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Should Cellphones Be Banned While Driving: Persuasive Essay

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Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Vehicles

Students are often asked to write an essay on Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Vehicles in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Vehicles

Introduction.

Cell phones are a big part of our lives. But using them while driving can be dangerous. This essay discusses if we should ban cell phones from vehicles.

The Problem

Benefits of a ban.

Banning cell phones in vehicles can make roads safer. Drivers will pay more attention to driving. This will reduce the number of accidents.

Drawbacks of a Ban

But a ban can also cause problems. People might need their phones for emergencies. Or they might need to use GPS to find their way.

250 Words Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Vehicles

Cell phones have become an essential part of our lives. They help us stay connected with the world. But, should they be banned from vehicles? Let’s discuss this.

Cell Phones and Distraction

One major problem with using cell phones in vehicles is distraction. When drivers use their phones, they are not fully focused on the road. This can lead to dangerous situations. Many accidents happen because of this.

Cell Phones for Emergencies

On the other hand, having a cell phone in a vehicle can be useful in emergencies. If your car breaks down or if you are in an accident, you can call for help.

Laws and Rules

Many places have laws against using cell phones while driving. But, these laws don’t ban cell phones from vehicles completely. They only ban the use of phones while driving.

In conclusion, completely banning cell phones from vehicles might not be the best idea. They can be helpful in emergencies. But, it is important to use them responsibly. We should not use them while driving to avoid distractions and accidents.

500 Words Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Vehicles

Why some people want a ban.

Many people want to ban cell phones in vehicles because they can be dangerous. When drivers use their phones, they are not paying full attention to the road. This can lead to accidents. A study found that drivers who use their phones are four times more likely to crash. This is a scary fact.

The Role of Technology

Technology can be both good and bad for drivers. On one hand, it can help them. For example, GPS apps on phones can give drivers directions. This can stop them from getting lost. On the other hand, technology can distract drivers. Texting or calling while driving can take a driver’s eyes off the road. This is not safe.

What the Law Says

Education and awareness.

In the end, whether or not cell phones should be banned from vehicles is a tough question. There are good points on both sides. But one thing is clear: safety should always be the most important thing. If using a phone while driving is not safe, then it should not be done. It is up to each of us to make the right choice and keep the roads safe for everyone.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Dr. Karlyna PhD

Should Cell Phones Be Banned While Driving?

Introduction, body of presentation, distracted driving is a national epidemic, distracted driving is much worse than drunk driving, time: how dangerous is distracted driving, the consequences of using a phone while driving.

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Bans on Cellphone Use While Driving and Traffic Fatalities in the United States

From the a The Center for Injury Research and Policy, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

b Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

c Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Donald A. Redelmeier

d Sunnybrook Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

e Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Robert Foss

f University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.

Associated Data

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

As of January 2020, 18 of 50 US states comprehensively banned almost all handheld cellphone use while driving, 3 states and the District of Columbia banned calling and texting, 27 states banned texting on a handheld cellphone, and 2 states had no general cellphone ban for all drivers. However, it remains unknown whether these bans were associated with fewer traffic deaths and whether comprehensive handheld bans are more effective than isolated calling or texting bans. We evaluated whether cellphone bans were associated with fewer driver, non-driver, and total fatalities nationally.

We conducted a longitudinal panel analysis of traffic fatality rates by state, year, and quarter. Population-based rate ratios and 95% CIs were estimated comparing state–quarters with and without cellphone bans.

From 1999 through 2016, 616,289 persons including 344,003 drivers died in passenger vehicle crashes in the United States. Relative to no ban, comprehensive handheld bans were associated with lower driver fatality rates (adjusted rate ratio aRR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.90, 0.97) but not for non-driver fatalities (aRR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.95, 1.07) or total fatalities (aRR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.94, 1.01). We found no differences in driver fatalities for calling-only bans (aRR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.03), texting-only bans (aRR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.99, 1.05), texting plus phone-manipulating bans (aRR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.04), or calling and texting bans (aRR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.88, 1.09).

Conclusions:

Comprehensive handheld bans were associated with fewer driver fatalities.

Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death and a major contributor to lower life expectancy in the United States (US), relative to other countries with a very high human development index. 1 Approximately 3.4 million injured roadway users are treated in emergency departments annually in the US, and many victims suffer brain injury, spinal cord damage, extended or lifelong chronic pain, and other disabilities. 2 , 3 The societal costs of traffic crashes were $432 billion in 2016 in the US. 4

Drivers’ cellphone use is a prevalent traffic safety hazard. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that one in 10 US states drivers were using a cellphone at any daylight moment in 2018. 5 Cellphone use may include calling, texting, and various other uses (e.g., social media apps) with handheld and hands-free use forms. A 2015 national survey reported that approximately one in five drivers read messages or viewed information on social media apps at least once a month. 6

Cellphone use may involve manual distraction (hands off the steering wheel), visual distraction (eyes off the road), and cognitive distraction (mind off driving). 7 Two early studies reported that cellphone use was associated with increased crash risk. 8 , 9 Recent research that continuously monitored drivers in a large US study found that cellphone use was associated with 2 to 6 times higher risk of crashes. 10 More specifically, cellphone use with visual–manual distractions (e.g., texting and dialing) was associated with 3 to 24 times higher risk. 10 Talking on a handheld cellphone was related to a 2 to 3-fold increased risk for drivers under 30 but was not associated with increased risk meaningfully for drivers 30 to 64 years. 10

Many states have banned cellphone use while driving. Talking on a handheld cellphone was first banned for drivers of any age (i.e., a universal ban rather than age-delimited ban) in New York in 2001. 11 Connecticut was the first state to ban both handheld calling and texting in 2005. 11 Utah was the first state to comprehensively ban any handheld cellphone use (comprehensive handheld cellphone ban) in 2007 but backtracked to allow calling while driving in 2014. 11 As of January 2020, 18 of 50 states had comprehensive handheld cellphone bans, 3 states and the District of Columbia (DC) banned calling and texting, 27 states banned texting, and 2 states had no prohibition on cellphone use for drivers of any age. Bans on handheld calling were associated with >40% reductions in roadside-observed handheld cellphone use in Connecticut, DC, and New York. 12 However, 2 studies based on self-reported texting while driving found that bans on handheld texting were not associated with less texting among adults and adolescents. 13 , 14

To the authors’ knowledge, 10 studies have investigated fatal crashes in association with universal bans on cellphone use while driving for drivers of all ages. 15 – 24 The inconsistent findings of these studies may be due, at least in part, to the varied analytic approaches, data years or outcomes studied. In term of analytic approaches, 4 studies used linear regression to fit fatal crash rate 17 , 20 , 22 , 23 and 5 studies used count models such as Poisson or negative binomial models, 15 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 24 which are advised to analyze counts of rare events. 25 , 26 Another study was a graphical analysis that did not attempt to adjust for confounders of the association between cellphone bans and fatal crashes. 21 In term of data years, 8 of 10 studies did not include the years of 1999–2000 to establish the precellphone ban baseline 15 , 16 , 18 – 20 , 22 – 24 ; the first cellphone ban was implemented in 2001. The remaining 2 studies examined data years up to 2007 only. 17 , 21 In terms of outcomes, most studies examined drivers involved in fatal crashes, but one study examined total traffic fatalities, including pedestrians and bicyclists 19 ; another study somewhat puzzlingly looked only at motorcyclist fatalities. 18 Motor vehicle drivers (not motorcyclists) are directly regulated by cellphone use while driving bans, therefore driver fatalities might be a more sensitive indicator for the impact of cellphone bans. Even among studies using Poisson or negative binomial analyses and driver fatal crashes or fatalities as the outcome, inconsistent findings are reported. 15 , 16 , 24 Lim and Chi 16 analyzed 2000–2010 fatal crashes and found that prohibitions of handheld calling while driving were associated with a 7% reduction in fatal crashes by drivers of all ages. Rudisill et al 15 reported that prohibitions on handheld calling from 2000 to 2014 were associated with a 10% reduction in driver fatalities, but bans on texting while driving had no effect among drivers of all ages. In contrast, Flaherty et al 24 found that prohibitions of handheld calling were associated with a 26% reduction in driver fatalities for ages 16–19 years and a 24% reduction for ages 40–55 years. Flaherty et al 24 also reported that bans on driver texting that allowed primary enforcement were associated with a 29% reduction on driver fatalities for ages 16–19 years and a 12% reduction for ages 40–55 years. This study did not adjust year as a confounder, but year is associated with the enactment of cellphone bans and the decrease of driver fatalities. 27

Although these studies are informative, several gaps in the literature persist. It is difficult to separately estimate the effects of handheld calling bans and handheld texting bans, because they are often included in the same legislation, or were enacted or upgraded simultaneously in a state. Since 2010 an increasing number of states have enacted comprehensive legislation that prohibits almost all handheld cellphone use including texting, calling, reading, or posting to social media, internet browsing, etc. No previous studies have examined the scope or comprehensiveness of bans on driver cellphone use. A comprehensive ban on all handheld cellphone use should be more effective than a ban on calling or texting alone. We hypothesized that a comprehensive ban conveys a message that the state views cellphone-based distractions seriously. By excluding loopholes, comprehensive bans also facilitate enforcement and increase the likelihood drivers will believe they can—and will—be enforced. We used national data on traffic fatalities to evaluate the effectiveness of cellphone bans while avoiding methodologic complications that have affected previous findings. Our study is among the first to evaluate the association between comprehensive handheld cellphone use while driving bans and driver, non-driver, and total fatalities.

Study Population and Study Design

We examined drivers, non-drivers (passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists), and total fatalities involved in passenger vehicle (passenger car, sport utility vehicle, van, and pickup truck) crashes from 1999 through 2016 in 50 US states. We excluded DC because it is entirely urban with few fatalities and many commuters come from Maryland and Virginia. We used a longitudinal panel design. We linked the population estimates, traffic fatalities, presence and characteristics of cellphone bans, and various confounders for each state, year, and quarter.

