Sunday, July 11, 2010

Cell Phone Use Should be Banned While Driving ,In 2005 in the UK 13 deaths and over 400 injuries were attributed to accidents where drivers were using cell phones, deaths which could have possibly been avoided. There are 4 main reasons for banning cell phones at the wheel: Research has proven that it is difficult to concentrate on driving and talking at the same time.Speaking on a cell phone is an anti-social activity because it puts the lives of others at risk. It doesn't matter how well we drive, if another driver is not being as professional or as careful, especially using a phone and splitting his/her attention, we are put in danger by their actions. Talking on a phone while driving reduces the competence level to control the vehicle as well as increasing the response time to any danger. By speaking on cell phones while driving, such a responsibility is treated with impunity and the dangers ignored. The driver does not deserve to be in front of that wheel. There was a time not long ago when no one had a cell/mobile phone and we all got on with our business quite adequately. Cell phones might be very useful for an emergency situation, but there really is no need for anyone to have one in a car and talking on it.Hands-free models were still found in many studies to distract the driver even though the driver had both hands on the wheel. In some studies, drivers themselves have admitted that they've become distracted emotionally when they use any type of cell phone while driving. When driver concentration is impaired, the focus is away from the road and from operating the vehicle at maximum efficiency. Also, there could be a false sense of hope if people think they are being safe because they're using a hands-free model of cell phone while driving.Some companies have enacted policies for their employees that state that an employee must not use a cell phone while driving, but must always pull over and stop the vehicle safely before using the phone. Some studies have shown that using a cell phone while driving is actually just as dangerous as driving drunk! Both factors can impair concentration as well as reaction time to other vehicles or problems on the road. If a cell phone is used in crawling traffic such as a traffic jam, it is not as likely to cause danger as when a driver uses a cell phone at even moderate speeds or on twisting and turning roads.A recent British study showed that talking on a mobile phone while driving was more hazardous than operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Tests conducted by scientists for UK-based insurance firm, Direct Line, involved 20 subjects using a driving simulator to test reaction times and driving performance and compared this to when drivers had too much to drink. The results showed drivers' reaction times were, on average, 30 percent slower when talking on a handheld mobile phone than when legally drunk - and nearly 50 percent slower than under normal driving conditions. The tests also showed that drivers talking on phones were less able than drunk drivers to maintain a constant speed, and they had greater difficulty keeping a safe distance from the car in front.

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