Cell Phones In Texas

Ruth Ellen Galgano: Once I was driving down 65 north bound and saw this lady on her phone. She was clam but as soon as the kids started fighting she became very distracted with driving. There are so many things that can and will distract driving we don’t need to have one more and cells phones are adding another problem to the long list that already exist. I would love to see the law changed on this issue.

Things are not all bad, though. Laws concerning the use of phones in cars, and more specifically texting while driving are finally starting to see the light of day. According to Anne McCartt, the senior vice president of research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a ban on hand-held phones in New York reduced use of such devices by about fifty percent. That was until use was re-measured the next year, finding that the “decline had dissipated substantially” (Politico). McCartt speculates this is due to poor enforcement, as a similar ban in Washington D.C. resulted in another fifty percent decline, only this one was sustained for more than a year after the law was put in place. Clearly strong enforcement is important, and well worth it; a fifty percent reduction in use of cell phones while driving is

Kratsas stated that according to the National Safety Council’s Annual injury and fatality report, 26% of the accident in the United States are caused by the use of cellphones. Using cellphones while driving has been a chronic problem in America. The U.S. government of transportation have been trying to make laws that forbid using cellphones behind the wheel. According to an article by Marino, “10 states plus D.C prohibit all drivers from using handheld cellphones, 32 states and D.C. prohibit novice drivers from cell phone use, and 30 states plus D.C. prohibit all drivers from text messaging.” Even though there are laws that forbid

Texting and driving should be illegal in all fifty states because of the catastrophic affects it has had on our country. It has become just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than drunk driving. It kills thousands of people and injures hundreds of thousands annually. Whether people think they can shoot a text safely or they just aren’t aware of the dangers, it needs to come to a complete stop. To do this, laws need to be in place for any and all kinds of cellphone usage; adults, teenagers, elders, and bus drivers should be banned from picking up their phone while operating a vehicle. Consequences should also be in place for those who do not abide by them. No text is worth your life or anyone else’s.

crease in the risk of fatality if a phone was being used and a dou-

You are driving down the road and you see an accident in front of you and the first thing that you wonder is if everyone is okay. It is our human nature that makes us intrigued and curious to these types of events. Later that day on the six o 'clock news you come to find out that two people are announced dead from an accident due to cell phone usage. These types of scenarios are becoming more and more common in the state of Nebraska due to that lack of safe driving laws and penalties. The state of Nebraska needs to pass a bill stating that drivers must be hands-free from cell phones while driving or face a primary offense. By examining and following Nebraska’s traditional bill process it will give much needed insight into how to solve this ever growing issue.

In modern Society Technology is increasingly prevalent. With 82% of 16 year olds owning a cell phone the risks of use behind the wheel are increasing monumentally. According to research, even using a hands-free device to talk does not completely reduce the risk of getting into an accident. According to the Highway Safety Association people using a cell phone while driving are 23 times more likely to get in an accident. Studies show that humans are only able to multitask to a certain point and while behind the wheel the risks are just too high (Copeland). The majority legislators understand the hazards of phone use in a car, but continuously refuse to ban and create laws to prevent it. The statistics back up the hazards of distracted driving yet the government refuses to prevent the danger.

When we are in a classroom situation, we don’t think much of a phone going off in class, but when we are on the road, irresponsible use of cell phones can lead to endangerment of lives. Several people have before witnessed drivers distracted before. A person can be so distracted on social media, calling and chatting, emailing or texting that they can resemble drunk drivers. According to Delthia Ricks, “the number of teens who are dying or being injured as a result of texting while driving has skyrocketed as mobile device technology has advanced” (1). Iowa should enforce stricter laws on cell phone and technology use while driving.

Moreover, In the middle of this issue, texting and driving has risen to the point where where people don 't like to see it, but still allow it to be in their presence. After all of these years of texting, people should feel like as a country there should be a point where it is almost forbidden to do so. To think about It, I don 't think ever when purchasing a cell phone I had my wireless provider representative mention anything about the hazards of texting and

Cell phones have become an essential part of many peoples’ lives as they are one of the main sources of communication. People are able to complete many tasks using their phones, such as making phone calls, sending and receiving e-mails, text messaging, and even snapping photos. Cell phones are not only beneficial, but they are impactful in many ways. As many positive uses there are for cell phones, cell phone usage can be undoubtedly precarious while driving. Cell phone usage while driving is many times done irresponsibly and can put the driver at risk of getting injured. In addition to the driver getting injured, innocent pedestrians could also potentially lose their lives or be crippled due to a texting person who was driving at the same time. According to The Federal Communications Commission, “over 8 people are killed and approximately 1,161 are injured daily in incidents reported as distraction-affected crashes in the United States.” Texting while driving has become the number one distraction of drivers and main cause of car crashes. These crashes could result in hundreds of thousands of people either losing their lives or experiencing life-changing injuries. Although cell phone usage is an effective way to communicate with others and to complete certain tasks, it has become problematic for drivers in recent years as it increased the risk of injury and death while driving. For these reasons, texting while driving should be illegal and punishable by law.

Many accidents are blamed on distracted driving and most of the distractions are caused by cell phone usage. However, some opponents feel that creating a law against cell phone use infringes their personal rights. Others think that banning someone from using their cell phones is equivalent to telling someone that they can't adjust their radio or chat with someone else in their car. However, using a cell phone, whether talking or texting, while driving can be extremely dangerous; it should be made illegal because it is very hazardous to yourself and the people surrounding you, can lead to the death of loved ones, and it is even compared to the danger level of drunk driving. No matter what age the driver is, under no

Multiple drivers made substantial counter-examples that do create a point, but default in ways. Larisa Antonisse from Maryland stated, “If the use, of a cell phone while driving is illegal, it only makes sense to ban eating, drinking, changing the radio station, and glancing at the scenery.” Her statement makes sense for a more populous state such as Maryland. However,

Using a handheld cell phone could be one of the deadliest decisions you could make while operating a motor vehicle. The dangers and impact of using a cell phone while behind the wheel are numerous. One of the main reasons people still use their cell phones while driving is that there is no consistency in the laws across the country. Certain states have legislation that bans cell phone use, while other states only ban certain usage situations. Tough federal legislation is the only way to decrease the use of handheld cell phones while driving. The tougher the laws are, the less likely people will be to use

In recent months, the federal government has had their attention on a reoccurring issue. The use of cellular devices and other items that affect the drivers focus. The government recently tried to put a national ban on cellphone use, yet local government’s including Texas have spoken on this matter stating that a ban simply will not work. The reason behind Texas stating so, is a bill banning cellphone doesn’t make it through the system. Since the bill will not pass through the local government, local authorities have stepped into action to stop the use of cellphones. Local authorities have found clever methods to prevent the use of cellphones and to save lives. Furthermore, cellphone usage and driving while intoxicated can be compared because both involve the driver to be distracted and become a traffic hazard. Lastly, local authorities have found reasonable punishments for those using cellphones in banned areas.

It is known that the use of cell phones, specifically handheld use such as texting, while driving decreases driver awareness and the overall safety of roads. In response to this knowledge, some states have passed laws that have outlawed the usage of handheld devices, and while there should be laws that definitively outlaw handheld usage, is there enough empirical evidence to outlaw hands free usage of cell phones? In other words, does handsfree usage of cell phones, via bluetooth, speakerphone, etc., distract drivers enough to the point where states should legally ban the total use cell phones while driving. The following essay will introduce arguments for both sides of this topic, one for hands free cell phone usage and the other against cell phones usage entirely.