Study Variables

Bans on cellphone use while driving.

The primary policy intervention was cellphone bans for drivers of all ages. These were classified as (1) no ban, (2) calling-only ban, (3) texting-only ban, (4) texting plus ban (bans activities such as accessing the internet or social media as well as texting), (5) calling and texting ban (bans calling and texting, but not activities such as accessing the internet or social media applications), (6) comprehensive handheld bans that prohibit almost all handheld cellphone use (eTables 1 and 2; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 , which presents the implementation dates and types of cellphone bans). Some states with comprehensive handheld bans prohibit the act of holding or using a cellphone while driving and do not specify tasks such as texting and calling (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, Utah, Vermont). For example, Hawaii states “No person shall operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device. ‘Using’ means holding a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle.” 28 Other states with comprehensive handheld bans list almost all phone tasks (Delaware, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, West Virginia). For example, Delaware bans “a. viewing or transmitting images or data; b. playing games; c. composing, sending, reading, viewing, accessing, browsing, transmitting, saving or retrieving e-mail, text messages or other electronic data; or d. engaging in a call” 29 (eTable 3; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 , which presents the texts for texting plus bans and comprehensive handheld bans). Because the effectiveness of seatbelt laws is degraded by allowing only secondary enforcement, 30 we classified cellphone bans according to mode of enforcement allowed. Primary enforcement allows officers to cite an individual specifically for cellphone use, whereas a secondary enforcement law prohibits stopping a vehicle for cellphone use alone. Drivers can be cited for a phone violation only if observed in conjunction with a primary violation (e.g., speeding).

We retrieved details of state cellphone laws from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 11 and LexisNexis. Two research assistants coded the laws independently. Discrepancies were resolved with input from a third researcher and a lawyer.

The outcome measure was the number of driver, non-driver, and total fatalities per 100,000 residents. We used the population-based measure because national data on the number of licensed drivers may not be reliable. 31 , 32 We obtained fatalities from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of US fatal crashes. We retrieved resident estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics. 33

Confounders

We developed a directed acyclic graph to guide the selection of confounders (eAppendix; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 : directed acyclic graph: Cellphone bans and traffic deaths). Additional traffic safety laws, socio-economic, and travel factors could confound the association by changing driving behavior or crash risk. 34 We gathered information on seatbelt laws, 34 , 35 maximum speed limits, 34 , 35 impaired driving laws (preconviction administrative license suspension for driving under the influence), 34 , 35 unemployment-population ratio, 36 income per capita, 37 cellphone ownership, 38 vehicle miles traveled, 39 state highway expenditure, 40 gasoline price, 41 and the percentage of rural roadway length out of total roadway length. 39 Monetary information, such as income and highway expenditure, was adjusted to 2016 dollars using the Consumer Price Index (eTable 4; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 , which lists these confounders including definition, classification, and source).

Statistical Analysis

We estimated driver, non-driver, and total fatality rates per person–year by dividing counts of fatalities by population estimates. We plotted the driver, non-driver, and total fatality rates by year for each of the 46 intervention states (states with cellphone bans) versus control states without cellphone bans by 2016 (Arizona, Missouri, Montana, and Texas; eFigures 1–3; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 ). Although the preintervention trends in the intervention states and the control states were not identical, they did not differ sufficiently to call into question the parallel trend assumption that the difference between intervention and control states was constant over time in the absence of cellphone bans.

We estimated adjusted rate ratios (aRR) using negative binomial regression. The outcome variables were the quarterly counts of traffic fatalities (i.e., driver, non-driver, and total fatalities), with the natural log of the population estimates for that quarter used as an offset, to adjust for different populations across states and quarters. 42 We used generalized estimating equations with an independent correlation matrix to account for possible correlation between quarterly counts attributable to repeated measures from each state over the study period. We assessed model fit using the quasi-likelihood independent model criterion. 43

We used state indicator variables to adjust for differences in state crash rates and safety environments such as quality of highways. We used year indicator variables to control crash trends, because fatality rates were not linearly increasing or decreasing over 1999–2016. Seasonality was controlled by quarter indicator variables.

We conducted sensitivity analyses: (1) examining the cellphone bans by durations of implementation (< 1, 1–2, ≥2 years) to account for the fact that it takes time for drivers to become aware of a ban; (2) excluding the three large states that implemented calling-only bans well before texting while driving had become a concern (California, New Jersey, and New York, which account for about 20% of US drivers); (3) analyzing the 27 states with cellphone bans that took effect between 2010 and 2016 along with the 4 states without any bans by 2016. This was to avoid the period when the 2008–2009 economic recession affected the amount and type of driving; (4) restricting analyses to years of 2010–2016 and comparing comprehensive handheld bans versus everything else as the referent group. The data for comprehensive handheld bans came predominantly from 2010–2016. This analysis compared comprehensive handheld bans with less comprehensive (or no) cellphone bans during the same period. This was to avoid a discrepancy in the time periods when no bans were common (1999–2009) and when comprehensive handheld bans became common (2010–2016); (5) examining non-alcohol-related driver fatalities to exclude alcohol as a contributing factor.

Analyses were conducted using SAS, version 9.4 (Statistical Analysis System, Cary, NC). The study was exempted by the Institutional Review Board at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as it used publicly available, de-identified data.

The number of states with cellphone bans increased slowly from 1999 to 2009 (Figure). Beginning in 2010 many more states enacted bans, and the focus shifted strongly to texting, as well as more comprehensive bans. In 2016, a texting-only ban was in effect for 80 (40%) of 200 state–quarters (4 quarters × 50 states), a texting plus ban for 24%, a calling and texting ban for 6%, a comprehensive handheld ban for 22%, and no ban for 8% of state–quarters.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is ede-32-731-g001.jpg

Distribution of cellphone ban status among US states, 1999–2016.

From 1999 through 2016, 616,289 persons including 344,003 drivers and 272,286 non-drivers died in passenger vehicle crashes in the US (Table ​ (Table1). 1 ). Twenty-nine percent of traffic fatalities were under age 25, and 68% were males. For driver fatalities, calling-only bans (aRR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.03), texting-only bans (aRR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.99, 1.05), texting plus bans (aRR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.04), and calling and texting bans (aRR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.88, 1.09) were not associated with a lower fatality rate, relative to no ban (Table ​ (Table2). 2 ). Comprehensive handheld bans, which more clearly prohibit cellphone use while driving, were associated with a lower driver fatality rate (aRR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.90, 0.97). For non-driver and total fatalities, none of the various types of cellphone bans, including comprehensive handheld bans, was associated with a lower fatality rate. The adjusted rate ratio was 1.01 (95% CI = 0.95, 1.07) for non-driver fatalities and 0.98 (95% CI = 0.94, 1.01) for total fatalities, comparing comprehensive handheld bans with no cellphone bans.

Descriptive Statistics of the Study Population and State Data, United States, 1999–2016

Fatally Injured Drivers, N (%)Fatally Injured Non-Drivers, N (%)All Fatalities, N (%)
(N=344,003)(N=272,286)(N=616,289)
Age, y
<1813,578 (3.9)44,856 (16.5)58,434 (9.5)
18–2469,542 (20.2)48,619 (17.9)118,161 (19.2)
25–3988,520 (25.7)56,177 (20.6)144,697 (23.5)
40–5993,596 (27.2)67,713 (24.9)161,309 (26.2)
≥6078,720 (22.9)54,840 (20.1)133,560 (21.7)
Missing4781128
Sex
Male242,397 (70.5)174,561 (64.1)416,958 (67.7)
Female101,556 (29.5)97,603 (35.9)199,159 (32.3)
Missing50122172
State data (n=3,600 state-quarters)
N (%)
Cellphone bans
 No ban2,430 (67.5)
 Calling-only ban48 (1.3)
 Texting-only ban531 (14.8)
 Texting-plus ban231 (6.4)
 Calling and texting ban115 (3.2)
 Comprehensive handheld ban245 (6.8)
Maximum speed limit (miles per hour)
 < 701,247 (34.6)
 = 701,366 (37.9)
 > 70987 (27.4)
Seatbelt law
 Primary seatbelt law1,794 (49.8)
 Secondary seatbelt law1,734 (48.2)
 No law72 (2.0)
Administrative license suspension for driving under the influence2,992 (83.1)
Mean (SD)
Gasoline price (US dollars per gallon) 2.6 (0.7)
Income per capita (US $1,000) 43.6 (7.2)
Vehicle miles traveled (1 million miles) 14.7 (15.0)
Median (range)
Cellphone ownership (%)80.9 (13.3–118.8)
Percentage of rural roadway length out of total roadway length75.4 (13.7–97.7)
Unemployment-population ratio (%)2.6 (0.9–7.2)

a 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers.

b 1 gallon = 3.79 liters.

c Adjusted to the 2016 US dollar based on each year’s consumer price index.

