Should cell phone use be banned while driving?

Yes

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by Mark Waybill

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Should cell phones be allowed to be used whilst driving? I would say no. The practice is no better than drink driving, as in both cases the driver's attention is not fully focused on the road ahead as it should be.

Conversations require thought, and this distracts the driver from the road ahead, even if they are using a Bluetooth headset. Even with both hands on the wheel they still must concentrate on what they are saying and listening to, rather than traffic conditions about them.

The listening of music in cars is different, because one does not have to concentrate on the music, it is a background element much like in a supermarket (well not taking into consideration those cars that are 'souped up' with sub-woofers) and thus is not distracting to a dangerous level. Talking to passengers in the car is not as dangerously distracting in a reasonable case (i.e not a heated argument) as due to the other person(s) involved in the conversation being within the car with the driver, as opposed to somewhere else and only connected to the driver by way of sound, there is less chance of miscommunication and thus less effort is required when formulating what we are going to say.

Also when the driver communicates with other individuals in the car let us not forget these individuals are most likely family, friends or acquaintances, and as such the driver will be less worried about what they might say, whereas a phone conversation with say ones boss at work might be a higher security risk if you said something by mistake. However all forms of distraction are just that, forms of distraction, and should not be overlooked when considering whether to make illegal the use of cell phones in cars or not.

Cell phones are especially distractive due to the fact they require us to think actively rather than in a more subconscious fashion, as would be the case with, say, listening to the car radio. We have to calculate our answers, and unless we are chatting to a good friend we have to put effort into this. But even talking to a friend in a casual way distracts the driver from the road, but only on the same level as talking to somebody else in the car.

There are worse things you could do, mind you. Applying makeup whilst driving, eating, drinking, et cetera, should of course all be done whilst at a standstill, and not whilst the car is in motion. But to ban the use of cell phones would surely make banning conversation with other individuals in the car on the same rung on the priority ladder, would it not? They are indeed similar levels of distraction.

The thought process of discussion remains similar when on the phone or in person, with on the phone discussions requiring more effort as there are more chances for miscommunication. But as many calls are made not for business but to friends, there is a similar level of distraction as when talking to other individuals in the vicinity. We have most experienced a situation where talking or a similar casual activity has distracted us from an important duty. Forgetfulness is common and it is not considered unheard of to forget something because one is talking with somebody else.

So, why, you may ask, am I an advocate for banning the use of cell phones in cars? Well it is simply a matter of relativity. There are a large number of distractions whilst driving, not all of which are under our control. External distractions are an obvious example. But it makes sense to try to cut down the number and extent of these distractions as much as possible. We all lived without the use of cell phones before, so why is it suddenly necessary to use them whilst driving now?

The one area where this law could have a negative effect is for long distance commuters, who spend much of their time driving, and thus it offers them a convenient time for making calls. Multitasking is all fine and dandy but even here long distance commuters did not have cell phones until recently, and managed to get by.

Unless a sufficient argument for the necessity of making calls during driving is made I would advocate the practice being made illegal, and if a sufficient argument is made, I would still advocate that only Bluetooth headsets and other hands free technology be allowed.

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