Is A Phone Call Worth Risking Your Life?
The definition of an automobile, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, states that an automobile is “usually a four-wheeled motored vehicle designed for passenger transportation.” As technology advanced, automobiles became much more than that, though. Cassette players were the first type of entertainment that we enjoyed in our cars. Now vehicle interiors have reached new heights. Voice-activated music systems and dashboard video monitors that dictate turn-by-turn directions are just a few examples of the luxuries that appear in many new cars today. Many of these systems aim to improve safety issues and decrease distraction, but it is still technological devices that we use every day that are creating the most concern for safety.
The first point I’d like to address is the dangers associated with this topic. Why do some of us fail to see that texting or conversing on a cell causes distractions that endanger our lives and the lives of others? The issue has been the focus of many recent studies that attempt to demonstrate the dangers of cell phone use while driving. One such study entitled “The impact of cell phones on motor vehicle fatalities” that was performed by Peter Loeb and William Clarke and appeared in Applied Economics, dealt with the life saving vs. life-taking properties of cell phone use while driving. They examined data that dates back from the early 1980s to the present on crash fatalities. They also reviewed the number of people that had a cell phone subscribed in their name. Nationwide Insurance estimates that currently there are about 270 million cell phones in use in the U.S. More importantly, Nationwide also found that 78% of adults over 18 are both drivers and cell phone owners. Loeb and Clarke’s data showed that cell phones had once had a life-saving effect, but “as cell ownership exceeded 100 million, the life-taking effect surpassed the potential life-saving effect” (Loeb and Clarke 2). Their findings provides strong support for polices that could reduce cell phone use while driving.
I agree that cell phones can be used as safety devices in some situations, but they seem to pose too big of a threat while behind the wheel. While there are countless times when cell phones are used to contact emergency dispatchers, more people use cell phones for non-emergencies while driving. This excessive use has led to an increase in traffic accidents that cannot be ignored. According to a report on the website for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, “about 25-30% of accidents that occur are a result of driver error due to cell phone use” (AAAfoundation.org).
There are many out there who are attempting to come up with solutions to the problem. One answer to the problem that I would like to see implemented would be new government policies. But as I have found, cell phone use legislation has been met with strong resistance from cellular phone lobbyists. As is often the case, business interests often hold the most influence when it comes to pushing for legislation. Still, there are many out there that feel the same way I do on the issue. Another attempt to reduce the use of cellular use while driving is being promoted by Ira Leesfield and Richard Segal. These two attorneys have a logical plan that seems very practical and is one that I feel should be taken into consideration.
In their article entitled “Driving While on the Cell Phone: Punitive Damage Awards Should Come Through Loud and Clear” attorneys Leesfield and Segal realize that some states have mandated bans on cell phone use while driving, but the push for national reform has been met with opposition from cell phone companies looking out for their profits. They suggest that if it is impossible to stop the behavior with laws that prohibit the actions, which seems to be the case at this time, then maybe the courts should be involved in other ways. They advocate that “punitive damage” penalties be extended to accidents involving a driver who was using a cell phone. Similar laws apply to drunk driving offenders, where punitive damage laws attempt to deter the act and provide retribution. Leesfield and Segal believe that “like DWI, driving while on the cell phone is an intentional, voluntary behavior that unnecessarily endangers drivers, passengers, and pedestrians” (Leesfield and Segal 1).
I agree with the authors and feel that a driver on a cell phone has made the decision to do so, and if his/her actions cause an accident then he/she should be held responsible and stricter penalties should be enforced. Leesfield and Segal point out that it would be fairly easy to prove if the driver was using the cell phone at the time of the crash, because phone records show the time when calls are placed and also when data is sent or received in text messages. I’m not advocating for jail time, but heavy fines that make the act almost unaffordable would really make drivers evaluate their driving habits and hopefully deter the act of using a cell phone at the wheel.
Researchers aren’t just trying to inform lawmakers, they are actually attempting to create the push for action. While our country doesn’t have federal rules that apply to all highways and roads, some states do have laws in place that make the dangerous act of driving while on a phone illegal. Citations and tickets are given in at least 18 states, with some states even setting certain restrictions on school bus drivers. Many businesses that have company drivers have also made it illegal for their employees to talk on the phone or text while driving, both realizing the dangers of the act and covering themselves from lawsuits in the event of a crash caused by a driver using a cell phone. But companies aren’t the only ones putting this rule in place. In October, President Obama signed an executive order banning employees of the federal government from using cell phones while driving government vehicles. The ban also applies to the workers who use their own vehicles to conducting government business. A ban on cell phone use for all interstate truckers and bus drivers has also been presented but has not had the same support as other cell phone bans.
If the federal government requires it’s employees to kick the habit, shouldn’t there be federal laws that ban cell phone use while driving for everyone? Much like the federal programs that encourage smokers to quit, I believe we need federal intervention to get drivers to stop using cell phones while behind the wheel. I realize how important cell phones have become in our society. But as a driver, I am also seeing how cell phones pose a threat to myself and other drivers on the road. That’s why I encourage everyone to evaluate his or her driving habits and make changes that will put an end to this risky behavior. I hope the government will come up with ways to help us pay attention to the road and somehow effectively keep us off our phones while behind the wheel.
Works Cited
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Resources. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=links
Leesfield, I., and R. Segal. "Driving While on the Cell Phone: Punitive Damage Awards Should Come Through Loud and Clear. " The Brief 36.4 (2007): 58-62. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.