Driver, Non-Driver, and Total Fatalities, Fatality Rates, and Unadjusted and Adjusted Rate Ratios for Different Cellphone Ban Status, United States, 1999–2016

Type of Road Users and Cellphone BanNo. of FatalitiesPerson-yearsUnadjusted Fatality rate per 100,000 person-yearsUnadjusted rate ratio (95% CI )Adjusted rate ratio (95% CI)
Driver
 No ban254,54013,769,497,3197.4ReferenceReference
 Calling-only ban6,572807,937,3983.30.40 (0.33–0.47)1.00 (0.97–1.03)
 Texting-only ban42,2372,850,754,5905.90.75 (0.67–0.84)1.02 (0.99–1.05)
 Texting plus ban 16,0531,132,802,7275.70.76 (0.60–0.97)0.99 (0.93–1.04)
 Calling and texting ban5,442714,898,3753.00.38 (0.31–0.46)0.98 (0.88–1.09)
 Comprehensive handheld ban19,1592,426,218,3713.20.47 (0.37–0.58)0.93 (0.90–0.97)
Non-driver
 No ban193,91513,769,497,3195.6ReferenceReference
 Calling-only ban7,154807,937,3983.50.61 (0.53–0.69)0.98 (0.95–1.00)
 Texting-only ban31,8232,850,754,5904.50.74 (0.67–0.81)1.03 (0.99–1.06)
 Texting plus ban 11,7251,132,802,7274.10.76 (0.64–0.91)0.98 (0.94–1.03)
 Calling and texting ban5,422714,898,3753.00.51 (0.47–0.56)1.05 (0.96–1.16)
 Comprehensive handheld ban22,2472,426,218,3713.70.66 (0.57–0.76)1.01 (0.95–1.07)
Total
 No ban448,45513,769,497,31913.0ReferenceReference
 Calling-only ban13,726807,937,3986.80.48 (0.42–0.56)0.99 (0.96–1.01)
 Texting-only ban74,0602,850,754,59010.40.74 (0.67–0.82)1.02 (0.99–1.05)
 Texting plus ban 27,7781,132,802,7279.80.76 (0.62–0.94)0.98 (0.94–1.03)
 Calling and texting ban10,864714,898,3756.10.43 (0.39–0.49)1.02 (0.93–1.13)
 Comprehensive handheld ban41,4062,426,218,3716.80.55 (0.47–0.65)0.98 (0.94–1.01)

a We calculated unadjusted rate ratios by including the characteristics of cellphone bans as the only predictor variable in the negative binomial regression with robust standard error estimates.

b Confidence interval.

c We estimated aRR using negative binomial regression with robust standard error estimates. The aRR compares the rates per quarter–year exposed to the corresponding status of cellphone bans with no ban on cellphone use while driving. Comparisons are adjusted for state, year, quarter, traffic laws (i.e., seatbelt laws, maximum speed limits, and preconviction administrative license suspension for driving under the influence), socio-economic factors (i.e., unemployment-population ratio, income per capita, cellphone ownership, and highway expenditure), and travel factors (vehicle miles traveled, gasoline price, and the percentage of rural roadway length out of total roadway length).

d Bans that prohibit holding a cellphone for texting and some additional activities such as accessing the internet or social media applications.

Additional analyses by enforcement level were limited to driver fatalities because no effects were observed for non-driver and total fatalities. For driver fatalities, the aRR was 0.93 (95% CI = 0.90, 0.97) for comprehensive handheld bans allowing primary enforcement and 0.95 (95% CI = 0.90, 1.00) for comprehensive handheld bans without primary enforcement for all banned activities (Table ​ (Table3 3 ).

Driver Fatalities, Fatality Rates, and Unadjusted and Adjusted Rate Ratios for Cellphone Bans According to Allowed Enforcement, United States, 1999–2016

Cellphone Ban and Enforcement AllowedNo. of FatalitiesPerson-YearsUnadjusted Fatality Rate per 100,000 Person-YearsUnadjusted Rate Ratio (95% CI )Adjusted Rate Ratio (95% CI)
No ban254,54013,769,497,3197.4ReferenceReference
Calling-only ban: primary5,398686,674,3233.10.37 (0.33–0.42)1.00 (0.97–1.03)
Calling-only ban: secondary1,174121,263,0753.90.46 (0.41–0.51)0.99 (0.93–1.06)
Texting-only ban: primary32,3922,098,884,4156.20.77 (0.67–0.88)1.03 (0.99–1.06)
Texting-only ban: secondary9,845751,870,1755.20.68 (0.59–0.78)0.99 (0.96–1.03)
Texting plus ban: primary16,0531,132,802,7275.70.76 (0.60–0.97)0.99 (0.93–1.05)
Texting plus ban: secondary
Calling and texting ban: primary 4,983661,606,4653.00.38 (0.31–0.46)0.99 (0.88–1.11)
Calling and texting ban: secondary 45953,291,9113.40.41 (0.37–0.46)0.95 (0.90–0.99)
Comprehensive handheld ban: primary 16,7872,134,672,3303.10.46 (0.37–0.58)0.93 (0.90–0.97)
Comprehensive handheld ban: secondary 2,372291,546,0413.30.49 (0.38–0.62)0.95 (0.90–1.00)

a We calculated unadjusted rate ratios by including the characteristics of cellphone bans as the only predicting variable in the negative binomial regression with robust standard error estimates.

c We estimated adjusted rate ratios (aRR) using negative binomial regression with robust standard error estimates. The aRR compares the rates per quarter–year exposed to the corresponding status of cellphone bans with no ban on cellphone use while driving. Comparisons are adjusted for state, year, quarter, traffic laws (i.e., seatbelt laws, maximum speed limits, and preconviction administrative license suspension for driving under the influence), socio-economic factors (i.e., unemployment-population ratio, income per capita, and cellphone ownership, highway expenditure), and travel factors (vehicle miles traveled, gasoline price, and the percentage of rural roadway length out of total roadway length).

d No observations for the texting plus ban at the secondary enforcement level.

e If all the banned activities are at the primary enforcement level, it is defined as primary enforcement. Otherwise, it is defined as secondary enforcement (e.g., primary enforcement for texting, but secondary enforcement for calling).

f The estimate is unreliable because this category included only one state (Washington).

Sensitivity analyses suggested that the aRRs were virtually identical across durations of cellphone bans (< 1, 1–2, ≥ 2 years; eTable 5; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 ). Excluding the 3 large urban states that implemented calling-only bans resulted in a similar aRR for comprehensive handheld bans (eTable 6; http://links.lww.com/EDE/B827 ). When analyzing the 27 states that implemented cellphone bans following the Great Recession, between 2010 and 2016, along with the 4 states without any bans by 2016, the aRR remained the same for comprehensive handheld bans, although the CI was wider due to the reduced sample size. When comparing compressive handheld bans versus everything else as the reference and during the years of 2010–2016, the aRR was the same and the 95% CI was similar as the aRR for comprehensive handheld bans in the main analysis. Analyses excluding alcohol-related driver fatalities produced virtually identical aRRs to those including all driver fatalities.

Comprehensive handheld bans were associated with fewer driver fatalities, but calling-only, texting-only, texting plus, and calling and texting bans were not. This could be due to greater compliance; comprehensive bans clearly send the message that cellphones are not to be handled at all while driving. 44 In addition, drivers may be more likely to believe that enforcement is possible when the laws govern cellphone use broadly. A survey found that drivers became more anxious when touching a cellphone after a comprehensive handheld ban was implemented in Georgia in 2018. 45 Drivers may doubt that texting-only bans are enforceable. 44 , 46 For example, drivers may believe that if stopped by a police officer, they can avoid a citation by claiming they were calling, not texting. A comprehensive ban is easier to enforce, because it is impossible for police to differentiate texting from dialing and other phone use. 44 , 46 A cross-sectional comparison of 14 US states found that more citations were issued when both calling and texting were prohibited, compared with texting-only (2,022 versus 14 per 100,000 person–years). 47

We found that comprehensive handheld bans were associated with fewer driver fatalities but not for non-driver and total fatalities. Driver fatalities might be a more sensitive indicator for the impact of cellphone bans because motor vehicle drivers are directly regulated by bans on cellphone use while driving. Although the examination of non-driver and total fatalities measured the impacts of cellphone bans on passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists that might be involved in passenger vehicle crashes, this increases the chance that any crash will be fatal regardless of driver cellphone use. Non-driver fatalities also depend on extraneous factors, such as motorcyclist helmet use, belt use by occupants in other vehicles, adding error variance to estimates. The incidence of all these varies by crash, and all but passenger count vary systematically by state.

Our analysis of 1999–2016 driver fatalities found that comprehensive handheld bans were associated with a lower driver fatality rate (aRR = 0.93). To our knowledge, no previous studies have specifically estimated the association between comprehensive handheld bans and driver fatalities. Comprehensive handheld bans were first implemented in 2007 and more states have been enacting such bans since 2010. On the other hand, previous studies have examined bans on handheld calling, which include comprehensive handheld bans and handheld calling-only bans.

Our analysis found that comprehensive handheld bans were associated with fewer driver fatalities, but texting bans were not associated with driver fatality rates. A study examining motor vehicle-related emergency department visits in 16 states from 2007–2014 found that handheld bans (mainly handheld calling bans) were associated with approximately 5% fewer emergency department visits, and that texting bans were associated with approximately 4% fewer visits. 48 An investigation of traffic collision insurance claims reported that texting bans in California, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Washington were not associated with fewer traffic collision insurance claims. 49 A study of Michigan traffic crashes from 2005–2012 found that a texting ban was associated with a small increase in crashes involving fatal, disabling, or visible injuries, but a small decrease in crashes involving possible injury or property damage only. 50 Future research is needed to examine whether the lower driver fatality rate associated with comprehensive handheld bans in the present study extends to less severe crashes.

The mechanism through which cellphone bans might reduce driver fatalities is reducing calling, texting, and other cellphone behaviors that interfere with drivers’ attention. Roadside-observed handheld cellphone calls declined by 41%–47% immediately after a calling-only ban was implemented in New York and DC, and 76% immediately after a calling and texting ban was implemented in Connecticut. 12 Rudisill et al 13 reported that bans forbidding calling while driving were associated with 40% fewer self-reported handheld calls, but that bans forbidding texting appeared to have had far less effect on texting while driving (aRR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.84, 1.01). Further analysis found that the bans forbidding calling examined by Rudisill et al 13 were mainly comprehensive handheld bans, while bans forbidding texting were mainly texting-only bans. A Canadian study found that a comprehensive handheld ban reduced overall and handheld cellphone use and increased hands-free use as a substitution to handheld use. 51

We found comprehensive handheld bans allowing primary enforcement were associated with fewer driver fatalities. Previous research has reported that primary enforcement increases the effectiveness of seatbelt laws, relative to secondary enforcement. 30 Secondary enforcement could be a barrier for enforcement. 52 However, we found that comprehensive handheld bans without primary enforcement for all banned activities might be associated with modestly fewer driver fatalities. Due to the relatively limited number of fatalities subject to comprehensive handheld bans without primary enforcement for all banned activities, more research is needed to confirm the findings on comprehensive handheld bans and mode of enforcement.

