by Matt Gadfield

Created on: June 03, 2008

Numerous studies have shown that using a cellphone behind the wheel has a very significant effect on driving ability. People using a phone tend to show longer reaction times and often fail to spot hazards in simulated driving conditions.

I have seen trucks weaving through a busy town centre while the driver clamps a phone to their ear with one hand. I have seen clueless executive types hammering up the road with phone in hand and apparently taking no notice of their surroundings. In the real world as well as under test conditions using a cell phone while driving makes you a danger to yourself and others.

While I would question whether a specific law is needed, law enforcement needs to take a very tough line on people who drive dangerously while using their phones. I personally would suggest the existing dangerous driving legislation be used in preference to new legislation, with fierce punishments levied on offenders. In Britain, using a handheld phone while driving can lead to points on your licence and a hefty fine.

Hands free kits, where the phone is attached to the dashboard and a remote microphone/speaker used, have been shown to be safer than a handheld phone. That said, it has still been noticed that people using any form of phone in their car are at a greater risk of accidents.

The essential problem would seem to be that people have been conditioned to regard a telephone of any sort as the most important thing in their lives. Very few are able to force the conversation to the periphery of their mind and put most of their concentration into driving. This brings us neatly to the usual argument of those who regard using a phone while driving as perfectly acceptable.

Talking to your passengers or changing radio stations can also be dangerous. However, most people find it easier to simply duck out of the conversation when road conditions require greater concentration than they do to ignore the disembodied voice from the bit of plastic. Likewise, you wouldn't try to change a CD on a busy, twisting road but your phone may well start to ring incessantly because someone can't take the hint that you're not answering it at the moment and they need to ring back later.

At base, using a cellphone while driving has been proven to be more dangerous than not doing so. For this reason, law enforcement needs to start treating it under the existing dangerous driving legislation, ideally with a severe punishment available to courts. By doing this, you are combating the real problem, as Police will be able to use their discretion in the unlikely event that they encounter someone using a phone safely. It will also make it clear that using a phone while driving is dangerous, rather than a new law which would be taken by some as an infringement on their liberties.

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