Phones & Driving

Everyone sees drivers using their phones, but most people don't notice that sometimes it's you. Mobile devices have taken over during this technological era. The majority of people have and enjoy using phones. Whether they're looking at the newest post from someone on social media or texting a friend, family member, or stranger. Phones have the ability to keep people occupied for long or short periods of time. Using phones is okay until it comes to driving while using them. It turns into a whole new scenario where the user is gambling with their life with every tap, swipe, or click. Drivers should not be able to use cell phones for any reason while operating a motor vehicle; it puts you and others lives in danger, it is equally as bad as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and it's illegal in most states.

Distracted driving by the use of cellphones alone causes 2,600 deaths yearly. About 330,000 minor or major driving injuries too. Using mobile devices while driving impairs your ability to operate a motor vehicle. Forcing you to take your eyes off the road and focus your attention on it rather than the environment around you. Even if it's just for a couple of seconds, this can be devastating and lead to serious injury. Studies show that drivers who just talk to someone on a cellphone rather than texting respond to emergency braking situations 18 percent slower than if not. Imagine if these drivers were texting rather than just talking, putting their attention more into the message they're sending rather than the road in front of them. An emergency braking situation could be tragic for these drivers and lead to serious injury to them and the drivers in front and behind them. This shows that distracted driving can be devastating to you, and for the people in the vicinity. The danger caused by distracted driving is on par if not worse than driving under the influence.

Driving under the influence is seen as the sin of all driving, but is it really? A study done by Harvard University found that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was very similar to driving distracted. 40 patients, nine percent of distracted drivers drove slower before breaking. 24 percent displayed an inability to keep pace with other cars because of the constant shifting of their attention. The same study found drunk drivers drove "a bit" slower than distracted and undistracted divers. With a serious increase of aggression, they pace cars more closely and more likely to break only seconds before a collision could occur. They also hit their breaks 23 percent harder than distracted and undistracted drivers. All participants had a BAC higher than 0.08 percent. The zebra's 2017 study states in 2015 drunk driving caused more deaths, while distracted caused more accidents. 10,265 drunk driving deaths vs 3,477 distracted driving deaths. 290,000 injuries caused by drunk driving vs 391,000 injuries caused by distracted driving. While drunk driving caused more deaths distracted driving caused more injuries, injuries that have the possibility of leaving permanent damage on the victim's body. Ruining innocent people's lives impeding what they once were good at just because a driver-focused their attention on their phone rather than their surroundings. States are now taking action against distracted driving to attempt to stop or at least cut down on driving accidents.

Currently, 48 states have banned texting and driving. Washington was the first state to ever pass any form of texting ban, doing it in 2007. 20 states have banned handheld cellphone use. No state has banned complete cellphone use, but 38 states have banned all cellphone use for teenagers who are operating the vehicle. All states who pass these laws all have a common goal. To lower distracted driver accident ratings for the state at hand, but do the laws work? Yes and no, California cell phone usage dropped 57% from 9.3% of drivers to 3.3% using their cellphones after the ban on handhelds in 2008. Even if the usage of cellphones dropped the crash ratings haven't this is where the no comes from. Bans in New York hope to see a decline in crash ratings, but there was basically no difference. The reason being drivers switched from handheld devices to using the car's new built-in interfaces to interact with the outside world. The new built-in interfaces aren't any safer like the companies claim they are and are just as bad when it comes to causing accidents. Banning the use of cellphones while driving did work because the use of actual cellphones dropped, but with new car technology allowing cellphones to connect to the car's interface the risk and threat of distracted driving is still just as bad.

Driving distracted isn't okay, and it never will be. It's the root of a majority of driving accidents. It can cause injury to you and the people around often fatal. It can even cost someone their life. It isn't as life-threatening as driving under the influence, but it's still dangerous.

Driving bans have lowered ratings cellphone use while operating a vehicle, but they still fail in stopping accidents. No matter how many laws are pushed or lives are taken driving distracted is here to stay unless something major changes. Car manufacturers are creating new technology that makes it easier than ever to drive distracted. It's a losing battle and it only gets worse by the year. Drivers shouldn't drive distracted, yet they still do, accidents happen every day. Just try to make sure you aren't on the giving end and hope that you aren't on the receiving.

Phones & Driving Citations

"On The Road." Distracted Driving, www. nsc. org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-driving.

Rogers, Mike. "Facts About Cell Phones and Driving: Safe Driving Facts." Drive, 20 Nov. 2018, www. drive-safely. net/cell-phones-and-driving/.

Essex, Amanda. Cellular Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws, www. ncsl. org/research/transportation/cellular-phone-use-and-texting-while-driving-laws. aspx.

Burgess, Ted, et al. "Which Is More Dangerous: DUI or Driving While Using a Cell Phone?"

Los Angeles DUI Lawyer Information, 19 Aug. 2016, www. losangelesduilawyer. org/los-angeles-dui-info/which-is-more-dangerous-dui-or-driving-whi le-using-a-cell-phone/.

Held, Joey HeldJoey, and Joey Held. "Drunk Driving vs Distracted Driving: Which Is More Dangerous: Quoted." Insurance News | The Zebra, 10 May 2018, www. thezebra. com/insurance-news/4671/drunk-driving-vs-distracted-driving-dangerous/.

"GHSA." Home, www. ghsa. org/state-laws/issues/Distracted-Driving.

"How Effective Are New Distracted Driving Laws?" Traffic School Online, 29 May 2019, trafficschoolonline. com/blog/new-distracted-driving-laws.