Future research is needed to clarify why comprehensive handheld bans are associated with fewer driver fatalities, but calling-only or texting-only bans are not. Self-report surveys could examine (1) drivers’ awareness of cellphone bans, including details like primary versus secondary enforcement, which specific phone use activities are proscribed, and loopholes that interfere with enforcement and (2) driver’s beliefs and experiences about the extent of law enforcement. This would guide efforts to design more beneficial laws and enhance the effectiveness of existing laws.

Strengths and Limitations

A strength is that multiple sensitivity analyses suggest that the estimate is robust for cellphone bans across alternative statistical models. Moreover, we examined not only driver fatalities, but also non-driver and total fatalities. One limitation of this study is that we could not directly examine cellphone-related driver fatalities because cellphone use by crash-involved drivers is often difficult to detect 53 and, until recently, was not routinely reported in crash investigations. We examined driver deaths and the findings may not be generalizable to other outcomes such as injuries, hospitalizations, and health care costs. We believe that we have considered the primary confounders; however, it remains possible that unobserved, unknown, or hard-to-measure confounders may bias effect estimates. Last, we did not have a measure of enforcement such as the number of cellphone-related citations. Such measures would help clarify the direct and indirect effects of cellphone laws on traffic fatalities.

In conclusion, comprehensive handheld bans were associated with fewer driver fatalities. As of January 2020, 18 states have comprehensively banned almost all handheld cellphone use while driving.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We express appreciation to Evan Anderson at the University of Pennsylvania for his assistance in coding cellphone use while driving bans.

Supplementary Material

M.Z., S.S., and L.L. received support from a grant (R01HD074594) from the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and a grant (R01AG050581) from the US National Institute on Aging. The funding bodies had no input into any aspect of this study.

Not required as it utilized publicly available, de-identified data.

The computer code used to conduct analyses for this paper, as well as all the policy data are available from the study authors upon request. The driver fatality data are publicly available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars .

The other authors have no conflicts to report.

Supplemental digital content is available through direct URL citations in the HTML and PDF versions of this article ( www.epidem.com ).

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should cell phones be banned while driving?

Student’s Full Name Professor’s Full Name Subject Date Should the Use of Cell phones while Driving should be banned? Cellular phones and personal communications devices have become a necessity in our society. Proponents of the ban, say that distractions associated with cell phone use while driving are more dangerous than other distractions. Opponents of cell-phone restrictions think drivers are more easily distracted by other everyday activities, such as talking to the person in the passenger seat. Thus, driving is a privilege. Therefore, cell phone use should be banned while driving because phones cause the driver to be distracted and causes accidents. To begin with, talking on a phone while driving reduces the competence level to control the vehicle as well as lose focus on the road. For example, the driver has to multitask by dividing their attention between the phone and driving. At any given time, the driver can instantly cause an accident. In the article “A Decrease in Brain Activation Associated with Driving When Listening to Someone Speak”, the author states “that simulated driving performance is also disrupted by conversations using hands-free devices and epidemiological studies of real-world accidents suggest that users of hands-free phones are just as likely to have an accident as users of hand-held devices “. More precisely, driving and using a cell phone are two separate activities. Speaking on a portable mobile phone is an anti-social activity because it puts the lives of others at risk.

Wait! should cell phones be banned while driving? paper is just an example!

Next, in the article the author explains that initially, researchers thought that the dangers concerning using a cell phone while driving came from the manual aspects of its use, as it decreased driving performance. Following that argument, the author focused his attention on hands-free devices and found drivers using those devices as prone to suffer accidents, as those who used their cell phone traditionally. Last, using previous research the author states that the problem is not in the manual use of the cell phone, instead the deterioration of driving performance is a result of “competition for mental resources at a central cognitive level rather than at a motor output level”. The evidence shows that when two different activities are competing for brain resources, it tends to prioritize, and in many cases it prioritizes the conversation, rather than the mechanical activity of driving. In that light, it is accurate to say that most of the accidents related to driving while using a cell phone are due to absentmindedness related to the evidence previously shown. However, while banning the use of mobile devices is a good idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible to put a law that prohibits mobile device usage. In passage B, the author inserts an interesting note “There are a lot of variables in play here and a national ban like the one in question will be enforced arbitrarily” For example, police officers will have a hard time distinguishing if a driver is using a mobile device or not, those confusions could lead to unlawful searches and even incarcerations. Some advantages of using a cell phone and driving are that if the drivers are in a trouble or stuck in a ditch, they would have the tools to call for help. In that case, driving and having a cell phone would not cause an accident, it would prevent it. In passage B, the author states “while they drive, people eat, listen to music, talk with passengers, gawk at billboards and pedestrians, and engage in all sorts of activities that could be considered dangerous to themselves or others. Do we ban these as well?” After weighing the risks against the benefits of cell phone use, it is found that the benefits far exceed the risks. In conclusion, banning the use of phones while driving can reduce the risk accidents and decrease accidents on the road, and prohibiting the use of cell phone will make the road a safer place in the future. However, it is important that drivers also use their judgment on the road to avoid accidents. Driving might be a mechanical activity engaged almost without thinking, but the brain is always working. That is why despite the difficulties of enforcing bans on the use of cell phones while driving, the benefits exceed the hassles it could cause.

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Should Cell Phones Be Banned While Driving?

should cell phone use be banned while driving argumentative essay

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The National Safety Council today called on state and federal lawmakers to ban the use of cell phones and text-messaging devices while driving and also urged businesses to prohibit it.

The nonprofit, nongovernmental group cites studies showing that the practice is as dangerous as driving drunk .

"Studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone is extremely dangerous and puts drivers at a four times greater risk of a crash," said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the NSC. "Driving drunk is also dangerous and against the law. When our friends have been drinking, we take the car keys away. It's time to take the cell phone away."

A study from the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year and a tab of $43 billion, according to a statement from the NSC today.

Other distractions

Talking on a cell phone may be less distracting than some other activities people may engage in while driving, Froetscher admits, but she points out that the use of cell phones and texting devices is much more pervasive, making it more dangerous overall.

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Studies from the University of Utah show that hands-free devices do not make cell phone calls while driving safe . Another study demonstrates that talking to passengers, as opposed to talking on a cell phone, actually makes adult drivers safer, because passengers help alert drivers to potential driving risks, the NSC stated.

"Talking on a phone while driving is dangerous, period, and our advice to drivers is to simply don't do it," Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association of Washington, DC, said last year . "It taxes the cognitive skills of your brain at the expense of the driving at hand, and if the conversation is stressful your reaction time will not be as quick. Also, whoever you are talking with on the phone does not know what is going on around you, whereas someone in the car talking to you is aware of the circumstances."

John Walls, vice president of CTIA-The Wireless Association, a cell phone trade group, objected to a complete ban, according to the Associated Press .

"We think that you can sensibly and safely use a cell phone to make a brief call," Walls said.

California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Washington and the District of Columbia ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, and 17 states and D.C. restrict or ban cell phone use by young drivers.

Worse than drunk driving

One of the leading researchers in this realm is Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah. His team has done several studies using volunteers who drive simulators while talking on cell phones. In one study, some of the volunteers got drunk first so their reactions could be compared to people who were talking while driving and to a control group that was entirely focused on driving.

"We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit," Drews said. In fact, while some of the participants crashed in a virtual vehicle while sober and chatting, none of them crashed while drunk.

<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" language="javascript" src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/1268405.js"></script><noscript> <a href ="http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1268405/" >Should lawmakers ban use of cell phones while driving?</a> <br/> <span style="font-size:9px;"> (<a href ="http://www.polldaddy.com"> surveys</a>)</span></noscript>

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should cell phone use be banned while driving argumentative essay

Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives Essay

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Introduction

Distracted drivers, phone use and road accidents, legislation, cell phone use while driving is dangerous.

Vehicle accidents occur when a car collides with another car, pedestrian, or animal. A vehicle may also veer of the road and hit some stationary object such as a tree or pole or reaches a rough terrain such as a steep slope. Traffic accidents cause injury and death to millions of persons around the world.

Other results of accidents include loss of property. The dictionary defines an accident as an unforeseen and unwanted event or a disaster that occurs without any warning. However, strictly speaking, a number of traffic ‘accidents’ do not qualify as accidents since they could have been avoided.

Vehicle accidents are caused by a vast number of factors and the top six causes are in order from most common to least: distracted drivers, driver fatigue, drunk driving, speeding, aggressive driving, and weather.

There are three main forms of distraction among drivers: visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distraction occurs when a driver takes his eyes of the road while manual distraction occurs when a driver takes his hands off the steering wheel and finally, cognitive distraction occurs when a driver takes his concentration off the road. Research has shown that distracted drivers are the leading cause of car accidents(Redelmeier & Tibshirani, 1997).

Distractions are caused by a number of activities, however, a significant number of distractions have been attributed to mobile phone use. For instance, a driver may receive a phone call or make one, and while tending to the call, takes his mind of the road and increasing the chances of causing an accident. Writing text messages also cause distractions as a driver takes both his eyes and mind of the road (Strayer et al, 2003).

The girl is driving and talking by phone with a dog looking out of the window.

Figure 1: Distracted Driver

Other forms of distraction among drivers that have been numerously cited include low-tech distractions such as spilling hot coffee on oneself or dropping something on the floor and changing a radio station or tuning a climate control gadget.

