Cell Phones and Driving
Cellular phones can be a lifesaver to drivers. If your vehicle breaks down late at night on a deserted road, help is only a call away — if you have a cell phone. But cell phones and cars don’t always mix. Mobile phones can be a distraction when the driver should be concentrating on operating his or her vehicle as safely as possible.
How serious a distraction are cell phones to drivers? This is the subject of intense debate and ongoing study.
Opponents of cell phones in cars cite the danger of any activity that detracts from the diver’s primary obligation of operating their vehicle safely. They point to a New England Journal of Medicine study that shows drivers using a cell phone are four times more likely than drivers not on the phone to be in an accident during a call, nearly the same risk as driving drunk. They favor laws prohibiting cell phones in motor vehicles.
Supporters of cell phones in cars say holding a conversation on a cell phone while driving is no more distracting than talking to a passenger, eating, listening to the radio, or changing a CD. They point to a study by the American Automobile Association (AAA) that showed cell phones caused only 1.5 percent of all accidents nationwide from 1995 through 1999. They say motorists are responsible and capable of making decisions behind the wheel, and attempts to legally prohibit cell phones in cars infringes on personal rights.
No matter which side of the issue you are on, most experts agree that if you drive with a cell phone, avoid unnecessary calls and always make the driving task your top priority. If you must make an extended call, pull off the road and park in a safe place.
The AAA also recommends you not use your cell phone while driving. However, if you must call when behind the wheel, AAA suggests:
Know that driving requires your full attention
Before you get into the car, become familiar with the phone’s features
Use the phone only if it’s absolutely necessary
Use the phone only when and where it’s safe to do so
Ask a passenger to place the call for you and to do the talking
Keep the call short
Tell the person at the other end that you’re driving
Get off the phone as soon as possible — especially in traffic or bad weather
Don’t combine a phone conversation with other distractions
Secure your phone so it doesn’t become a projectile in a crash
http://safety.com/articles/cell-phones-and-driving.html
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