ultimate multi-tasking activity, and people have a tendency to engage in other distracting behaviors when driving. It is not feasible to ban all distractions. We cannot ban people from talking to passengers in their car or putting a CD into the CD player. This is why it is paramount that individuals who become too distracted are held accountable. Banning cell phone use while driving is a temporary, ineffective solution that may lead to a false sense of safety on the road.
Learn more about this author, Nicolette Romero (nom de plume).
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Difference of opinion? Debate now.