A second, commonly reported cause of road accidents is driver fatigue. This condition is created when a driver suffers from the symptoms of fatigue while driving as a result of inadequate sleep and rest. Driver fatigue causes many drivers to fall asleep while on the wheel and this regularly leads to road accidents, however, it may also lead to exhaustion, causing a driver to make serious- and deadly- traffic mistakes (Redelmeier & Tibshirani, 1997).

Driving under the influence of alcohol, or drunk driving, is a leading cause of road accidents among the youth. Accidents arising from drunk driving normally occur during the weekends or on major holidays. Alcohol-related deaths are so common in the US, close to 40 % of all adult persons in the US will have been involved in a road accident involving alcohol. Over-speeding among drivers, aggressive driving, and poor weather make up the rest of the road accidents that occur in the US (NHTSA, 2010).

Mobile phone use while driving is a very common phenomenon and can be quite dangerous. Indeed, several studies have shown that the number of deaths arising from phone use while driving has been increasingly steadily, and that drivers who use mobile phones while driving are at a higher risk of being involved in a road accident that those who do not (Strayer & William, 2001).

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released the results of a study that focused on the number of deaths resulting from driver distractions for the tear 2009 (NHTSA, 2010).

From the report, there were 5,474 fatalities arising from distracted drivers. Out of these fatalities, 995 were as a result of distraction by mobile phones. However, the report did not indicate whether there was a positive association between cell phone use and accidents (NHTSA, 2010).

The man is driving and talking by phone getting into a car accident.

Figure 2: Phone use and Road Accidents

A study of car accidents in the US conducted in 2003 showed that driver inattention resulted into 20-50 per cent of all road accidents (Eby and Lidia, 2003).

Driver distraction, which is a branch of inattention, has been approximated to be a causal factor in between 8 and 13 per cent of all accidents. Under driver distraction, mobile phone use contributes to between 1.5 and 5 per cent. However, the large number of variables in road accidents may cause errors in getting a clear picture of the overall contribution of cell phones to all road accidents.

These are variables that may also contribute to road accidents and include poor weather, poor roads, mechanical problems, driver fatigue, over speeding, and so on. The NHTSA recognizes this and asserts that only a small proportion of accidents are reported as having being caused by cell phone distraction. Inadequate reporting and use of different analytical techniques has led to differing results in various studies.

A report published by the Human Factors Journal reveals that cell phone use among drivers cause between 2,600 deaths and 330,000 deaths annually (Horrey and Christopher, 2006). Because of the rising number of deaths attributed to mobile phone use while driving, several states have passed legislation that limits cell phone use while driving on busy roads and highways.

Figure 3: Legislation

Although restrictions have long been in place, they have been enforced by including strict penalties to stem the increase in the number of drivers ignoring the traffic rules. Some of the US states that have enacted laws against phone use while driving include California, Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

Most of the states have placed bans on all forms of hand held cell phone use while driving. As a result, a traffic officer can ticket a driver for using handheld mobile phones without any other offence having taken place (McEvoy et al, 2005).

As of January 2008, the state of Oregon enacted a law that stated that persons below the age of 18 years are not allowed to “operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile communication device” (Oregon.gov, 2011).

Additionally, such persons must have one of the following: 1) a permit; 2) a temporary driving license; or 3) a special student driver permit. A mobile communication device is described as “a text messaging device or a wireless, two-way communication device designed to receive and transmit voice or text communication” (Oregon.gov, 2011).

Persons convicted of this offence must undergo the Provisional Driver Improvement Program among other forms of punishments. And on the other side of the nation, the state of Tennessee does not authorize any learner permit or person holding a temporary license from using a mobile phone while driving. Besides, it is an offence for anyone to read or write a text message while driving. These laws are extended to school bus drivers, unless there is an emergency.

Several countries in the world have implemented strict laws on cell phone use while driving. For instance, in 2007, UK enacted traffic laws in which a traffic officer could add three penalty points to driver’s licenses besides a fine for motorists caught violating this law. Israel, Japan, and Singapore all ban mobile phone communication, as well as hands-free devices. New Zealand enacted laws against hand held devices in 2009.

A number of countries have adopted these laws in part or in full. Some countries use the legislation selectively on different segments of the population; stricter measures are placed on younger drivers.

Canada, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Italy, China, Ireland, Turkey, UK, Spain, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, and Bulgaria are just a few of the countries that have placed some form of ban on handheld cell phone use by motorists. Countries such as Japan and some states in the US have banned both handheld and hands-free communication devices.

(Argument 1) When a driver uses the phone while driving, his eyes are not fixed on the road due to distraction from the conversation. A Ford study showed that there is a considerable difference in the distraction level between voice-controlled systems such and visually and manually operated systems mobile phones (Ford, 2011).

Further studies by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society showed that cell phone use causes drivers to respond slower to brake lights (Horrey and Christopher, 2006). In a minor positive finding, they were found to keep a 12% per cent breaking distance.

However, drivers were found to take 17 per cent more time to regain their speed when they braked, an action that frustrates everyone as it slows down the overall flow of traffic and increases the likelihood of an accident. Although some people have mentioned that using hands-free cell phone eliminates driver distraction, similar studies have proved the opposite; hands-free cell phones distract drivers as much as non-hands free units (Strayer & William, 2001).

Scientists have found out that while using hands-free systems, drivers ‘look but they do not see’ as their mind is diverted onto the phone call. Besides, the use of mobile phones for long hours has been found to be harmful as it can lead to brain cancer.

(Argument 2) The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society reports that using a cell phone while driving is just as risky as driving under the influence of alcohol (Horrey and Christopher, 2006). A paper by Strayer et al reported that the level of distraction caused by the two factors is similar (Strayer et al, 2003).

Of importance is that the study did not spare hands free devices, asserting both handheld and hands-free cell phones have similar effects on driver distraction. Since the use of mobile phones while driving is as bad as driving, the drivers must completely abstain from using them.

(Argument 3) Although many authorities have advised drivers to use hands-free cell phones rather than those that are handheld, studies have the latter is not significantly secure than the former. The study, undertaken by the AAA, indicates that hands free kits can cause enough distraction to cause a road accident (AAA, 2001) These studies found out that using hands free kits causes an increased ‘cognitive workload’ due to the involvement in conversation.

This distraction can lead to a 37 per cent drop in cognitive activity in the brain. Hence, the distracting factor is the conversation and not the device. Consequently, there has been a call for the ban of both hands free and handheld mobile devices by drivers, especially learners. However, a complete ban on the use of all mobile phone devices while on the road is the surest way of eliminating all accidents related to cell phone use (Utah DUI Checkpoints, 2009)

(Counter Argument 1) One weakness of the call to ban the use of cell phones by motorists is that such a move would imply that we ban all communication devices, a deed that is practically impossible due to the vast benefits of communication.

Cell phones help individuals to interact effortlessly over long distances and their full ban would create an inconvenience to a very large number of people. In fact, it is common that a driver asks for turn-by-turn instructions when driving into a new place. Instead of banning these devices, drivers should be advised on ways through which they can reduce road accidents and still use their phones. However, if such a move would benefit society against all the consequences, then we should proceed with the move.

(Counter Argument 2) The second counter argument against a ban on cell phone use while driving is that such a move might induce a state of boredom and cause a driver’s mind to wander off the road. Boredom might also induce dizziness or sleepiness. A sleepy driver may try to avoid sleep by talking to their spouse or friend (AAA, 2001). Instead of banning cell phone use, some factors and considerations should be assessed. These include:

  • Is the driver using headphones or not?
  • What is the nature of the conversation? Is it casual or heated?
  • The pace of the drive and the weather condition;
  • The experience of the driver; and so on.

These factors must be considered in coming up with security measurements, and it must be recognized that a sleepy driver on the road poses a far higher risk that one using a cell phone.

(Rebuttal Counter Argument 1 and 2) While authorities place bans on cell phone use by drivers, it is vital to note that individuals have every right to use their mobile devices as long as they do not violate the social requirement of keeping other road users safe. However, drivers also have a role to play in minimizing these risks, for instance, they can engage in other activities that prevent boredom and yet keep them alert on the road, such as listening to music through the car stereo.

Road accidents arising due to the use of mobile phones by driers have been on the rise in the past few decades. In most countries, the number of accidents has been proportional to the number of mobile phone subscribers thereby pointing to a positive link between the two.

These accidents are caused as a result of distractions among drivers. To reduce their occurrence, drivers must keep their eyes and minds on the road by limiting mobile phone use, both handheld and hands free. Failure to concentrate fully on the road can lead to serious injuries and even death of one or a couple of people. In order to improve the safety of our roads, each of us must play a role towards this goal.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (2001). The Role of Driver Distraction in Traffic Crashes. Web.

Eby, D., and Lidia K. (2003). Driver distraction and crashes: An assessment of crash databases and review of the literature. Michigan: UMTRI.

Ford. (2011). Study: Ford Sync Reduces Driving Distractions, Helps Drivers Keep Eyes on Road . Web.

Horrey, W. and Christopher W. (2006). Examining the Impact of Cell Phone Conversations on Driving Using Meta-Analytic Techniques. Human Factors (Human Factors and Ergonomics Society), 38 (1): 196–205.

McEvoy, S. Stevenson, M. R., McCartt, A. T., Woodward, M., Haworth, C., Palamara, P., and Cercarelli, R. (2005). Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: a case-crossover study. BMJ , 331 (7514): 428.

NHTSA. (U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). (2010). Distracted Driving 2009. Traffic Safety Facts.

Oregon. (2011). Oregon law prohibits use of cell phones and text messaging by teen drivers . Web.

Redelmeier, D. Tibshirani, R. (1997). Association between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collisions. The New England Journal of Medicine , 336 (7): 453–458.

