Should Drivers be Allowed to Use Cell Phones while Driving - Research Paper Example

 Should Drivers be allowed to Use Cell Phones while Driving? Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Outline 3 Executive Summary 5 Should Drivers be allowed to Use Cell Phones while Driving? 6 Introduction 6 Distraction When Drivers use Cell Phones while Driving 7 Rate of Cell Phone Usage during Driving 10 Legislation 12 Conclusion and Recommendations 13 Works Cited 14 Table of Figures Figure 1: Graph showing the ratio of increasing number of cell phone users on yearly basis (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008) 10 Figure 2: Graph showing percentage of drivers using handheld and hand free mobile phones (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008) 11 Outline Introduction Cell phones gaining reputation Usage of cell phone has increased Cell phone is advantageous Drivers using cell phone while driving is disadvantageous Attention diversion or distraction Preventive measures and legislative steps should be taken Distraction when Drivers use Cell Phone while Driving Reliance on cell phones has increased Driving is a tough job Attention diversion, a cause of road accidents Listening requires attention Driving requires attention Handheld and Hand free cell phones, both a cause of distraction National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recognize cell phone usage as a distraction Cell phone users while driving have same intoxication as drug drivers Risk of accident is increased Text messaging is more risky Rate of traffic accidents caused by cell phone usage has increased Rate of Cell Phone Usage during Driving Increased rate of drivers using cell phones whilst driving Legislation causes initial reduction In 1981, the rate of drivers using cell phone was 1 % but in 2003, it was 75 % Legislation Cell phone usage during driving banned by various countries Ineffective legislative measures Need for further stringent legislative steps Drivers using cell phone while driving are penalized lightly Conclusion and Recommendations Cell phone usage while driving is a distraction Drivers should not be allowed to use cell phones while driving Suitable steps should be taken to penalize the drivers Precautionary measures should be taken Executive Summary Cell phones are advantageous creation and should be used accordingly. However, the drivers should not be allowed to use cell phones while driving because of a number of threats involving distraction and road accidents. According to the conducted surveys and studies, it is indicated that cell phone usage by the drivers while driving symbolizes a threat to safe driving on roads. Driving is a full-fledged job and is not capable to withstanding any distraction. Because of cell phone usage, the driver is distracted and his attention is divided between driving and attending to the cell phone. This divided attention can become a cause of some mishap that should be considered significant by the drivers. The government should take essential legislative actions for the control of this problem as with increasing cell phone usage, the usage of cell phone by drivers during driving is also increasing that poses a threat to traffic security. Should Drivers be allowed to Use Cell Phones while Driving? Introduction Cell phones are gaining reputation day by day. With the passage of time, it is seen that people all over the world make use of cell phone as a necessity. Being a quick and portable source of communication, it has eased the whole process of communication. Nowadays, every person can be seen with a cell phone nearly. We cannot regard cell phones as wholly advantageous. There are also some factors that can be considered disadvantageous and are connected to cell phone usage such as drivers using cell phone while driving. Drivers make use of cell phones while driving that cannot considered useful in any sense (Violanti and Marshall 1996). This paper takes into consideration the issue, should drivers be allowed to use cell phones while driving? The issue of drivers using cell phones during driving is regarded as an unlawful act in most of the countries because due to cell phone usage whether it is handheld or hand free, the attention of the driver is diverted (Violanti and Marshall 1996). The attention diversion becomes a cause of several road accidents. There have been a lot of studies conducted on the issue of cell phone usage while driving and most of the writers indicate that cell phone usage is disadvantageous for drivers while driving. The drivers should not make use of cell phone while driving and there should be strict laws for restricting drivers so that they can abstain from using cell phones while driving. Distraction When Drivers use Cell Phones while Driving People have started relying on cell phones largely due to which, they do try to abstain from its usage while driving. Driving itself is a tough job in which, the attention of driver should be on the traffic and his driving (Violanti and Marshall 1996). There should be no attention diversion while driving. There can be many problems due to the usage of cell phone while driving. The first and foremost problem that is caused because of cellular communication while driving is that the attention diversion, due