German Bundestag - Essay Example

Letter of Transmittal Ms. Angela Markel The Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany Honorable Chancellor I submit herewith a proposal in support of implementing the strict laws and regulations in order to restrict the use of mobile phones during driving. Various research studies have suggested that using mobile phones during driving is risky for the safety of drivers and drivers despite knowing the risks still use the same. This report is an attempt to present fact and figures along with pursuing the German Bundestang to make law regarding the use of mobile phones during driving. With this proposal I request you to give a due consideration to a very important issue to pursue this to the members of Parliament so that an effective law can made. Your kind consideration for this report will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely Contents Letter of Transmittal 1 Contents 2 Informative Abstract 4 Audience Profile 6 Conclusion of Audience Analysis 8 Use of mobile phones during driving 9 How German government can tackle this issue 11 Conclusion 15 References 16 Informative Abstract German Bundestang is the chief body in Germany which is responsible for the law making in the country. Considering the control of German government over the systems in the country therefore the responsibility for implementing regulations regarding the use of mobile phones during the driving lies with the government. It has been argued that the use of mobile phones during the driving is not safe and can cause serious safety issues for the drivers therefore German Government should be implementing regulations such that they teach and educate the drivers to avoid using the mobile phones during the driving. This education should emphasis on the possible consequences of the use of mobile phones during driving on the lives of the drivers and others who can fall victim of reckless driving because of this fact. Further through the implementation of this new regulation, drivers, using the mobile phones during driving, should be penalized for not only breaking the law but putting at risk the lives of others besides and themselves. This report intended to pursue the government to not only sanction funds for the public awareness but also for the creation of proper regulations in the country so that the use of cell phones during driving can be avoided. Technology has made our lives easier and efficient as technology has been the most important variables which have virtually revolutionized our daily lives. However, its use can be harmful if technology is not used properly. The use of mobile phones during driving is one such example which is causing many deaths as drivers of the cars sometimes lose concentration and resultantly causes accidents to them. Though its use during the driving is prohibited in many countries however still many motorists tend to ignore the restrictions and use the cell phones during their driving. A survey by AA Trust reported that motorists across the Europe know about the restrictions on the use of cell phones during the driving however the fines and penalties imposed by various governments are different in each country. (IMA, 2008). However it must be noted that drivers are partially aware of the use of the cell phones during the driving is limited too as many considered that they can use the mobile phones during the driving whereas many believe that the use of hands free during the driving is permitted and hand-held sets are not. The issue is not whether the drivers are aware of the same or not, what is most important is the fact that governments need to take proactive measures in order to ensure that drivers during driving take care of the fact that their lives may be in danger if they continue to talk on cell phones during their driving period. This report will pursue a case to the German government- German Bundestag needs to take proactive measures in order to ensure that the use of mobile phones during driving is restricted and only done by following the government mandated guidelines. As discussed by Flippo (2002), the German government has extensive control over the systems in Germany therefore the implementation of the project is the ultimate responsibility of the government itself. Audience Profile This report is intended to be presented to the German Bundestag in order to pursue them to restrict the use of mobile phones during the driving and its use is only done within the parameters as outlined by the government. This intended audience selection is based on the fact the German government has extensive control over the systems in Germany therefore the ultimate responsibility for controlling the use of mobile phones during the driving is the responsibility of the German government. German Bundestag is the name given to the German Parliament which is considered as the main center of the German Politics. It is also considered as the supreme civil authority of the country with absolute powers of making laws in the country. During last elections which were held in 2005, 612 members of the Parliament were elected and most of them belonged to five parties. The members of the Parliament or German Bundestag are the actual audience of this report since this report intends to pursue a case of implementing restrictions on the use of mobile phones during driving. This group of readers of this report will be the primary readers of this report with specially emphasis being placed on the members of the ruling party i.e. Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union. One of the most important characteristics of our intended primary audience is the fact that all of them are those who have the legislative power to implement the proposed law of restricting the use of cell phones during driving. There are two main personalities in German Bundestang to which this report will especially emphasis on and pursue. One is the President of the German Parliament and other is the Chancellor of the Germany, having the executive powers in the country. Angela Markel, the first female chancellor of this country is currently ruling the country and being the chief executive of the country she has the powers to bring new laws in the country through the approval of the Parliament. It is important to note that she was instrumental behind the declaration of Treaty of Lisbon- a treaty which is considered as one of milestones in the history of Europe. On domestic grounds she has the history of initiating health care reforms and also focused on the energy development for the country. (Wikipedia, 2008). Though the her leadership history suggest that she has not diverted her attention to this area of concerns however her health care reforms critically suggest that she would be open to this persuasion as the mobile phone use during driving pose a significant health related safety issues also. Our secondary audience will be diversified in nature. This report intends to address three different kinds of secondary audiences. Firstly, the members of the German Parliament to which this idea will be floated and pursued as they are the actual persons who basically vote for the laws to be made. Secondly, this report also intends to address the various government functionaries i.e. Police and other government bodies which will be basically enforcing this law and prepare the modalities to implement this law in its true spirit. Further to this it is also important to note that these authorities are also those who actually participate in teaching the general public as to what to do during driving and how to avoid breaking the law and remain within the assigned limits of the law. Thus there is a bigger responsibility on our secondary audience as they are the people who will actually ensure that the proposed law is effectively implemented. Our last intended audience is the general public who uses the mobile phones during the driving. This report will attempt to address and highlight various issues of importance for the general public to mend their behaviors during the driving and avoid using it because doing so would not only put their lives under threat but also they may be charged under the law for the violation of law. Conclusion of Audience Analysis There are primary as well as secondary sources of readers of this report. This report is primarily intended for the Chancellor of Germany to be presented to the German Bundestang in order to make a law which restricts the use of mobile phones during driving in Germany. Secondary sources include the members of the Parliament, Federal Government bodies as well as General public. Use of mobile phones during driving "Driving in Germany can be both an exhilarating and frustrating experience. In a country renowned for its high performance cars, high speed Autobahns, and frustrated drivers, Germany hosts more traffic volume than any nation in Europe and, as a result, suffers the Continent's highest injury-accident rate. Many German traffic regulations differ a great deal from those observed in the United States. It is essential for safety sake to know these rules and to be familiar with the international road signs." (http://germany.usembassy.gov, 2008) The above quotes are the advice given by the US diplomatic mission in Germany to the citizens coming to Germany and clearly indicate the level of exhilaration present in driving within Germany. Add mobile phones using during the driving to this and you will find this experience as horrible. The basic purpose of outlining the above quote is the fact that Driving in Germany is already a task which has the great probability of adding to the safety woes of the general public and if drivers use mobile phones during the driving this experience can be more worse than imagined. Studies conducted in various parts of the world suggest that drivers' distraction and inattention play a role in almost 20 to 30% road accidents as drivers through internal or external distraction can easily lose their attention from the vehicle which could result into an accident. (Dragutinovic & Twisk, 2005). It is also however being argued that these kind of road crashes are going to increase in the future as the use of more and more technology while driving can significantly increase the risk of safety. Studies conducted in this regard repeatedly suggest that the drivers have accepted that they are using mobile phones during their driving. The use of mobile phones causes distractions to the drivers on two counts. One the use of mobile phones during the driving create physical distraction for the drivers as when they interact with their cell phones as well as vehicle, they tend to lose the hand eye coordination that has the potential to distract the drivers and virtually force them to commit accidents. Second distraction happens on the cognitive level as the attention of the drivers is shifted while using mobile phones during the driving. This shifting into the attention of the drivers again create distraction and inattention for the drivers resulting into the loose control over the vehicle during the driving which again has the potential to create road crashes. Study mentioned above even suggest that the use of mobile phones during driving increases the chances of the road crashes by four times as compared to the road crashes which occur due to reasons other than the use of mobile phones. (Dragutinovic & Twisk, 2005). This is an ample proof of the fact that the use of mobile phones during driving greatly put the lives of the drivers at risk thus there is a need for the effective legislation which can ensure that the use of mobile phones during driving is minimized. How German government can tackle this issue It is important to mention here the fact that the role of German government in controlling the civil society has greatly increased in recent past. The anti-terror laws which have been implemented after the incident of 9/11 gave Police sweeping powers which have even being used for curtailing the social unrest and implementing important reforms by the government. (Kreickenbaum, 2005). These laws have given the various government authorities more penetrating powers to implement and control various systems in the country thus the responsibility for the implementation of the new regulations for the restriction of mobile phone use during the driving mostly now lies with the government. It also must be noted that the use of Hands Free equipments during the driving is permitted in Germany however studies conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists suggest that 80.3% drivers in the country respond to their incoming calls on hand held devices while driving. This fact suggest that the available regulations are not being properly framed as well as being implemented suggesting a gross violation of not only the law but