Over the last two decades, cell phones have become very popular. Today, almost everyone has a cell phone, especially if they are old enough to drive. Cell phone use while driving has become a big controversy over the last few years and many people have faced the consequences of texting, calling, or searching their cell phones while operating a vehicle. With that being said, there are several reasons why people should not use their phones while driving. These reasons can be classified into a couple of different categories, including safety and legal reasons.

The first reason to not use a cell phone while driving is that it can result in injury or death for the driver or someone else. This could pose a safety hazard and would therefore fall under the safety category. Statistically, there are 1.6 million car crashes that are caused by texting and driving each year. Almost 390,000 injuries each year from accidents involve a cell phone or other device. Also, 1 out of every 4 car accidents are caused by texting and driving in the U.S. Therefore, there is always a risk that an accident will happen as a result of cell phone use and could harm anyone involved in the accident.

The second reason to not use a cell phone while driving is that it can result in property damage for the driver or someone else, which could pose a safety hazard but could also result in someone pressing charges. Therefore, this could be classified under the safety category and the legal category. As mentioned above, crashes due to cell phone use while driving are very common in the United States. It can cause damage to other vehicles, houses, and or company buildings. Whatever your insurance doesn't cover you have to pay out of pocket and these damages can get really expensive. Any insurance claim could also cause your monthly payments to go up.

The last reason to not use a cell phone while driving is that it is against the law in many states such as Georgia, which would fall under the legal category. On July 1, 2018, Georgia passed a Hands-Free law that basically says that anyone driving a motor vehicle on a highway in Georgia is not allowed to hold a phone with any part of their bodies. A first-time offense for using a cell phone and driving is $50, the second is $100, and the third is $150. Each offense after the third one is also $150 each. Every offense is a misdemeanor that would go on your permanent record.

There are multiple reasons why you should not use your phone while driving. This distracted driving can lead to car wrecks that could cause harm to you, to someone in your car, or to anyone else involved in the accident. An accident could also cause damage to your car, to someone else's car, or to homes, buildings, and other property damage. It is also illegal in many other states so if you are caught you could be fined up to $150 and it would go on your permanent record. Because of these potential safety hazards and legal issues, it is best to not use a cell phone while driving a vehicle.