to which, there are chances of accidents (Redelmeier and Tibshirani 1997). According to the communication experts, it is said that listening is not an easy job and when people are trying to listen to something, they focus more on listening than other things around them (Sagberg 2001). For listening clearly, attention to the speaker is required. When a person is busy in driving, he is already giving attention to the job of driving. When he starts using the cell phone, his attention is divided between driving and listening due to which, there can be problematic situation in terms of handling the vehicle. According to the experts, cell phone usage is the leading cause of driver distraction (McKnight and McKnight 1993). The cell phones that need hands for their usage not only take away a helping hand from the driver that is supportive in driving but also cause distraction because of attention to the call (Sagberg 2001). Hand free cell phones are not considered safe either because again the driver’s focus towards driving is distracted that can be a cause of any mishap (Redelmeier and Tibshirani 1997). According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), cell phone usage is one of the categories of distraction caused during driving (Violanti and Marshall 1996). According to NHTSA, there are various distractions while driving such as eating, drinking, talking, taking care of children or attending to them and much more (Violanti and Marshall 1996). According to the authorities, cell phone usage is also a kind of distraction (McKnight and McKnight 1993). The problem of distraction or attention diversion is not only reported without any background information or surveying. There are many studies done that have conducted surveys for analyzing the distraction caused by cell phones and the outcome because of the distraction. There are also studies that have evaluated cell phone distraction as a cause of road accidents. According to a study conducted by the University of Utah (2006), the drivers using cell phones and people driving being drunk are alike, even the cell phone user drivers are regarded as more prone to risk. Because of cell phone usage and talking while driving, the University of Utah reported that drivers are as much intoxicated as is the legal limit of blood alcohol that is 0.08 percent (University of Utah 2006). The drivers, who are this much drunk, do not have permission to drive (University of Utah 2006). Similarly, the drivers who make use of cell phones should be restricted and stringent laws for such act. As the driver causes risk to himself and other traffic around him after being drunk, similarly, the driver who uses cell phone causes risk (University of Utah 2006). Therefore, the risk ratio is the same with cell phone user drivers and drunk drivers. In addition, the study reports that hand free cell phone are as distracting as handheld cell phones (University of Utah 2006). People not only listen or dial calls but also they do text messaging and also read the texts. Text messaging is much more risky while driving because it not only takes the hands away but also the eyes’ attention (Sagberg 2001). Using cell phones for text messaging is the worst kind of distraction (McKnight and McKnight 1993). Text messaging during driving is prohibited in many countries. However, the ratio of prohibition on text messaging during driving is higher than listening to calls. According to Violanti and Marshall (1996), nearly fifty percent traffic accidents on the roads are caused by the drivers’ distraction while driving. They identify cell phone usage as an important distraction tool (Violanti and Marshall 1996). According to the Sagberg (2001), the rate of traffic accidents caused because of cell phone usage has increased on yearly basis. He says that cell phone usage while driving creates a threat for distraction and distraction cannot be considered as negligible in any manner (Sagberg 2001). Therefore, it is quite clear that due to usage of cell phone while driving, the driver is distracted. The distraction that is caused can be risky in terms of traffic accidents and lives of people (Redelmeier and Tibshirani 1997). Text messaging, calling, receiving calls and all the tasks associated with cell phone usage should be restricted so that the drivers cannot make use of cell phones while driving. Rate of Cell Phone Usage during Driving According to the survey conducted by Suffolk Roadsafe (2008), the rate of mobile or cell phones users while driving have increased year by year. According to Suffolk Roadsafe, the rate of using cell phone whilst driving has increased to an extent of 212.7 percent that indicates that the rate of cell phone usage whilst driving has more than doubled (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008). This ratio symbolizes the increased demand in the cell phones and also the ratio of drivers making use of cell phone. Figure 1: Graph showing the ratio of increasing number of cell phone users on yearly basis (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008) This graph shows an increased interest in the usage of cell phone from year 2004 to year 2007. In the first year that was 2004, the drivers who were issued penalty tickets for using mobile phone while driving were 984. The