Strayer D. L. & William J. A. (2001). Driven to distraction: Dual-Task Studies of Simulated Driving and Conversing on a Cellular Telephone. Psychological Science , 6 (12): 462–466.

Strayer D. L., Drews F. A., & Johnston W. A. (2003). Cell Phone-Induced Failures of Visual Attention During Simulated Driving. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1 (9): 23–32.

Utah DUI Checkpoints. (2011). Banning Texting While Driving Will Save Lives . Web.

Figure 1 and 2: Web.

Figure 3: Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, October 12). Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/

"Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." IvyPanda , 12 Oct. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

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IvyPanda . 2018. "Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

1. IvyPanda . "Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

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should cell phone use be banned while driving argumentative essay

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Ielts essay # 1293 - using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous because it causes the driver to become distracted. therefore, mobile phone use by drivers should be made illegal everywhere., to what extent do you agree or disagree.

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should cell phone use be banned while driving argumentative essay

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Should Cell Phone Use in Cars be Banned?

Subject: Entertainment & Media
Pages: 8
Words: 2466
Reading time: 10 min
Study level: College

Over the course of the years, computers and other computerized gadgets have become an integral part of the business and social environment. This has been as a result of their efficiency, accuracy, and speed which have revolutionized the manner in which business and social interactions are conducted.

An important concept that has risen with the continued usage of computers is that of the cell phones which have in the past few decades gained prominence as suitable mediums of communication. As of today, over 80% of the world population uses cell phones and nearly all homes own at least one cell phone. Such statistics indicate that these gadgets have proven their worth in facilitating easy, affordable, effective and efficient communication between friends, families, business affiliates and compatriots.

However, the use of cell phones has also proven to be disastrous if not done in the appropriate manner. Data gathered in a recent study indicated that 80% of accidents in our roads today as well as 65% of near accidents are caused by lack of concentration and inattention. The most common distracter was found to be the use of cell phones while in the car. The graph below shows the number of accidents caused each year due to cell phone use while driving. Figures are in thousands.

Annual number of accidents caused by cell phones in US

According to a study conducted by the US National Safety council (2010), there are 1.6 million accidents caused by cell phone use while driving. The study indicated that 1.4 million accidents are caused by talking on the phone while 200, 000 are caused by texting while driving.

Arguably, the use of cell phones while driving may be beneficial to individuals who rely on these gadgets for socialization and work-related activities. However; the risks presented by this unbecoming behavior as expressed in this graph far outweighs the benefits and it would therefore be a worthwhile endeavor to ban cell phone use in cars.

In this research, a detailed analysis of relevant literature regarding to the use of cell phones in the car shall be provided. The various factors that have in the recent past necessitated this behavior shall be presented and the effects emanating from the same given.

An evaluation of available statistical data proving that cell phone use is indeed a serious threat to the safety of individuals in our roads and highways shall also be included in the discussion. In addition, the counter arguments proposed by the proponents of cell phone use in cars shall also be presented. To this end, viable solutions shall be recommended in order to ensure that the use of cell phones in the car is discouraged and subsequently, banned.

Argument for banning cell phone use in cars

In today’s society, the use of cell phones has become an integral part in the social network. It has enabled individuals to stay in touch and the cell phones have been instrumental in the building of a global community. Betts (2004) states that cell phones have over the years proved to be more beneficial in our lives. To further reinforce her claims, the author highlights the various benefits that the world has accrued as a result of cell phone technology (Betts, 2004).

For example, some mobile phones have integrated features that enable the users to connect to the internet which provides vital information pertaining to anything and everything.

In addition to this, mobile phones have also provided people with a global means of communicating and learning about each other through websites like “facebook” and “twitter”. People from different countries globally are able to interact and socialize in the comfort of their homes without the inconveniencies caused by travelling as well as the enormous costs that would have otherwise been incurred.

With these bleak realities, it is evident that the cell phones are indeed vital to society’s ability to interact. However, despite the benefits, cell phones should be used at the right place. Mccartt, Hellinga & Bratiman (2006), state that no one likes to be involved or cause an accident.

The authors argue that cell phone use while driving (no matter the benefits) is a cause of danger in our roads and highways (Mccartt, Hellinga & Bratiman, 2006). The authors assert that texting and dialing requires utmost concentration and may invariably distract the driver from concentrating on the road thereby leading to unwanted accidents.

Similarly, Mccartt, Hellinga & Geary (2006) reiterate that while people claim that they are too busy and cell phones enable them to work in their cars, using a cell phone while driving is dangerous and laws should be enforced to ban this unbecoming practice.

To further support this statement, the author states that talking, texting and browsing while driving distracts the driver thereby making them a hazard to themselves and other road users. He further acknowledges that people have a right to use their cell phones wherever and whenever they want however, such freedoms should be regulated to ensure that they do not stretch too far to an extent that they threaten the safety of others.

In addition, Farmer, Braitman & Lund (2010) assert that using cell phones while driving presents as much danger as driving while intoxicated. To support this argument, Mccartt, Hellinga & Geary (2006) refer to a study conducted at the University of Utah. In the tests, volunteers were required to drive a simulator. The first test, the drivers were to concentrate on their driving without any form of distraction. The second test, the drivers were to use their cell phones and communicate with a friend while driving.

The third test required the volunteers to take alcohol until they attained the.08 blood-alcohol level (considered as intoxication level in most states) then drive the simulator. The results of these tests indicated that the number of crashes and near misses was higher when the volunteers drove while speaking on the phone than when they drove the simulators under the influence of alcohol (Mccartt, Hellinga & Geary, 2006).

Ultimately, the professors conducting the tests claimed that the tests were not aimed at proving that drunken driving is dangerous but rather, to show that cell phone use while driving is equally if not more dangerous. In addition, the professors interviewed traffic officers to further support their claims.

Among the five that interviewed, four of them claimed that the number of times they flagged a driver to stop due to over speeding or reckless driving was higher in cases of cell phone use that in drunken driving cases. Such facts reveal the sad states of affairs we are in and highlight the need to ban cell phone use while driving.

On the same note, Loeb, Clarke & Anderson (2009) assert that in the recent past, many institutions (government or otherwise) have conducted tests to test the extent to which cell phone usage while driving affects the drivers ability to ensure safety.

Results gathered from tests conducted by the Universities of Utah and Illinois indicated the following: “drivers talking on a cell phone are 5.36 times as likely to cause an accident, 18% slower to react to brake light, 17% slower to regain speed after braking, and twice as likely to ‘rear-end’ the car in front (Loeb, Clarke & Anderson, 2009).” These statistics show that the use of cell phones while driving slows down the reaction time of the drivers thereby increasing the likelihood of causing an accident or being in one.

Wilson, Fang, Wiggins & Cooper (2003) further confirm that after the bill banning cell phone use while driving was implemented in California, the 45% of drivers reporting to have been hit or nearly hit by other drivers using cell phone as well as the road fatalities within the state dropped significantly to a minimum percentage of 12.5%.

This shows that banning cell phone use is indeed a viable means of reducing the accidents and other road fatalities that stem from inattentive behaviors exhibited by most drivers on our roads and highways.

In addition, Johnson et al, (2004) state that the reaction time of a twenty year old driver driving while on the phone is equated to that of a seventy year old driver. The authors further state that in most cases, drivers using cell phones meander into other lanes, forget to use their indicators stop suddenly and may slow down thereby inconveniencing other road users.

In 2005, a road accident survey indicated that the use of cell phones in the car contributed to 2,600 road fatalities and an estimated 330,000 injuries each year. Considering that each year 42,000 drivers die in automobile accidents, the use of cell phones presents a serious threat since the behavior is not reducing but it is increasing at an alarming rate. These statistics shows that there is need to ban this behavior before it gets out of hand and claims more unnecessary lives.

However, banning the use of hand held devices while driving may not be a lasting solution. We all acknowledge the fact that hands used in dialing or even worse texting are hands off the steering. In addition, the implications arising from such behaviors are well known by all yet people still do it and will find ways of doing it even after banning the use of hand held devices. In addition, reinforcing such a bill would be very difficult and would require a lot of man power and financial resources.

It would therefore be a worthwhile endeavor to campaign against the use of cell phones while driving. Knowledge is power and those that heed to the lessons taught often succeed in all their endeavors. With this in mind, using billboards, advertisements and other educational tools may in the end reduce the use of cell phones while driving.

Collet, Guillot & Petit (2010) state that if it is safer for a driver to pull over and take a call or even wait until he/she gets to the destination then make the call. However, such gestures are held by a few thereby necessitating the need to ban the use of cell phones while driving.

Similarly, Collet, Guillot & Petit (2010) suggest that using hands free communicating devices may be a safer alternative for drivers who need to make and receive calls while driving. Johnson et al (2004) refute this statement by stating that recent studies show that hands free devices are almost as dangerous as hand held devices. He claims that the distraction does not come from phone itself but from the conversation being held

. Collet, Guillot & Petit (2010) assert that receiving a call from a creditor or sad news may affect the emotional balance of the driver thereby affecting his/ her ability to concentrate. The authors further reiterate that while hands free devices may seem as a fitting solution, the issue is never the devices but the conversation that invariably affects the concentration of the drives to the task at hand. This makes hands free devises unfit and promotes the banning of cell phone use in cars.

On the other hand, Wilson, Fang, Wiggins & Cooper (2003) argues that talking on the phone while driving is as much a distraction as talking to other passengers while driving. As a matter of fact, each driver has in one point in time engaged in a conversation with other passengers. The author however states that texting while driving should be banned. The author states that there is irrefutable proof that texing while driving is more dangerous than drunken driving. To this effect, Betts (2004) suggests that talking on the cell phone while driving should be avoided but not banned or outlawed.

On the same note, Betts (2004) states that other distractions are also as hazardous as talking to a cell phone while driving. For example, the author claims that listening to the radio, having an argument or conversation with other passengers, babies crying or even adjusting the AC are hazardous distractions that have been documented as potential causes of accidents.

