81 of 270

Yes

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

can increase your risk of getting in an accident by up to 6.5 times, which is comparable to driving with a blood alcohol content level above the legal limit of .08 . The driving habits of young people that use cell phones have also been compared to drivers over the age of 70 who do not use cell phones. This comparison was made because of increased reaction time when using a cell phone. The cell phone users were 18% slower to react to brake lights and took 17% longer to speed back up after they had braked. These statistics show that these drivers might impede traffic by not accelerating to the proper speed fast enough, in addition to possibly causing accidents by not stopping soon enough.

There are many car accidents every year, and one in every twenty involves the driver using a cell phone. Also, there are 2600 people killed every year due to these accidents, and another 330,000 injured. These car accidents have a large monetary affect as well. The cost of cell-phone-related car accidents, including damage to the cars, medical bills, and even loss of lives, is estimated at $43 billion a year. All of these damages and costs came about just because people thought that they could control a car and talk on a cell phone at the same time.

In an attempt to solve this problem, a new device was created: the hands-free cell phone. At first this appeared to be a good idea, but people began to take advantage of this new opportunity. Since the hands-free cell phones were supposed to be safer, people felt as though they could talk on the phone more often and for longer periods of time. When Dong-Chul Seo, a lecturer on applied health science, surveyed a group of college students for an article for the Journal of American College Health, he found that more of students' car accidents involved hands-free cell phones. Although this seems strange, it makes some sense when you think about how the hands-free phone is set up.

While hands free sets allow you to keep both hands on the steering wheel, the ear-bud goes directly into your ear and could prevent you from hearing things such as sirens. Also, as with regular cell phones, you still need to concentrate on your conversation. The drivers "look but don't see, because they're distracted by the conversation." The hands free aspect of the phone doesn't take away from the fact that it's hard to concentrate on what you're saying and focus on driving at the same time.

While cell phones are useful in many cases, using them when driving can cause the driver to be very distracted. Since phone conversations require a lot of attention, it's hard for people to concentrate on what they're saying and be alert to their surroundings and the driving conditions as well. This lack of attention to driving can lead to accidents, causing a lot of damage. Although cell phones can be beneficial, their use while driving is dangerous because it's distracting and can lead to accidents, putting lives in danger.

Learn more about this author, Justin Manucci.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Should cell phone use be banned while driving??
We want to hear your view. Write now!