second year that was 2005, 1707 people were found using cell phones while driving, which shows nearly a double ratio of cell phone users. In 2006, the ratio reached to 2613 people who were found using cell phones while driving and the last year that was 2007 indicates nearly 3077 people receiving penalty tickets (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008). In another report, the car drivers using a mobile phone were observed and percentages were calculated to indicate the ratio of hand free cell phone users and handheld cell phone users using cell phones (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008). This survey was also helpful in acknowledging the number of drivers who use cell phones. Figure 2: Graph showing percentage of drivers using handheld and hand free mobile phones (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008) According to the survey, there has been an indication of reduction in September 2004 due to the implementation of legislation concerning cell phone usage during driving (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008). The survey also reports that in 1981, there were only one percent mobile users but in 2003, the mobile users reached a range of seventy-five percent, which is quite increased as compared to the previous usage (Suffolk Roadsafe 2008). The increased rate of drivers using cell phone cannot be considered as a negligible factor. The government should take preventive and precautionary measures in order to control this problem. There should be clear and stringent laws and legislation concerning mobile phone or cell phone usage whilst driving. Legislation The legislative steps that are taken for banning cell phone usage whilst driving differ at various places (Sagberg 2001). The government is also unable to control the cell phone usage while driving because of stringent steps that should be taken to control the drivers. The legislation that is implemented until now is not that much effective because initially people avoid using cell phones because of the introduction of the new law but later on, they continue their previous routines. In United States of America, England and many other countries, the legislative steps concerning cell phone usage during driving are taken but still, many states have pending legislation concerning this issue (Sagberg 2001). In some countries like Japan, Israel and Singapore, cell phone usage while driving is totally prohibited but in other countries, this prohibition is somewhat lenient due to which, people have continued the usage (Redelmeier and Tibshirani 1997). According to the prohibition, the people who are guilty are penalized, as they have to pay a certain amount as penalty (Sagberg 2001). In some areas, the drivers using cell phones receive penalty points in their license due to which, they are more restricted to make use of cell phones while driving (Sagberg 2001). Conclusion and Recommendations After considering the issue of cell phone usage and traffic problems due to the distraction of drivers while driving, it is quite clear that stringent legislative measures should be taken for controlling the problem as a whole. It is surveyed by various people and institutions that while driving cell phone usage is a sort of distraction and is also considered illegal. The researchers at University of Utah have concluded that cell phone users who use cell phones while driving are worse than drunk drivers because of their intense attention diversion during driving. The legislative steps that are taken in the lieu of prohibition of cell phone usage during driving are not fully effective because of less stringent penalties and precautionary measures. The drivers should not be allowed to use cell phones while driving because they are not only endangering their own life but of many others around them. With the passage of time, the use of cell phone is also increasing. However, this use should be restricted while driving by efficient laws and legislations. The steps that can be taken for restricting the drivers in terms of using cell phones can be strict laws that should never be neglected. The traffic guides should contain the laws related to cell phone usage. The drivers should be informed earlier on about the penalization that they could get in the lieu of using cell phones while driving. Works Cited McKnight, A.J. and McKnight, A.S. The effects of cellular phone use upon driver attention. Accident Analysis & Prevention 25 (1993): 259-265. Redelmeier, D.A. and Tibshirani, R. J. Association between cellular-telephone calls and motor vehicle collisions. The New England Journal of Medicine 336 (7) (1997): 453-457. Sagberg, F. Accident risk of car drivers during mobile telephone use. International Journal of Vehicle Design 26 (2001): 57-69. Suffolk Roadsafe. Mobile Phone Use. Environment and Transport 2008. www.suffolkroadsafe.net/suffolkroadsafe/publicity/downloads/Casualty%20Information%20Mobile%20Phone.doc University of Utah. Drivers on Cell Phones are as Bas as Drunks. Human Factors June (2006). http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/uou-doc062306.php Violanti, J.M. and Marshall, J.R. Cellular phones and traffic accidents: An epidemiological approach. Accident Analysis & Prevention 28 (1996): 265-270. Read More