To further support this claim, the National Center for Policy Analysis (2004) presented these results from a study conducted in Virginia. The information presented herein was collected from over 2,700 crash sites and 4,500 drivers were interviewed and studied to determine the main causes of car accidents.

Other causes of road accidents

In as much as the governments and other institutions are trying to make the roads safer by eliminating all forms of distractions, humans will always find new ways of taking their minds off the tasks at hand thereby making the goal to ensure road safety impossible. As has been illustrated in the chart above.

In addition, Wilson, Fang, Wiggins & Cooper (2003) reiterate that distractions are to humans and they should not be punished for being human. However, distractions can be avoided by drivers and it is the role of each individual to ensure that they mitigate any behavior that may lead to safety hazards in our roads.

Such an initiative does not call for harsh measures such as banning cell phone use while driving but appeals to individuals to be conscious and vigilant when it comes to maintaining their safety and that of other road users whenever they are on the roads.

Recommendations

Currently, few states have put in place laws regulating the use of cell phones while driving. The ones that have banned these habits do not have serious punishments. As such, all states should implement bills guarding against the use of cell phones in cars and ensure that they match the crime with a fitting punishment.

Cameras should be used to monitor drivers and sign posts erected to warn them against such behaviors. In as much, as such regulations and requirements invade individual’s freedom, the cost of using cell phones far outweighs the benefits and since people cannot desist from this addictive behavior, the responsible authorities have to step in and regulate the practice.

Evidently, as a human race, we are increasingly becoming depended on cell phones. The reasons for this are justifiable since the benefits of such dependency far outweigh the negative implications. However, it would be unwise to ignore the potential risks that are posed from the same especially in regards to the distractive nature of some of the features availed on the cell phones.

It is therefore important that we as the human race control the influences that these gadgets have in our lives in order to secure a better future for the generations to come while maintaining our human nature and cultural orientations.

In addition to this, to further avoid the ramifications of cell phone use while driving, individuals should monitor each other to ensure that they do not persist with such risky tendencies and if unavoidable, ensure that the proper actions are followed. In so doing, we all will have played a pivotal role in lessening road accidents and secure a safer future for generations to come.

Betts, R. (2004). A history of popular culture: more of everything, faster, and brighter. CA: Routledge.

Collet, C., Guillot, A., & Petit, C. (2010). Phoning while driving I: a review of epidemiological, psychological, behavioral and physiological studies. Ergonomics, 53(5), 589 – 601.

Farmer, C., Braitman, K., & Lund, A. (2010). Cell Phone Use While Driving and Attributable Crash Risk. Traffic Injury Prevention, 11(5), 466 – 470.

Johnson, B et al. (2004). Living Dangerously: Driver Distraction at High Speed. Traffic Injury Prevention, 5(1), 1 – 7.

Loeb, P., Clarke, W., & Anderson, R. (2009). The impact of cell phones on motor vehicle fatalities. Applied Economics, 41(22), 2905 – 2914.

Mccartt, A., Hellinga, L., & Bratiman, K. (2006). Cell Phones and Driving: Review of Research. Traffic Injury Prevention, 7(2), 89 – 106.

Mccartt, A., Hellinga, L., & Geary, L. (2006). Effects of Washington, D.C. Law on Drivers’ Hand-Held Cell Phone Use. Traffic Injury Prevention, 7(1), 1 – 5.

Wilson, J., Fang, M., Wiggins, S., & Cooper, P. (2003). Collision and Violation Involvement of Drivers Who Use Cellular Telephones. Traffic Injury Prevention, 4(1), 45 – 52.

DebateWise

Using a Mobile Phone While Driving Should Be Banned

Should drivers be prohibited from using mobile ‘phones?

All the Yes points:

Using a mobile phone while driving is very dangerous. physically holding a handset removes one hand…, research shows very little difference between using a handheld and a hands-free mobile phone, in ter…, existing laws are inadequate; driving without due care and attention is a limited charge that can be…, new laws would be enforceable, as billing records will show whether a phone was in use at the time. …, using a mobile phone in the car is unnecessary – everyone coped without mobiles ten years ago, and l…, the state’s authority to control the actions of drivers is already accepted, for example, through sp…, all the no points:, yes because….

Using a mobile phone while driving is very dangerous. Physically holding a handset removes one hand from the controls, making accidents more likely, while dialling is even worse, as it also requires the user to divert their attention away from the road. Research shows that drivers speaking on a mobile phone have much slower reactions in braking tests than non-users, and are worse even than if they have been drinking.

No because…

Clearly, using a mobile phone while driving can be dangerous in some circumstances, but equally it is not dangerous in many situations, for example while the car is at a standstill in gridlocked traffic, while waiting at traffic lights, or on a quiet road with good visibility ahead. Other things in the car can be at least as distracting, such as eating, changing tapes, retuning the radio, arguing with your spouse about directions, trying to stop children squabbling, etc. We should not introduce a law that victimises mobile phone users under all conditions, while ignoring many other causes of accidents.

Research shows very little difference between using a handheld and a hands-free mobile phone, in terms of impaired concentration and worse reactions in braking tests. For some reason the brain treats a telephone conversation differently from talking to a passenger, perhaps because the passenger is also aware of possible road hazards in a way the telephone caller cannot be and so makes less demands upon the driver in terms of concentration at critical moments. In any case, voice activated technology is often unreliable, risking drivers trying to use it getting frustrated and losing concentration. It would be inconsistent to ban one sort of mobile phone while allowing the other sort, which can be just as lethal.

Hands-free mobile phone sets, with earpieces and voice-automated dialling are the answer. These allow drivers to communicate freely without taking their hands off the controls or their eyes off the road. Effectively there is no difference between talking to someone on a hands-free mobile, and holding a conversation with a passenger next to you; in fact, the latter is more dangerous as you may be tempted to turn your head to directly address the passenger.

Existing laws are inadequate; driving without due care and attention is a limited charge that can be very difficult to prove. In any case, every time a driver of a moving vehicle uses a mobile phone a potentially dangerous situation is created, as they are much less able to react to events around them. This justifies a specific offence being introduced.

There is no need for a specific law relating to mobile phone use; almost every country has laws against driving without due care and attention. This means that if someone is driving dangerously through inappropriate use of their mobile phone, then the police can already prosecute them. Rather than introduce a new law, the police should instead enforce the existing rules more thoroughly. This could be coupled with energetic advertising campaigns to warn people of a range of potentially dangerous driving habits.

New laws would be enforceable, as billing records will show whether a phone was in use at the time. Improving camera technology may also allow the automatic detection of drivers breaking laws against mobile phone use at the wheel. In any case, just because a law is not completely enforceable, it does not follow that it should be scrapped.

Banning mobile phone use by drivers will be unenforceable, as often cases will just be a policeman’s word against a driver’s. This is especially true of hands-free phones, where accused motorists could simply claim to be singing along to the radio or talking to themselves. In any case, the widespread introduction of speed cameras in many countries, and an increased public fear of violent crime have led to the redeployment of the traffic police who would be needed to enforce such laws.

Using a mobile phone in the car is unnecessary – everyone coped without mobiles ten years ago, and little else about life has changed radically enough to make them indispensable, so there is no real loss of personal liberty in having your ability to communicate restricted in this way. If there is a pressing need to make a call, then drivers can always pull over and dial from a parked vehicle. The ban will also protect drivers from pressure from bosses who call them while on the road, effectively requiring their employees to risk their lives for the company.

Using mobiles on the road could improve safety, for example, by allowing delayed employees to ring in to the office rather than drive recklessly in an effort to arrive more promptly. Drivers now often use mobile phones to report accidents to the emergency services, and alert the police to dangerous driving, stray animals, unsafe loads, etc.

The state’s authority to control the actions of drivers is already accepted, for example, through speed limits, rules against drink driving, etc. Dangerous driving meets the classic liberal test by endangering not just the individual but others, including drivers, passengers and pedestrians, and so society has a right to intervene to protect the innocent. A new law signals social unacceptability, and will send a message to drivers; the New York ban has already been highly effective.

The state has no right to interfere so blatantly in our personal liberties. Mobile phones don’t kill people, bad driving does, and simply banning the use of phones will penalise the many good drivers without removing the dangerous ones.

We would love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!

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Essay about Cell Phone Use While Driving should be Banned in all States

Cell Phone Use While Driving should be Banned in all States Imagine you are driving down the road and you begin to notice the car in front of you is swerving. You start to wonder if the driver may be under the influence; you keep a close watch on the car, but keep your distance for safety precautions. All of a sudden the driver slams on their brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian and you end up rear-ending them. Later you discover that the driver was texting on their phone and almost hit the pedestrian because their attention was elsewhere. How would that make you feel? Now, you have to pay to repair the damages on not only your car, but the other driver’s car as well. I believe that cell phone use while driving should be banned in all …show more content…

Once a driver gets on their phone, they also may decrease in speed because they are not focusing on the speedometer, which could lead to other drivers becoming agitated. Then the other drivers may exhibit road rage which could become dangerous to others on the road. A driver’s focus should always remain on the road. If one is on their phone they cannot see or hear what is happening around them. A driver being on the phone while driving is one of the biggest distractions drivers today face. Lastly, cell phone use while driving should be banned because it can become dangerous for oneself as well as others on the road. Not only does cell phone use for drivers endanger other people, it endangers the life of the operator itself. Drivers can run off the road into trees, ditches, or poles; they may also run into other cars or drift into oncoming traffic . Using a cell phone while driving also puts other drivers on the road in danger; if a driver is texting, their eyes are on their phone and they may not see the car in front of them stopping, which will lead into a wreck that could injury someone. I believe all states should ban all use on cell phones while driving. I feel by doing this, drivers may stay safer. There are already laws in some states prohibiting the use of phones. A driver using the phone while driving will become distracted, which takes their attention away from the road. If one is not focused on the road, then

Annotated Bibliography Distracted Driving

In her blog titled “Total Cell Phone Ban is a Bad Idea”, Bonnie discusses why it is important to be able to use a cell phone while driving. You may need it for safety reason, in case of an emergency, or to report a crime. The only people that should be reprimanded are those who endanger the lives of others by irresponsibly talking on their phone. (Sesolak, B. 2009). This is a credible source because it comes from an organizational website and Bonnie is a director for the NMA.

