Should Drivers of Automobiles Be Prohibited from Using Cellular Phones?

This dangerous conduct is observed amongst younger drivers as well. In a 2009 survey of 16 to 17 year olds, 26% confessed that they have texted while driving (Madden & Lenhart, 2013). The number of Americans who report being in a vehicle while a driver was texting, however, is even higher (Madden & Lenhart, 2013). Half of all American adults and teens aged 12-17 recall having been in a car in which the driver was texting (Madden & Lenhart, 2013). Just under half of all American adults (44%) and teens (40%) say that they have been a passenger in a car where the driver used a phone in a way that put themselves, or others, at risk (Madden & Lenhart, 2013). This shows that the effects of texting and driving span further than individual drivers and surrounding traffic, impacting the lives of many American passengers.

Nearly 6,000 people are killed connecting to the outcome of cell phone use while driving, according to Edmunds.com (7). Texting and talking on the phone throughout the time that a person is driving can have deadly consequences, but people still don’t seem to want to give up risking their life. There are many issues that can happen while on the road related to the usage of cell phones. It is important to stop people from looking at their phones while driving, because it is extremely distracting and not safe. Even hands free devices are not as safe as they seem to be. There have to be consequences for people using their cell phones while driving in order to improve the people’s safety. According to Edmunds.com, cell phones are known as distractions everywhere in the world and have created several concerns to several countries (9).

There are both cognitive and physical factors that contribute to accidents when drivers talk on their cell phones and/or text behind the wheel. The primary cognitive factor is that an individual’s attention is divided when he or she is paying attention to more than one thing at a time (Goldstein, 2011). For example, a driver’s attention is on the road and perhaps how far the car ahead of him/her is, but at the same time is also trying to read a text message on a cellular device. This divided attention reduces the reaction speed and driving performance of the driver because there are not as many cognitive resources available to focus his/her attention on the most important thing: driving. When the driver is processing

Being the cause of a cell phone related accident can leave a person unable to handle the consequences of their actions. There is great concern regarding the dangers of distracted driving. This is made evident by legislation that has been put in place in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (2011), nationwide, 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have enacted texting bans. Current data from the National Safety Council (2010) suggest that each year, at least 1.6 million traffic accidents (28% of all crashes) in the United States are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting. The U.S. Department of Transportation (2011) states that nine states, the District of Columbia, and

1). Texting and using a cell phone are the two most common distractions while driving (“Distracted” para. 1). It Can Wait campaign has started to stop drivers from using handheld devices (“Distracted” para. 3). Distractions affect one’s driving performance (“Distracted” para. 5). Drivers are distracted around half the time they drive (“Distracted” para. 5).15% to 25% of crashes on all levels are caused by distraction (“Distracted” para. 5). Texting increases the driving risk, even more than regular cell phone use (“Distracted” para. 5). When cops fill out crash reports, the states should keep track of them (“Distracted” para. 6). There are many distraction while driving that may cause the driver to take focus off the road (“Distracted” para. 8). Some distraction that everyone does is : changing the radio or a CD, talking to passenger, and observing the event outside the vehicle (Distracted para. 8). There are effects on telematics on driving behaviors (“Distracted” para. 9). Some say that the electronic device companies need to inform the public about the real use of these devices (“Distracted” para.

In this age of multitasking, the use of cell phones is combined with assignments like cooking, driving, babysitting, walking, doing college assignments and even eating. Whereas the use of cell phones while doing some chores might be simply annoying, the consequence of using cell phone with driving can be fatal. Recent polls by the Pew Research Center and other researchers show that about fifty to ninety percent young Americans admit using their cell phone while driving. This includes about thirty six percent who said they texted or typed something whiles driving. (Lopresti-Goodman, Rivera, & Dressel, 2012). The practice of using phone particularly texting while driving has increased the number of distracted driving accidents. When the cell phone records of people involved

According to the National Safety Council, nearly 28 percent of all vehicle accidents can be tied back to talking on a phone or texting,

