Did you know that 26 percent of all motor vehicle crashes are related to the use of cell phones? Well, it's true! The level of danger related to the use of cell phones while driving is downright startling! The amount of distractions has drastically increased since the invention of cell phones. Not only do today's cell phones allow us to call, text, or chat at will, but they also give us access to hours of music and to interactive tools like GPS. Due to these capabilities, I believe that drivers should not be able to use their cell phones in any capacity.

Smartphones have always made it easy for us to stay connected, but that can pose serious safety risks if someone decides to check his/her text messages, emails, phone calls, or social media platforms while driving. A driver can travel the distance of a football field in the time that it takes for them to answer one text message! According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, each day about 11 teenagers die in car crashes caused by texting while driving.

Car radios have always been a distraction to drivers, but the new advancements in smartphones gives us hours of music at our fingertips. We now can not only use music apps like Pandora or Spotify but we also can download endless amounts of music onto our smartphones. We can even use YouTube to listen to music videos! All of this music browsing not only distracts us from driving, but the volume level can also impair us from hearing approaching emergency vehicles traveling at high speeds.

Gone are the days of looking at paper maps. Today's cell phones all offer GPS to help drivers navigate in unknown areas. While this feature is very convenient and helpful, it can also lead to distractions while driving. Constant checking of the map on the screen to check where you are going keeps your eyes off of the actual road in front of you.

In conclusion, I feel that drivers should not be allowed to use their cell phones while operating a vehicle. Even though today's cell phones offer us a lot of convenience, they also offer a lot of distractions. I hope with these bits of information, you'll make the right decision when you're on the road next. Answering that text message is not worth your life!