also the prudent driving concepts as using mobile phones during the driving process can be costly to the life of the driver itself as well as for those who can suffer the consequences of the same. German Government in order to control this need to implement strict regulatory environment in the country. Given the fact that the use of mobile phones during driving is not safe for the drivers, German government is pursued to make amendments in the existing laws and implement more strict rules and regulations so that the safety of the drivers and others is ensured. This regulatory environment in the country must ensure that the laws made in the country are followed in their true spirits and there are minimal deviations from the law. In order to achieve these results, Government needs to be proactive in their bid to ensure the road safety and minimize the use of mobile phones during driving. The first and foremost measure is education in which drivers need to be made aware of the impact their decision to use mobile phones while driving can have on the lives of others. This education needs to come from public messages and government services which pass a positive message as well as prohibitive warnings to drivers. In order to achieve the above, what government needs to do is to sanction the funds for the creation of public awareness campaign. This campaign should be launched with the help of the various government authorities who can design an effective mechanism to inform and educate the drivers of the potential difficulties and safety issue that they can face while using mobile phones during driving. This campaign should be launched on multiple platforms as Government should start broadcasting messages over the public radio stations about the implementation of law, the potential harms of the use of mobile phones as well as the amount of penalties which would be imposed on drivers caught using their mobile phones during the driving. The role of government official should be active and aggressive in this campaign as it will require them to be more proactive in their approach as well as ensuring that they will be the lead figures in those whole campaign and may help create a positive impact for the government as government officials will be involved into a campaign which has the potential to create awareness about something which is of increasing importance. This can be achieved through the use of issuing statements to the local press about the intended outcomes of the campaign and what roles and responsibilities are assigned to the drivers regarding the use of mobile phones during driving. This is also important to note that Government officials should also highlight the potential penalties to be imposed on drivers who deliberately use of mobile phones during driving. The second phase of this campaign require that the government also while initiating the public awareness scheme also make new laws which impose fines and penalties on the drivers who use mobile phones during the driving. During the public awareness campaign, Government officials would also provide the details of the new laws to be implemented under which if drivers are found violating the rules and regulations regarding the use of mobile phones will be punished. It must also be noted that the Police officers and those authorities who are basically responsible for the implementation of these laws start implementing the same and also provide their evaluation reports regarding the effectiveness of the new laws in controlling the use of mobile phones during driving. It is also important to mention that apart from the government officials, the other resources and equipments of the government may also be used in this campaign because of the fact that implementation of these rules will require substantial technological back up in order to effectively monitor the behaviors and attitudes of the drivers during their driving. It is also important to note that the Government agencies may not require additional work force to effectively implement this changed rule however if at the later stage it is being observed that the government or its agencies require the services of the more staff, they can do so in order to ensure the better implementation of the law regarding the use of cell phones. The estimated budget for the whole project is around One million Euros and it is believed that most of the money will be spent on creating public awareness about the potential harms of the use of the mobile phones during driving. It is also estimated that only 20% of the overall budget will be spent on the administrative expense and the rest will be spent on public. Thus the government will be utilizing the public money for the cause of a greater good of the society. Conclusion Using mobile phones while driving is dangerous and the growing evidence suggest that drivers despite knowing the law are violating it deliberately. The use of the mobile phones can distract the drivers thus causing harm to the lives of drivers as well as others. Considering this fact, German Bundestang is pursued to create relevant laws to restrict the use of mobile phones during driving. Not only the creation of law has been recommended but government is also pursued to sanction funds for the start of a public awareness campaign which, with the help of the radio and other media channels, can significantly help government to achieve its intended objectives at very low budget. References Dragutinovic, N., & Twisk, D. (2005). Use of Mobile Phones during driving - Effects on Road Safety. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research: http://www.swov.nl/rapport/r-2005-12.pdf http://germany.usembassy.gov. (2008). Driving in Germany. Retrieved July 27, 2008, from United States Diplomatic Mission to Germany: http://germany.usembassy.gov/germany/services/driving_in_germany.html IMA. (2008). Mobile phone law loud and clear but drivers choose to ignore it. Retrieved July 21, 2008, from IMA Motoring Trust: http://www.iam.org.uk/motoringtrust/news/archive/2005/mobilephonelawloudandclearbutdriverschoosetoignoreit.htm Kreickenbaum, M. (2005). German government uses anti-terror laws to head off protests. Retrieved July 29, 2ngela Merkel. Retrieved July 25, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel008, from World Socialist Website: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/apr2005/germ-a22.shtml Wikipedia. (2008). A Read More