Driving is a life or death matter. One mistake, one decision, one accident, one moment, can take a life. When a person drives distracted, they are putting an even greater risk on themselves and others. Distracted driving is one of the most dangerous and prevalent causes of accidents With the increase in technology and demands for cell phones, distracted driving has gone up, due to people operating cell phones while driving. This problem needs to be solved to prevent fewer accidents and ultimately, save lives. In order to completely eliminate the operation of cell phones while people are driving, The United States Department of Transportation will require citizens of the United States, who are licensed driver’s with insurance, to have a system installed in their cars that will sync up and disable their cell phones while the vehicles is turned on.
Operating a cell phone while driving has rapidly increased due to the high rise in technology and the popularity of having a cell phone. This has resulted in distracted driving being at an all time high. Cell phones have been reported as the most seen form of distracted driving resulting in accidents (Morrison). Numerous surveys have been conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety administration to show how prevalent operating a cell phone while driving is (Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2009). Triple A took a poll showing that sixty-seven percent of drivers admitted to using cell phones while driving, and twenty-one percent reported they send and receive text messages while driving (Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2009). Also, in 2007, eighty-one percent of people reported that they had cell phones with them while they drove and only ten percent said that they never used their cell phones while driving. This study was in 2007, since then the popularity of cell phones has rapidly gone up, meaning that these statistics have increased as well. All of these prove just how many people are putting themselves and others at risk. Even the people who do not operate cell phones while they drive are at risk because a number of people do use their cell phones while they drive. This little fact right here eliminates the people who will argue against cell phones being a problem by saying that not many people use them when, clearly they are used and encountered quite often. Since the operation of cell phones while driving are a part of distracted driving, which is one of the most dangerous and prevalent causes of accidents, cell phone usage can be very dangerous while a person is driving.
Cell phones can be very convenient, but while driving, they are dangerous and deadly. Various studies have been conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to show exactly just how dangerous they can be. Most people initially will not want to admit to cell phones being dangerous, however when faced with facts, data, and statistics, people will have no choice but to admit that cell phone usage while driving is, in fact, very dangerous. One study showed nearly sixteen percent of all motor vehicle fatalities and twenty-two percent of all motor vehicle injuries were caused from distracted driving (Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2009). This study went on to say that texting while driving has killed more than sixteen thousand people from 2001-2007 and that number has only increased over the years (Distracted Driving: No Texting). People will argue and say that this study is only clarified as distracted driving and not specified as the operation of a cell phone during driving, however, the usage of cell phones is the highest form of distracted driving and, as stated above, with the increase in cell phones came the increase in distracted driving.
Another study that also showed how dangerous cell phone usage while driving can be was conducted by Virginia Tech and it concluded that people driving motor vehicles are 2.8 and 1.3 times more likely to be in a crash while dialing, answering, talking, and listening on a cell phone. Some people might not see this as dangerous because it is only 2.8 and 1.3, but these numbers mean that every person driving has a 2.8 and 1.3 risk at danger while operating a cell phone and If they thought about how many drivers they come in contact with, all having this likelihood while using cell phones, the number would be sky high. This is dangerous because of the loss involved in crashes. All of these likelihoods, danger, and risk could all just be avoided with the absence of cell phones. Another study only strengthened this argument as it showed that when drivers look away to send, receive, or read text messages, they take their eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds and at only fifty-five miles per hour, cover the length of a football field. In that amount of time a driver would not be able to see or prevent a crash (Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2009). A football field is a giant area, in which a lot can happen. A person would not be able to see potential trouble coming up if they were going an average speed limit, which is dangerous to those around them as well as themselves. Some people might try to oppose this fact by saying they can text while not even looking at their cell phone. This is a very strong opposing argument because a vast majority of teenagers spend most of their time texting and have become so good at it they do not need to watch their fingers type it out, such as typing on a computer for some people. However, simply operating cell phones, without even looking, while driving can have the same effects as driving under the influence of alcohol (Distracted Driving: No texting).
A study was performed to prove this fact. Forty people participated in driving while operating cell phones, and driving completely normally. All of the results showed that when the people drove with impairment, such as with cell phones or under the influence, they did not drive safe for themselves or other people. They followed to close, sped, braked too heavy, and did not have sufficient recovery or reaction time. When the people were driving with no impairments they drove completely safe for themselves and others (Drews, Frank. Crouch, Dennis. Strayer, David). This study does not mean that operating a cell phone while driving and driving under the influence are equal, but that they both have similar negative effects that cause problems for the driver and others on the roads. These problems from driving with impairments are very dangerous and can cause very harmful and lasting effects if they are not confronted and dealt with. Even with all of these facts presented, people will still insist upon driving while using a cell phone as not a big deal so our government made a video to show people, by using scare tactics, just how devastating one small choice can be. This video, made by the United States Government that can be viewed publically on the web channel, youtube, was sent out to schools for the student bodies to view that showed results of a recreated crash scene that resulted in a young girl texting while driving. In this very vivid video, a car is filled with girls who are excited and all talking to each other. The driver was trying to send a text when suddenly the car slowly veers out of the lane and hits another car in the incoming traffic lane at a high speed dead on. After that first crash, a second car slams into the car filled with the young girls, killing all of them except the driver. In the cars where no one was texting, everyone is killed, even a baby. The only survivor is a little girl asking her mommy and daddy to “wake up” and the young girl who was texting while driving. This video brings to light how real, scary and devastating texting while driving can be. It is shown to schools in the Saint Vrain Valley School District in Colorado to show teens what can happen and to scare/encourage them into abstaining from texting while driving.
