by Louis LeVictorieux

Created on: September 05, 2007

The fact that there is no law that bans the use of mobile phone while driving demonstrates the stupidity of the Government. Numerous deaths have occurred because of this matter. Every week tens of people die each State die because they are talking on the cell when they should have their full attention on the road.

Last year a TV program in the UK made a simple experiment. They got a well trained policeman; whose job was sure that all other members in the station had good driving standards, to drive through an easy course while counting every seventh number from a thousand to zero. His average while driving under normal circumstances was around 95% accurate. As he went through the course under the set conditions, his attention begun to wander to try and solve his challenge. As a result his driving worsened by the minute, he begun to tip over the cones and in later stages he squashed them with the tyres.

The point of this exercise was to demonstrate that the brain; when forced to do more than one task at the one time, begins to loose its concentration. As a result both tasks are completed poorly. This was a trained policeman who gave licenses to people doing a simple task. Imagine then, a normal person and how they would cope doing the same test but talking on the cell instead.

Earlier this year there was a programme in Ireland that talked to the victims of people who had died or were left paralysed as result of a traffic accident. While alcohol remained the biggest factor, a startling discovering had been made. Among the biggest causes for traffic deaths in Ireland the second one was talking on the phone and then speeding and drugs. This information comes from one of the countries with the most traffic deaths in Europe (with an average of 100 for every 1 million people. Its total population is 4 million)

The most common excuses for this are related to work. 3 out of 5 people who are killed or have been in a car accident because of the cell phones said that they were talking with the boss when it happened. 1 out of 5 said that they were talking to a friend girlfriend or relative. 1 out of 5 people were discussing important deals with customers. The reality is that most of these accidents should not happen at all. Had these people just stopped somewhere and answered these calls or simply turned their cells off while driving, none of these would happen.

Regardless of how emergent the matter may seem, one needs to think. What is more important than my life? The answer is nothing. It does not matter whether there is an important client or a date with a girlfriend to which we are late. If we happen to die on our way there; more so for a stupid reason, then none of this would really mean much to you.

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