Combining these figures with the 210 million licensed drivers in the US, amounted to a risk factor of roughly 1,660 fatalities per year involving cell phone related accidents. California, Florida, and Massachusetts are the only states that impose minor restrictions on cell phone use in automobiles. As of yet the federal government has done nothing to limit cell phone use in automobiles. The industry argues that they are linked to careless driving and not problems directly related to the device. Cellular industry supporters insist that cell phones pose only a minor nuisance, and that can be easily corrected with education and training.
Supporters cite numerous benefits to cell phone use in automobiles.
These benefits include economic reasons such as conducting business while stuck in traffic. Personal safety concerns , that is the ease of making a call in an emergency. According to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, recent economic studies suggest that the monetary value of using a cellular phone while driving exceeds the costs, even when those costs include safety risks expressed in dollar units. References Armour, Stephanie. Workers Told to Stay off Cell Phones.