Cell Phone and Texting Make Roads Unsafe, Essay Example

U.S. enjoys one of the highest car ownership rates in the world and vehicle is a commodity here rather than a luxury as it is in many developing countries. Driving is a privilege that should be enjoyed responsibly because the consequences of any mistake could be catastrophic. This is why driving under the influence of alcohol is prohibited because alcohol impairs a driver’s ability to drive safe and not be a source of danger to others on the road as well as pedestrians. Similarly, research studies and statistics prove that cell phone use including texting also increases the probability of an accident.

An analysis of Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which records data on all road fatalities on public roads in the U.S, showed that fatalities declined from 1999 to 2005 but the trend reversed after that. Fatalities from distracted driving rose from 4,572 in 2005 to 5,870 in 2008, recording an overall increase of 28% over the period and the analysis also revealed that crashes increasingly involved male drivers colliding with roadside obstructions in urban areas. The authors of the study estimated that from 2001 to 2007, more than 16,000 additional road fatalities were due to increased texting volumes (Wilson & Stimpson, 2010).

In 2008 approximately 1 in 6 fatal vehicle collisions resulted from a driver being distracted while driving. Studies using a naturalistic methodology suggested that the drivers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to crash. In 2009, distracted driving led to an estimated 5,500 fatalities and nearly 450,000 injuries. Numerous studies have shown that texting reduces response times and greatly increase the risk of collision. Drivers travelling just 60 MPH cover the length of a football field in less than four seconds which means that while they are texting, they are essentially driving blind for hundreds of yards (Ban texting while driving, 2011). John Townsend, manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic states, “All it takes to cause an accident is to be distracted for as little as three seconds.” Mr. Townsend further says that driving is a full time job and requires full time attention. A study from the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimates the annual financial toll of cell phone related crashes at $43 billion (Boyter, 2009).

UPS and Verizon Communications, Inc. have a zero tolerance policy on using cell phones and other hand held devices while driving. Oprah Winfrey has partnered with the Governors Highway Safety Association on an awareness campaign called “No Phone Zone” which aims to persuade drivers to discontinue cell phone use while driving (Casale, 2010). Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood informed the audience at a National Distracted Driving Summit that nearly 1,600 companies and groups with about 10.5 million employees have distracted driving policies in place and an additional 550 entities with 1.5 million employees are expected to do so within a year (Kirby, 2010).

Studies indicate that cell phone use including texting results in lower attention on the road, reduced response time, and huge losses in terms of lives and economic costs. The national and state public agencies have already started taken steps towards banning cell phone use while driving and texting is banned in numerous U.S. states

References

“Ban texting while driving.” The Herald 7 January 2011.

Boyter, Jennifer Horne. “RU DRIVING?” State News (Council of State Governments) May 2009: 12-15.

Casale, Jeff. “Effort to ban texting by drivers gains traction.” Business Insurance 3 May 2010: 12-13.

Kirby, Paul. “At Summit, LaHood, Others Cite Progress, Challenges In Combating Driver Distractions Such as Texting.” Telecommunications Reports October 2010: 3-5.

Wilson, Fernando A. and Jim P. Stimpson. “Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States, 1999 to 2008.” American Journal of Public Health November 2010: 2213-2219.