Reflection~Safe Driving
Using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle should be banned in the United States. In support of this position, the National Safety Council advocates for a legalized ban in all 50 states. It has been proven dangerous, sometimes deadly, to use a mobile phone while driving. Drivers have difficulty maintaining a safe speed limit, keeping a proper distance between their vehicle and other vehicles, and staying in the proper lane. Reaction to dangerous situations is decreased because the driver’s attention is on the conversation and not the road. A study done in 1997 showed that people talking on cell phones were four times more likely to crash. Another study, conducted in 2003 by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, estimated cell phone usage contributes to at least 6% of car crashes. This study also put the yearly financial total for cell phone related crashes at 43 billion dollars. Safe driving should be the goal of all who get behind the wheel of a car. Based on the evidence of distraction directly from cell phone usage while driving, the United States should ban this practice for the safety of all citizens on the road.
Resources and related information can be accessed @ these websites:
http://www.livescience.com/health/060629_cell_phones.html
http://www.nsc.org/news/cellphone_ban.aspx
http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=1694
http://www.nsc.org/resources/issues/factsheet.aspx
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/0806-cell_phone_risk.htm
