04/21/07

Since 1990, the number of people who talk on cell phones on a daily basis has ballooned from 4.3 million to 224 million.  With many of these people also driving each day, the two activities intermingling is bound to happen.  Running late for an interview?  Got off on the wrong exit and now you’re lost?  You caught your girlfriend in bed with another man and you need a shoulder to cry on?  Enter your trusted cell phone.

     But is it safe to dial and drive?  Almost universally, the answer is a resounding no.  Some studies say it is even more dangerous than driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.14%, well over the legal limit in every state in the union.  One Australian study concluded, “A person using a mobile phone when driving is four times more likely to have a crash that will result in hospital attendance.”  Another study out of Virginia Tech Transportation Institute installed equipment to monitor the activities of drivers and on-the-road incidents that resulted.  Of 100 cars installed with cameras, braking sensors, tracking devices, and data recording equipment, 69 crashes, 761 near-crashes, and 8295 lesser close calls were recorded in a 12-month period.  Over 700 of these incidents were caused by driver’s inattention while using cell phones.

      The two associated dangers of using cell phones while driving are self-evident.  First, dialing: sure, it only takes a few seconds, but those could be costly seconds indeed.  A study released in April 2006 found that almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds of the event.  Even if you take your eyes off the road for a fraction of a second to locate the “send” button, it could make all the difference.  The second danger is how absorbed people become while making conversation, even conversation over the phone.  We want to share our joy about how well little Billy did in the dance recital; we want to vent about how much Bianca spends on clothes each week; we want to hear all the details of how Dad’s hip replacement went.  We want to be connected to those around us.  The unfortunate victims of this need to feel connected by talking on the cell phone while we’re driving are other drivers and pedestrians.

      More and more local, state, and national legislatures are taking notice.  Actions banning cell phone use while driving have proliferated over the last decade, and more are being debated each year.  How far is too far?  Are hands-free devices okay?  Should there be special rules for teen drivers and cell phones?  What about school bus drivers or other people entrusted with the lives of many vehicle occupants?  How often do you use your cell phone in the car?  Do you notice your attention waning?

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