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ENGL 1160-850

August 6th, 2014

Essay 3

Cell Phone: The Terminator of Humanity?

How many times have you been driving your car, when your cell phone suddenly

rang? Cell phone use while driving is an important issue because the use of cell phones while

driving concerns almost everyone. When a driver is driving a car one should focus on driving

as much as possible because just a little inattention could cause a terrible accident that could

have permanent consequences on the driver, other drivers, who may not be using cell phones

while driving, and pedestrians. Cell phone use could cause this little inattention. According to

the Distraction website distracted drivers in the US cause significant number of car accidents:

The number of people killed in distraction-affected crashes decreased slightly from 3,360 in

2011 to 3,328 in 2012. An estimated 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes

involving a distracted driver (Distracted Driving). So what should one do? Answer the call

or rather not? I believe that one should not answer the call and that all cell phones and hands

free devices should be banned while one is driving.

In order to reduce cell phone distraction related car accidents, more states should

adopt cell phone regulations. As of now handheld cell phones are banned in 12 states, D.C.,

Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands for all drivers; Texting is prohibited in 44

states, D.C. Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Some states partially prohibit the

use of hands free cell phones for either or both bus drivers and novice drivers (Distracted

Driving). I think that it is good that there are at least some cell phone regulations at place but

after looking at the statistics, they are obviously not good enough. The authors Leandro

Rocco and Breno Sampaio researched the effectiveness of cell phone regulations and found

out that they are useful:

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The results show that imposing handheld cell phone and texting bans led to significant

reductions in the number of fatalities occurring in motor vehicle crashes. States that

adopted primary bans experienced a reduction that was seven times higher than those

states that only adopted secondary bans. (15)

The use of cell phone regulations is successful in reducing car accidents, and therefore the

legislature should enforce more primary bans that would prohibit cell phone use while

driving. This action would hopefully significantly decrease the death toll and injuries caused

by cell phone distraction related accidents.

In order to reduce the death toll and injuries caused by cell phone distraction related

accidents, one should understand what kinds of distractions are created by cell phone use.

Cell phones create three main types of distractions: visual, manual, and cognitive (Distracted

Driving). Visual distraction is such distraction, in which one takes ones eyes off the road.

Manual distraction is when one takes ones hands of the wheel. Cognitive distraction means

that one takes ones mind off of driving. Cell phone use behind a wheel can include one to all

three types of distractions.

Writing text messages while driving creates all three types of distractions, and

therefore is the most dangerous cell phone activity and can cause serious car accidents. Jerry

L. Cook and Randall M. Jones examined the effects of young adults texting and accessing the

web while driving. Their results indicate that: 3 out of 4 (74.3%) young adults engage in

texting while driving and some engage in accessing the web while driving (16.8%) they

continue, Data analysis revealed a relationship between these cell phone behaviors and

traffic citations and crashes (Cook, Jones 545). Even though texting is illegal in all states

many young adults still engage in it. One needs to realize that texting and accessing the web

while driving is very dangerous activity and isnt worth the risk. Texting takes drivers full
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attention and even though it might be only for a few seconds it is long enough for an accident

to occur. No text message is worth someones life, it can wait.

Besides texting and driving, there are also many factors that may impair drivers

attention while using a cell phone; one of the factors is the type of a conversation one is

having. Michael E. Rakauskas, Leo J. Gugerty, and Nicholas J. Ward, the authors of a journal

article Effects of Naturalistic Cell Phone Conversations on Driving Performance,

conducted a series of experiments to learn more about the effect of different type of

conversations on drivers performance. The experiments tested mainly young adults around

20 years old. The authors acknowledge that just holding [a phone] and listening to a

conversation significantly increased the reaction time of a breaking response they continue,

merely listening to a conversation over a phone interferes with the process of scene

perception (Rakauskas, Gugerty, Ward 455). They also state that intense conversations are

more disturbing than easy conversations (Rakauskas, Gugerty, Ward 455). Based on this

information one can learn that just holding a phone and listening to a conversation already

increases ones reaction time and impairs the perception of the environment, which makes it

more likely for an accident to occur. In addition, if one is having an intense conversation it

is even more disturbing. Intense conversation could be, for instance, business negotiation or

hassle. In case one is using a handheld phone and decides to dial a number, the one is putting

oneself and others in the greatest danger because this action completely fixes drivers

attention on the phone. When one is having a phone conversation without a hands free device

one is experiencing all three types of distractions, which causes the greatest distraction, and

therefore puts the driver in a dangerous situation.

The fact that conversations itself already impair drivers attention means that the use

of hands-free devices doesnt eliminate the risk of cell phone related car accidents. One could

think that hands free devices are safe to use with cell phones but the opposite is true. It is true
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that when one is using a hands free device one has both hands to operate the vehicle, as

opposed to holding the phone when one can operate the vehicle only with one hand.

However, as mentioned earlier in this essay, the type of conversation one is having also

interferes with ones ability to drive (Rakauskas, Gugerty, Ward 455). In addition to the

previous experiment, David L. Strayer, Frank A. Drews, and William A. Johnston performed

a similar experiment, in which they observed the effects of hands free cell phone devices on

simulated driving. Their research confirms that hands free devices still interfere with drivers

performance: hands-free cell phone conversations do produce significant interference

(Strayer, Drews, Johnston 31). In case one decides to dial a number one has to do it using

ones hands and the hands free device looses its purpose because the drivers attention is once

more fully focused on the phone. So in my opinion, unless the ones phone and hands free

device enables voice control, the hands free device is good only for receiving calls but isnt

that useful in making calls. Therefore, one should not have a cell phone conversation even

with a hands free device. Conversation with a hands free device produces at least the

cognitive type of distraction, which can still cause an accident.

