by Bernadette Adkins

Created on: May 29, 2008

Should cell phone use while driving be banned? When I first read this topic of debate, my knee jerk reaction was YES! Then I stopped and thought about it. What makes this such a "hot" topic? That is an easy one. It is the aggravation of being cut off, tail gated, impeded by someone chatting away on the phone while they are driving.

Honestly, who hasn't been guilty of talking on the phone while driving. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't talked on a cell phone while operating a vehicle at one time or another. I don't think these infrequent users are the issue. The people who drive you the craziest are those that leave the house or work or the mall and get on the phone as soon as they shut the car door. It's like they can't function without multi tasking. (And we wonder why we are soooooo stressed out.)

Even with all the aggravation and frustration caused by these "Chatty Cathy's" I can't really say I believe talking on a cell phone while driving should be illegal. Again, its not the cell phone that is causing the problem. It is the drivers who are distracted by trying to multi task while operating a 2000 pound piece of steel at 55 mph who are the problem. If we are going to make cell phone usage while driving illegal, why not make reading a newspaper while driving illegal. There are many activities people engage in while driving that cause just as much distraction. I'm sure you've seen them. Your driving down the road in rush hour traffic and you look over at the next car and the driver is brushing her hair or reading his newspaper. Worse than that, what about those women who don't get up in time and are driving down the highway at a high rate of speed putting on mascara! It's not just women, many times I've seen men with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other. Which hand is steering the vehicle?

Some have suggested the use of hands-free head sets, voice dialed phones and other ways to "free up" your hands while driving. I don't believe the issue is using both hands to drive. The issue is being able to operate a vehicle, make immediate decisions and carry on a conversation. Think it can be done? Try this at home on your couch. Call someone and have a conversation while watching t.v. You can either fully pay attention to the television or the person on the phone. You may be able to switch back and forth between the two, but you cannot do both at the same time.

I believe banning cell phone usage while operating a vehicle would be futile. People who use poor judgment will always use poor judgment no matter how many laws are passed. Drinking and driving is illegal and many people still engage in that dangerous behavior. The best we can hope to do is drive defensively and remember if getting frustrated at an inconsiderate driver is as bad as our day gets, we are still ahead of the game.

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