A person could simply not argue with all these facts. Deep down, every person knows just how dangerous and risky driving while using a cell phone is, just like how people understand the risks and consequences of smoking tobacco but they still do it. People know that smoking tobacco is not good for their lungs, they can even physically see it by coughing into a napkin and noticing the black residue that comes out of their bodies that is definitely not oxygen or meant to come out of them. Warnings are even placed on cigarette boxes that say things like, “smoking seriously harms you and those around you” or “ cigarettes are highly addictive” or even as simple as “smoking kills” but people still choose to ignore these warning and keep smoking anyways. This can be related to using cell phones while driving. People know that it is risky and harmful but most they choose to ignore it because of the convenience of it, but is convenience really worth a life or death risk?
Laws have been put into place but they just are not taking care of this problem completely. Twenty-one states have banned the use of cell phones from minors and nineteen states do not allow text messaging while driving at all. A close up look of some of these laws can be seen in Colorado. Drivers under eighteen years old may not use a cell phone at all while they are driving. An adult cannot send text messages while they are driving but they are allowed to talk on the phone as long as they have a hands-free device. In emergencies, drivers of any age are allowed to use a cell phone for a phone call as long as they have a hands-free device. A driver cannot be ticketed for the operation of a phone illegally unless they were also performing another illegal action (Morrison). So even these laws do not completely rid people of the dangers cell phone operation cause while driving.
In order to completely eliminate the operation of cell phones while driving, The United States Department of Transportation will require every person in the United States, who is a licensed, insured driver to have a system installed in their car that will sync up and disable their cell phone while the vehicle is turned on. This system will work like navigation systems and call phone reception jammers combined. When the car is turned on, information cannot be input into a navigation system, this system will do the same thing except it will turn the phone completely off by using a cell phone reception jammer that is incorporated into the system. In order to make sure people actually truly do get this system set up in their car, the United States Department of Transportation will disable all licenses until there is a documented proof from insurance companies saying that the system is installed. In order to be able to have car insurance, a person will have to have this system installed. After all of this is complete, the license will be valid again. There will be fines and punishments for the people that refuse to get the system installed in their cars. With every solution to a problem comes opposition that does need to be addressed at some point and the solutions to the opposition of this problem only make roads safer for people to travel on, which is the whole goal of this proposal.
With this solution in particular, people are going to get pretty enraged and try to fight and argue against it because they will not want to have their phone completely disabled while they drive because of how convenient cell phones are. If there has been an accident, emergency, or illegal activities and a person needs to use their cell phone to call the police they can pull over and turn the car off to call the police. They will have to let the officers know where it is and information about it as well as be there when the officers arrive to provide an explanation of what they saw so they will need to be there anyways. If someone is endangered while they are driving (such as medical problems or being threatened) the system will allow one automatic emergency call to the local police by pressing the ‘1’ button on the cell phone for proof of a real emergency. If a person needs direction they will need to pull over and turn the car off. Doing this also gives time for person to figure out where they are and where they need to go to get to their destination. Since this is a legal act, bosses will not be allowed to expect their employees to answer the phone if they are driving and employees cannot be punished for doing so. If someone is on a long road trip, then they will have to use their phone at rest stops or invest in a map for directions. All of these clearly answer oppositions and just strengthen this solution into a solidified plan of action that will really solve the problem at hand.
This dangerous problem can be easily solved by having one small system installed into cars. This system will work for all types of cars and phones. It will resemble a Garmin Navigation System, which looks like a small, rectangular box. The company, Garmin will be making these systems for the government because the system has so much in common with navigation systems. The system will work like a navigation system and cell phone reception jammer combined. When people purchase the system from their insurance company, a representative will program the persons cell phone number into the system along with the cars insurance number and license number. Then when the system is in the car it will disable the cell phone, like navigation systems, by enabling the cell phone reception jammer, essentially turning the phone off. The system will be given out to people who have their cars licensed and insured and until this system is set up and working, a persons license will be on hold and he or she will be in danger of loosing his or her license. People will also have to have this system in order to have car insurance. People will have until April of 2012 to get the system for the same price as license plates cost and their licenses revalidated. After that, the Insurance companies will be able to determine costs of the system and charge their customers whatever they please. Every person who has a license must have this system installed by August of 2012 or they will owe up to three times what their personal Insurance companies were charging for the system. If a person has still refused all of these by September 2012, their license will be revoked for six months. If people are unable to pay for the system, then they will just have to accept that their license will be revoked and they will no longer be driving. All of these deadlines and concrete rules with definitely provide some unhappy people but it will keep them safe, which is more important.
If this problem is not solved truly, accidents will continue to go up and more lives will be lost. This solution is the only effective and inexpensive way to eliminate cell phone usage while driving because it completely eliminates cell phone use while driving by turning the phone completely off. This solution is logical and the implementation is a reachable and fair opportunity for everyone. Operating a cell phone while driving cannot be looked over; it is a life or death matter. This is America, arguably, the safest place to live, and in order to make it even more safe is by eliminating one of the most prevalent causes of death, car accidents, that are greatly caused by distracted driving and cell phone usage. Every single person can be responsible right now by cooperating with this new system and ultimately save their own lives as well as others by helping to eliminate the cell phone usage while driving problem. It is time to save lives.
Works Cited
1. Drews, Frank. Crouch, Dennis. Strayer, David. A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver. University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. 2005. http://www.distraction.gov/research/PDF-Files/Comparison-of-CellPhone-Driver-Drunk-Driver.pdf
2. Morrison, Kurtis. Cell phone use and distracted driving laws. Denver, CO: Colorado Legislative Council, 2010. http://cospl.coalliance.org/fez/eserv/co:7645/ga4201004internet.pdf
3. Distracted Driving: no texting. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2011. http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo12989/3416distracted-driving-flyer.pdf
4. Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2009: report of the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation on S. 1938. United States Congress, Senate, and Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2010. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-111srpt355/pdf/CRPT-111srpt355.pdf
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