Peer Review 2

February 21, 2015

Running head; THE RIGHT DECISIONS 1

The Right Decisions

Although it appears to be a common sense notion, the differences in laws and regulations regarding the use of mobile devices while driving are not the same from state to state. Each day we have a new opportunity to make a change in our lives, and to make a difference in others. The smallest choice could save a life of someone else simply choosing not to drive distracted can save a life. Everyday someone deems their social life more important than the next when they choose to answer the phone, or reply to a text while driving. Is anyone driving skills so perfect that they are invincible?

No one person is a better-distracted driver than the next. Studies after studies have shown dialing or answering cell phones often distracts drivers and contribute to high levels of accident on our roads. For this reasons states should have standardized regulations to bring down the use of cell phones while driving in order to save lives. Since the first day “driver”, met “mobile device”, distracted driving and its repercussions has been a rising concern.

“The first cellular phones became available for consumer use in the mid-80s. Widespread use was not marked for almost another decade. In the early 90s less than 4.5 million people used cell phones. Over the last 15 or so years the population of cell phone users has spiked to over 230 million, according to statistics from the Insurance Information Group” (cellphonesafety.org).

Drivers engaged in text messaging on a cellular phone are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash event compared with non-distracted drivers. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2010). 84% of distracted-driving related fatalities in the US were tied to the general classification of carelessness or inattentiveness (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2009) Children are four times more distracting than adults as passengers, and infants are eight times more distracting than adults as passengers.

Economic losses caused by traffic collision-related health care costs and lost productivity are at least 10 billion annually. More than 90% of deaths that result from road traffic injuries occur in low-and middle-income countries. Road traffic injury death rates are highest in the low-and middle income counties of the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions. Even within high-income countries, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be involved in a road traffic crashes then their more affluent counterparts.

Distracted driving comes in all shapes, sizes and forms. By definition, “Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. (distraction.gov). “But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction” (distraction.gov).

Despite the problems’ recognition, an inequality exists; a difference in how life itself is valued based upon representation of inconsistent laws, which are meant to protect that life. Though there is a “clear and present danger”, we say, through proof of these inconsistent laws, that a person driving on one side of the country is less likely to be distracted than a driver on the other side is.

The MANOVA (multivariate analysis of variance) indicated that the cell-phone and alcohol conditions differed significantly from each other, F (5, 36) =4.66, p<.01. When drivers were conversing on a cell-phone, they were involved in more rear-end collisions, had a 7.5% greater following distance, and took 14.8% longer to recover the speed that they had lost during braking than when they were legally intoxicated.

There is glimmer of hope though. The US DOT (Department of Transportation) launched its First Ever National Distracted Driving Enforcements and Advertising Campaign on April 3, 2014 (Ucles, J. 2014). Hopefully, this campaign will bring more awareness to this major issue and help cell phone laws become standardized. When all laws are ultimately consistent, and all drivers will be equally treated, we can finally say we tried our best to prevent unnecessary loss of life.

NSC (National safety Council) was the first national organization to call for a total ban on all cell phone use while driving, back in 2009, after reviewing more than 50 research reports. Each April, the Council hosts a Distracted Driving Awareness Month observance to highlight the issue on a national scale.

Some states punish distracted driving through general laws which do not specify which exact activities are forbidden, but instead set general parameters. General distracted driving statutes typically define distracted driving as doing something while operating a motor vehicle which; (1) is not necessary to operating the vehicle; and (2) impairs (or would reasonably be expected to impair) the driver’s ability to drive safely.

Other states forbid specific activities while driving. While recent years have seen states address telephones and electronic gadgets, some low-tech distractions have been specifically banned in certain states for a long time. States have specifically prohibited activities including personal grooming (such as shaving or putting on make-up), reading, writing, interacting with pets, and other common in-vehicle distractions.

In recent years, many states have enacted laws explicitly forbidding speaking on a mobile phone without using a hands-free device while driving. Many of these states forbid all cell phone use (even with a hands-free device) by certain classes of drivers, most often notice drivers (typically, under 18) and school bus drivers. Most states which ban cell phone use include exceptions for emergency calls.

It’s important to remember that even in states which have not enacted specific bans on driving while using a cell phone, doing so (without a hands-free device)may violate more general laws against distracted driving.

With greater accessibility to technology; there also, should come a greater responsibility on properly using that technology. In today’s society, the use of mobile devise has become so common that over 97% of adults own a cell phone (Gibson, 2014). People have become tethered to their technology. The problem is not our dependency to this technology; but how and where we choose to use this technology. Everyone should drive responsibly.

Despite the problems’ recognition, an inequality exists; a difference is how life itself is valued based upon a representation of inconsistent laws, which are meant to protect the life. Though there is a “clear and present danger:’ we say, through proof of these inconsistent laws, that a person driving on one side of the road is less likely to be distracted than a driver on the other hand. About 62% of teenage drivers do use their cell phones while driving. (NCAC)(2007-2013). Cell phones use while driving is an enormous contributor to many accidents. Many drivers have admitted talking on their cell phone while driving and even though we know it is unsafe most of us do it without thinking. Today’s teenagers have their own beliefs of what is safe or unsafe due to examples of parents.

Cell phone use while driving is a huge contributor to many accidents. Since cell phone was invented the number of accidents has increased. It causes the driver to become impaired to their surroundings. Drivers tend to forget what they should concentrate more on when talking on a cell phone. They seem no to have the same reflexes if they are distracted. While driving, everyone is capable of making mistakes; it is part of human nature. For some reason many believe they are better, more experienced, or function the same while using a mobile device. I urge them to reconsider, and I urge lawmakers to force them to reconsider by standardizing the laws and punishment.

Safety should be standard practice, not lessened and weakened by picking it apart. If opting for differentiation in state laws is not enough, there are also parameters defining these requirements. Age is a primary segregator here. Each state has determined limitations of cell phone use while driving based upon the driving age. Currently, 43 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Island ban text messaging for drivers of all ages. 12 states, D.C. , Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Island prohibit drivers of all ages from using hand-held dell phones while driving; and 37 states and D.C. ban cell phone use by novice drivers” (nhtsa.gov)

No one person is a better- distracted driver the next. Adults are not above becoming tangled in their wireless social webs. We should not discriminate based upon an individual’s age where life is the price to be to be paid. It doesn’t matter whether you are a man, woman, 50, or 18. When you are behind the wheel, you are navigating a deadly weapon capable of split second, life altering destruction.

We all are not susceptible to making mistakes, driving nor not, is it human nature. Nevertheless, for those of you who believe you are better, or more experienced and function just as well, I urge you to reconsider and read the facts about destruction while driving. Does that text message, social media alert or a call really mean that much? When you make choices like these, your answer is ‘yes”. You know who you are. It’s amazing how many drivers “choose” potential fatality over safety and respect for life. In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver compared to 3267 in 2010” (cdc.gov). This brings hope that someday cell phone laws will become standardized. When laws are consistent, and all drivers are treated as equals, then, and only then, can we say we have tried to change, and save lives?

References

Cell Phone Safety (2013). Does Cell Phone Lead To Auto Accidents? Car Crahses and cell

Phone use. Retrived form http://www.cellphonesafety.org/vehicular/accidents.htm

Gibson M (2014, January 23). Cell Phone Statistics:Updated 2013. Retrived form