Dangers of Cell Phones While Driving

553 Words3 Pages
The Effects of Communication The use of cellular phones has spread like wild fire in the last ten years. It has become a part of everyday life for many Americans, and a good number of people depend on them to accomplish daily operations. Unfortunately, many of these daily operations occur while the individual is driving. Cell phones and other forms of wireless communication also create distractions and increase a driver’s risk on the road. The use of cell phones poses a danger in two ways. First, cell phone conversations while driving distract drivers, and generate safety hazards; secondly, drivers take their eyes off the road. In the United States over 236 million people subscribe to wireless communication devices such as cellular phones, PDA’s, and global positioning systems as of May 2007, compared with approximately 4.3 million in 1990, according to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. Increased use of cell phones has led to a rise in the number of people who use the devices while driving. There are two dangers associated with driving and cell phone use, including text messaging. First, drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing. Second, people can become so absorbed in their conversations that their ability to concentrate on the fundamentals of driving is severely impaired, jeopardizing the safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians. Many U.S. states have laws against driving while talking on a cellular phone. However, they do not have any laws against talking on a hands free device. According to the University of Utah, talking on a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, even if the phone is a hands free model. In addition, the university found that motorists who talked on hands free cell phones were eighteen percent slower in braking and took seventeen percent longer to
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