Cell Phones: Misuse of One of Our Greatest Technologies

Cell phones have lost their significance over time. These little gadgets were originally designed to
make touch with someone else in an emergency, but now chatting on the phone while driving has
become a way of life for millions of American drivers. More than 85% of the 100 million cell-phone
customers converse on the phone while driving. Cell phone usage while driving should be prohibited
due to the hazards it poses. Driving while using a cell phone is a serious issue in the United States.
While driving, cell phones should not be used. This situation is just too hazardous to ignore.

The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis published a study in 1999, according to the essay, Yes, Prohibit
Their Use, which appeared on the congressional quarterly's web site on March 16, 2001. They
assigned a collision risk factor to cell phone use. In the summer of 2000, it was estimated that 450 to
1,000 people died per year. According to the NHTSH, there are 666 property-damage and injury-
producing collisions for every fatality. Cell phones are responsible for between 300,000 and 650,000
accidents! According to the same essay, Japan is one of the 14 countries that prohibit the use of
portable cell phones while driving. Mobile phone-related accidents decreased by 75% the next
month, indicating that cell phones are not required.

Driving and mobile phone use both pose significant risks. While dialing, drivers must take their eyes
from the road. Furthermore, drivers might get so engrossed in their talks that their capacity to focus
becomes dangerously limited. This endangers both the persons inside the car and the pedestrians
outside. To drive safely, the motorist must be able to focus 100 percent of his or her attention on the
road. While driving, cell phones are just a major distraction.

It is reasonable that in some situations, the usage of a cell phone is required. In these instances, I
agree with the author of Yes, Prohibit Their Use that the motorist should pull over to a safe location
to use the phone. If a call comes in, the person should wait until the automobile has completely
stopped. He should then proceed to use the phone. If he believes the problem is critical enough to
require immediate action, he should use the hands-free headset. Cell phones should only be used in
emergencies.

Some say that there are additional distractions besides cell phones. While using a mobile phone
while driving is not the most dangerous distraction, research show that it is the most prevalent
cause of auto accidents and the leading cause of mortality in the United States.

Mobile phone usage while driving should be prohibited in Philadelphia since cell phone distraction
kills many people. Every year, cell phone distraction kills 2,600 people and injures 330,000 others in
the United States. (www.livescience.com/technology). Another reason not to use a cell phone while
driving is that an accident might destroy many lives of victims and their families.

Cell phones should not be permitted while driving. Help the numbers to fall rather than rise.