Seventy-five participants were evaluated in this study (p. 65). The participants were then divided into two age groups, novice and young adults (p. 65). All participants reported regular use of cell phones and texting during driving (p. 65). They were randomly assigned to conditions of texting while driving or having a cell phone conversation while driving (p. 65). During the simulated driving condition, there was an abundance of driving errors including; fluctuations in speed, lane deviance and lane change safety (p. 67). Both conditions of cell phone conversation and texting significantly affected driving performance in a negative way, between both of these conditions texting while driving was found to be the most detrimental (p. 67). Furthermore, these researchers concluded that age and experience made no difference when it came to accuracy of driving (p. 68). People often believe that due to their experience with texting and driving, it will have no negative effects on their driving. However, this study demonstrates otherwise. Experience with texting and driving provides no asset when it comes to distracted

Distracted driving is equivalent to the use of cell phones, laptops, games in the car, the use of radio system including an intense conversation with a passenger. Certainly the habit of using cell phones associated texting and driving is the worst distraction and cause thousands of deaths each year around the United State. Most states in the United States have begun to create different types of laws against this kind, but so far these laws have not been effective. According to the Department of Transportation studies in only 4 states (CA, LA, MN and WA) it showed that the low-level laws implementation against texting and driving contributed to an increase in the statistics of accidents and deaths attributed to texting and driving (2014 p. 1). The Department of Transportation states that this increase in numbers is associated to those people that have chosen to avoid being seen went using their electronic devices looking away for much longer after the laws was imposed, this cause major incidents on the road. In these same studies conducted by the Department of Transportation indicate that the implementation of more stringent laws decreased the number of accidents and deaths caused by texting and driving.

As studies have shown the dangerous effects of using cell phones during driving is strictly unadvisable and illegal, I would assume that people would put down their phones and concentrate on driving while operating a motor vehicle. Apparently this is not so, “According to Saskatchewan

Distracted driving is second on the list and is expected to rise in years to come (Wilson &Stimpson, 2010). In 2008, one in every six fatal crashes was a result of distracted driving. Studies showed that drivers who text and drive were 23 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash (Wilson &Stimpson, 2010). Approximately 660,000 drivers are manipulating some kind of electronic device or cell phone while driving on U.S. highways (Wilson &Stimpson, 2010). In 2012, 3328 fatalities and 421,000 injuries were a result of this hazardous behavior (Wilson &Stimpson,

Advancing technology in wireless communications is presenting a growing concern for distracted driving due to using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. Although distracted driving accidents and fatalities have risen in the last decade, placing a ban on the use of a cell phone or other electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle as some states have will not resolve the issue. In fact a ban on cell phones and driving may very well increase the accident and fatality rate because drivers are now more involved with concealing their illegal behaviors. More citizen participation and drivers safety management should be more carefully considered in a transpiring situation such as this. More Americans should be

Although some people say believe that cell phones are good in case of an emergency, the implementation of cell phones is distracting drivers and leading to increases in crash percentages, elevates the percentage of teen deaths and influxes in insurance rates of teen drivers. Distracted driving is a growing problem in today's society. It causes countless deaths every year. This problem has progressed over the years due to the progress in mobile devices. The advance of cell phones has made distracted driving even more of a problem. Texting and driving is a very common problem because of the progression of cell phones. Many people think that five seconds is the minimal amount of time that drivers take away from the road when they are trying to

Seiler, he stated the following: “The Center for Disease Control estimate that 31% of adults drivers text while driving. Despite numerous awareness-raising campaigns, increasingly strict laws, research providing evidence of cognitive challenges and consequences of texting while driving, and increasing distracted driving fatalities, many people in the United States still choose to text while driving” (Seiler). Texting is a becoming a very common way to communicate and people

alone every year. The issue of driving while talking on a cell phone has become serious enough that five states have passed laws prohibiting this type of act and making it a primary offense to do so. Not only are drivers talking behind the wheel, but many have admitted to engaging in even more potentially dangerous behavior with their phones such as text messaging and surfing the internet. A distracted driver is a dangerous one. If you are focused on a conversation and your eyes are not on the road, drivers cannot be expected to make a quick and safe decision should the need for one arise. The behavior of a driver while using a cell phone has been compared to that of one driving while under the influence. Studies have shown that those who use a cell phone while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than those who don’t.