Dangerous. Deadly. Stupid. These are all words that people have used to describe texting or calling behind the wheel.
This summer, reports stating texting while driving was worse than drunk driving and a chilling video of teenagers getting into an accident, put the issue of controlling texting on the road on the minds of many legislators.
While many law makers have been proposing and successfully passing (in some states) laws banning cell phone use while driving, a key topic of debate has arisen: are these laws actually effective in preventing accidents and limiting cell phone use?
Researchers at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted a study of the use of cell phones in cars in three cities where cell phone laws are in place and found the effectiveness of the laws varied greatly.
In Washington D.C., half of drivers stopped using their hand-held devices while driving since a ban took in effect in 2004. New York City, on the other hand, was the first state to prohibit hand-held phones in 2001. While cell phone use initially decreased 47 percent, it began going back up fairly quickly.
After enacting a cell phone law in the 2005, Connecticut saw an initial 76 percent decline in cell phone use, but like New York, the impact was temporary and usage began increasing shortly.
IIHS estimates that hand-held phone use is 65 percent lower in Connecticut, 24 percent lower in New York and 43 percent lower in District than it would have been if these laws had not been enacted.
Opponents of cell phone bans have said that these anti-cell phone laws are unrealistic and nearly impossible to enforce.
Currently 6 states have handheld cell phone bans and 19 states, including the District of Columbia and Guam, ban text messaging for all drivers. The extent of punishment varies by state so check your state’s laws.
However, cell-phone use while driving all goes back to the issue of distracted driving, which significantly increases your risk of getting into an accident.
So regardless of whether or not your agree with a law banning hand-held phones, make the road a little safer for both yourself and other drivers by putting down your phone and keeping your eyes and mind focused on the road ahead.
{ 1 trackback }
Comments on this entry are closed.