A persons age has little to do with their cognitive distractions when driving, and

therefore people should be aware that cell phone distractions affect them regardless of their

age. David L. Strayer and Frank A. Drews conducted another research, in which they

observed the difference between no cell phone use and hands-free cell phone use while

driving on younger and older adults. They used a driving simulator to monitor drivers speed,

brake response time, and following distance. The younger drivers average age was 20 and

the older drivers average age was 70. Based on their research they found out that there

wasnt significant difference in breaking response time. (Strayer, Drews, 647). Based on this

research, age doesnt have a significant role on cell phone related car accidents. Therefore, all
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drivers regardless of their age should not overestimate their driving abilities and should avoid

cell phone usage while driving.

Regardless of the drivers age, using cell phone while driving is comparable to driving

under the influence of alcohol and should be treated at least as equally. The authors David L.

Strayer, Frank A. Drews, and Dennis J. Crouch conducted an experiment that compared cell

phone drivers, who used both handheld and hands free phones, and drunk drivers, whose

blood alcohol concentration was at 0.08%. The researchers found out that: the impairments

associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with

driving while drunk (Strayer, Drews, Crouch 381). Based on this information one can learn

that driving while using a cell phone can be as dangerous as driving drunk. Drunk drivers are

seen as irresponsible drivers so drivers who use cell phones while driving shouldnt be seen

any differently. There is a legal limit of alcohol blood concentration for drinking and driving

so perhaps there should also be better regulations for both handheld and hands free cell phone

use.

Despite all the negative effects of a cell phone use behind the wheel there are also

some benefits, however, the risks associated with cell phone usage while driving heavily

outweighs its benefits. For instance, GPS navigation is nowadays popular solution to get

directions to ones destination. Smart phones have the ability to install a GPS navigation

software. This is a convenient way to get a GPS navigation in ones car. Another benefit is

that when the driver is having a cell phone conversation while driving one is driving slightly

slower (Rakauskas, Gugerty, Ward 460). Based on my own experience this could be because

one loses the tendency to drive faster in order to reach ones destination earlier. Driving

slower saves gasoline so the driver also saves money for gas. Next benefit is peace of ones

mind. Lot of people break cell phone prohibition laws from time to time, which makes one

nervous for breaking a law. So if there werent any laws prohibiting cell phone use while
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driving the driver would feel more relaxed and less nervous while using a cell phone because

one would not be breaking the law. Therefore, if there werent any laws prohibiting cell

phone use, it would give the driver peace of ones mind. The last benefit I can think of is that

for businessmen it would be efficient to be able to take care of business calls while driving. It

would allow them to save some time and perhaps take care of more business calls. Sometimes

when bad things in business happen a fast response is required so if a manager answers a

phone call while driving and gives instructions to his subordinates it can safe ones money.

In conclusion, cell phone use behind the wheel, both handheld and hands free, impairs

drivers concentration by increasing ones breaking response time and decreases ones

perception of the environment. Even though there are also some benefits, they are not

significant enough to outweigh all the risks. The factors that may influence the number of

accidents are the type of a conversation, age of the driver, and whether one is using a

handheld or hands free cell phone. There are already some cell phone prohibition laws at

place but the death toll in cell phone related car accidents is still high. Since these laws are

successful, more laws should help with further decrease of cell phone distraction related

accidents. The principle of the use of laws is that it enables police officers to ticket drivers,

who break these laws, and teaches the drivers not to do a certain thing. So in the end it is up

to the driver to realize the danger and stop with the cell phone use. These laws could also be

stricter if necessary. So next time you are driving, think of the dangers of cellphone use

behind the wheel and dont use your cellphone. When you reach your destination it is better

to have smile on your face than an airbag in the face.

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Works Cited

Cook, Jerry L., and Randall M. Jones. "Texting and Accessing the Web While
Driving: Traffic Citations and Crashes Among Young Drivers." Trafic
Injury Prevention 12.6 (2011): 545-49. Google Scholar. Web. 6 Aug.
2014.

"Distracted Driving." Distracted Driving | Facts and Stats | Texting and

Driving. Us Government, n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.
<http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-
statistics.html>.

Rakauskas, Michael, Leo Gugerty, and Nicholas Ward. "Effects of Naturalistic

Cell Phone Conversations on Driving Performance." Journal of Safety
Research 35 (2004): 453-64. Google Scholar. Web. 29 July 2014.

Rocco, Leandro, and Breno Sampaio. "Are Handheld Cell-Phone and Texting
Bans Really Effective in Reducing Fatalities?" (2012): 1-17. Google
Scholar. Web. 6 Aug. 2014.

Strayer, David L., and Frank A. Drews. "Profiles in Driver Distraction: Effects
of Cell Phone Conversation on Younger and Older Drivers." Human
Factors 46.4 (2004): 640-49. Google Scholar. Web. 6 Aug. 2014.

Strayer, David L., Frank A. Drews, and Dennis J. Crouch. "A Comparison of the
Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver." Human Factors 48.2 (2006):
381-91. Google Scholar. Web. 6 Aug. 2014.

Strayer, David, Frank Drews, and William Johnston. "Cell Phone-Induced

Failures of Visual Attention During Simulated Driving." Experimental
Psychology: Applied 9 (2003): 23-32. Google Scholar. Web. 29 July
2014.