Krell 1 Cliff Krell ENG 100-B51 Mrs.

Jacqui Asbury October 04, 2011 Distractive Driving Everyone knows that drunk drivers, speeding cars, screaming kids, and road rage are all the typical dangers that cause accidents on Americans roadways. But you might not have heard about the newest one. If you are one of this nations approximant ninety four million people who own a cell phone, you are probably part of the problem. I admit that I have operated a cell phone while driving. People driving while talking on their cell phones are ending the lives of many Americans throughout our country. That is why I believe that there is a need for a new federal law prohibiting the usage of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. In the essay Reach out and annoy someone Jonathan Rowe states. The phone is there. It demands to used, almost the way a cigarette demands to be smoked. Does the person own the cell phone, or is it the other way around? The number of state legislatures debating measures that address the problem of cell phone use while driving and other driver distractions continues to rise. As of March 2008 Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and the District of Columbia have laws on the books banning the use of hand held cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. It is also banned on all federal military installations. Similar laws in California and Washington State went into effect in July 2008. Except for Utah and Washington State, the laws are all primary enforcement, meaning a motorist may be detained and ticketed for using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle without any other traffic offense taking place.

Krell 2 About 17 states have passed laws banning or restricting young drivers from using cell phones while driving. This is because they seem to be involved at a higher percentage of accidents than older drivers due to their experience level. The most recent state to enact such legislation is California. But the California law goes farther than any other states. It bans the use of any mobile device by drivers under age eighteen. This includes a cell phone, handheld device or laptop computer. While in South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia have no restrictions on the usage of cell phones, handheld device or laptop computers at this time. Ohio has partial restrictions in some of their major cities, however they cant pull you over for just using a cell phone. You have to be detained for another violation. There are some devices that the cell phone companies sell with the phones for use in autos that seem to decrease the risk of distraction. They are speakerphones that can dial a number using only voice commands and they are becoming more prevalent. These devices really seem like they are the best option. They allow you keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. These speakerphones are mounted in the interior of the car and pick up the voice of the driver without the need for manual manipulation the product GMs On Star option is one example of this available in new automobiles. Speak to text helps to eliminate text messaging, or texting, while driving which is a driving distraction related to cell phone use as it requires a great deal of attention to type and send a message. It was the subject of an August 2006 Teens Today survey conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). The survey showed that teens considered sending text messages via cell phones to be one of their biggest distractions. Of the teens surveyed, 37 percent said that text messaging was

Krell 3 extremely or very distracting, while 20 percent said that they were distracted by their emotional states and 19 percent said that having friends in the car was distracting. The January 2007 survey by Nationwide found that 19 percent of motorists say they text message while driving. So you see when planning a long cross country trip or vacation you have to check several web sites to be abreast of the many different local laws regarding the usage of cell phones along with other electronic devices thought our nation. This is one of the reasons that I feel that we need a National Standard. Although it would seem that restricting the usage of cell phones is a good idea one really has to be careful on what one wishes for. If this issue is brought before our elected officials there is the chance that they would outlaw such things as car radios, loud exhaust systems, global positioning systems (GPS, or Tom Toms) along with any other distractions such as small children, pets and any other thing that could potentially pose a distraction.