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Another reason it should be illegal is because you could seriously hurt or kill you or someone else. For example say you drop your phone in the floorboard and you reach down to pick it up. You swerve off the road and collide with a tree going sixty mile an hour your dead. Now your moms home crying because her son is dead. Another example is say your driving down the road on your motorcycle and next thing you know thing you know this guy in a big truck swerves into your lane. Next thing he knows is your laying on the ground dead all because he wanted to be dumb and Facebook and text. That's why I agree its a good idea that driving while using a cellphone should be illegal. There are thousands of different examples on why it is illegal that why i believe it should be illegal in all fifty states. Remember it can always wait

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One great reason they should ban texting while driving is because of what happens on the roads. For example, I found in article one that “more than nine people are killed everyday because of people that are distracted because of the cell phones.That being said this means over 1,153 people are injured every year while others are being distracted.”

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Not only does using a cell phone while driving put the driver in danger, but it also puts other drivers in danger because it can be distracting.”Distracted driving affects all drivers from time to time and can come with stiff consequences,”(Delbridge). This shows that one is not only putting themselves in danger, but they are putting other drivers at risk as well.Thousands of people have been affected by these distracted drivers and have been injured. “About 424,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver,”(edgarsnyder.com 2018). This is just a small example of how many people who have been affected and this also shows how some of the other drivers are affected.

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First of all, I believe that driving while holding a handheld cell phone should be illegal. One of the reasons is you can very easily get distracted while driving. The death roles around the world are unbelievable, because of the amount of deaths we have came across. When drivers are using a handheld cell phone their less likely to pay more attention to the road. Their is drivers every day that get distracted while driving, in my opinion those who use cell phones will be more distracted by their cell phone than they are to other drivers. If your phone is ringing an it is out of arms reach it can cause you to swerve into other vehicles when you go to reach for it or answer it. Sometimes your phones ring tone can be a distraction, the

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Many accidents are blamed on distracted driving and most of the distractions are caused by cell phone usage. However, some opponents feel that creating a law against cell phone use infringes their personal rights. Others think that banning someone from using their cell phones is equivalent to telling someone that they can't adjust their radio or chat with someone else in their car. However, using a cell phone, whether talking or texting, while driving can be extremely dangerous; it should be made illegal because it is very hazardous to yourself and the people surrounding you, can lead to the death of loved ones, and it is even compared to the danger level of drunk driving. No matter what age the driver is, under no

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Cell phone use while driving should be banned. I say this because studies done by US Legal, Inc. shows that talking on the phone is distracting and can increase your chance of getting into an accident. Jonathan Adkins said “taxes the cognitive skills of your brain at the expense of the driving at the hand, and if the conversation is stressful your reaction time would not be as quick”. This tells me that most people

Driving While Driving

I believe that driving while using a cell phone should be illegal. Driving while using a cell phone should be against the law because it is responsible for many accidents, creates distractions for the driver, and if an accident dose occur while driving it is very expensive to cover the damages created by the reckless driver. Cell phones are a major cause of the accidents that occur every day around the world. Driving while using a cell phone is one of the leading causes of accident related deaths, along with drinking and driving. The people inside and outside of the car can all be seriously injured or hurt if the driver is being irresponsible and using his or her phone while behind the wheel. For example when I was younger a car

Why Driving While Using A Phone While Driving Should Be Illegal

Driving is a luxury that we all have in this world. We all take the steps to be safe by following the rules and keeping others safe on the road. Using a phone while driving is not a safe task to do as it will harm others. I agree to make driving while using a phone illegal because it will prevent accidents, give other people on the road a sense of safety, and prevent bad habits from being taught to children of bad drivers. Accidents are the main reason why driving while using a phone should be illegal. There is a study that shows driving while using a phone is more dangerous than drunk driving. Also multitasking is proven to be not

The Negative Effect of Cell Phones on Society Essay

The use of cell phone is very dangerous for drivers while driving. The drivers are supposed to be alert and concentrated to their ambient surrounding. The use of cell phone catch their attention and make them less alert to their surrounding which can lead to serious destruction. The use of cell phone is more dangerous than the use of alcohol while driving. Because it took half a second longer for a cell phone users to react than a normal person and one third of a second longer than a persons in drunken condition.

Pros And Cons Of Driving While Driving

I agree with some states making it illegal to drive while using a hand -held cell phone. While My Mom was taking my little sister to school she got hit on the side of her car because a lady in another car was on her phone and she ran the red light. My mom and sister got hurt during the wreck , My mom was in critical condition and my sister just had bruises on her back and arms. I Think making the law illegal to drive while using a hand- held phone is a good idea because it can be more safe drivers around the city or town. They're more accidents of the cause of the cell phones people are detracted , focused on the phone not the roads ,and there brains are stuck to the phone . For example my mom almost lost her life because of

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Sample Persuasive Speech: Using cell phones while driving is dangerous

Cell phones are troublesome while driving. When a driver keeps talking or listening to music he or is not supposed to focus off the road. A cell phone makes a great difference. It is not forbidden to talk to a passenger but it is not recommended to talk to an invisible cell phone communicator. The use of cell phones is the most common distraction, but the use of a hand-held cell phone increases the risk by 1.3 times, which is less than reaching for items on the seat or in the glove compartment. New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, California, Washington State, Utah, and Washington, D.C. prohibit drivers from using hand-held cell phones, irrespective of weather conditions: at all times, not only on wet and icy roads when a driver decides on dialing or text messaging. According to recent research, a driver talking over a cell phone is four times more endangered to collide with another vehicle than a driver who does not use a cell phone while driving. Cell phone distraction causes 2600 deaths in the United States annually. Drivers may be allowed to use cell phones in traffic jams but they must be fined if they use a cell phone while driving at moderate or high speeds, at crossroads, and on twisting and turning roads. Can you do without using your cell phone while driving? The use of cell phones may result in a driver’s slower reaction while breaking or regaining speed. It may cause accidents but it may be a coincidence with some other action. So, the use of cell phone is not desirable because it involves a driver in a multi-task activity while driving. Young drivers are banned or restricted from using cell phones in 18 American states. In California, young drivers will be ticketed for using any mobile device. I do not know how a young driver will write a term paper on a laptop computer while driving but it is banned as well as a cell phone while driving. Although cell phones may cause problems, no research is available to point to the rise in deaths cause by the use of cell phones while driving. A cell phone, like any mobile device, simple makes a list of possible causes of accidents longer. But safety is safety, so while driving people should be obedient to publicly accepted behavior. A driver may use a cell phone when he or she stops the car. But in foggy weather or on wet and icy roads this driver may be injured by another moving vehicle that will not expect it there. Cell phones are life-threatening means of communication while driving. To be on the safe side, it would be fine to ban the use of cell phones while driving.

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Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Banned

Introduction.

Cell phones have already become the integral components of our daily performance. Since the beginning of the 1980s, when the first cell phones appeared in the market, and up to the beginning of the new millennium, when a cell phone ceased to be a luxury, professionals and policymakers have been increasingly concerned about the effects of cell phones on driving. Thousands of researches have been conducted to prove the negative influence and distractive nature of cell phone use in cars, and although, in urgent situations, the use of a cellular phone may become a real savior, the use of cell phones during driving should be banned. The need for such ban is justified by the fact that the use of cell phones during driving is the direct cause of collisions, fatalities, injuries, and property damage, because those who use cell phones are distracted from the road and cannot control the visual information.   

In its current state, the use of cell phones during driving is surrounded by numerous controversies. 42 state legislatures are waiting for 250 bills prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving to be passed (O’Donnell). Just 18 months ago the number of such bills in the U.S. did not exceed 120, meaning that the situation with cell phones and driving is becoming tough (O’Donnell). States seek any means possible to put a ban on or to restrict the use of cellular phones in cars while driving. The problem is not in that state authorities want to make the lives of drivers more difficult. The problem is not also in that state authorities want to earn a share of profits, which technology companies have from investing in the development and selling practical hands-free devices. The problem is in that the use of cell phones during driving is associated with the major health and fatality risks for drivers, and even if they do not want to think about their own safety, they should at least become more concerned about the safety of other traffic participants. 

The need for putting a ban on cell phone use during driving is justified by the recent experimental findings, which explain how brain activity like talking (using cell phones) interferes with other brain tasks, including visual information processing (driving). The recent study of the University of South Carolina measured the “attention level and found that subjects were four times more distracted while preparing to speak or speaking than when they were listening” (Science Daily). In other words, when using a cell phone and talking while driving, drivers become increasingly distracted from the road and can no longer control their driving actions. The limited brain capacities cannot balance the information incoming from a person at the other side of the telephone line and the visual information from the road. As a result, drivers can no longer control what is going on around them. A conversation is always an emotional contribution, and any cell phone user during the talk wants to make a contribution greater than his (her) interlocutor (Science Daily), and it is natural that one’s brain is distracted from what is happening with the driver, with the car, and with the traffic around. This lack of attention becomes the major cause of injuries, fatalities, and collisions on the road. 

The degree to which the driver is distracted from the road largely depends on the three essential factors: the driving environment, the driver’s characteristics, and the nature of the conversation (Schmidt & Lee 112). That means that the more active the conversation is, the more emotional the reactions are; and the more complex and intensive the driving environment is, the less likely the driver is to hold the grip of control over the situation. In this context, older drivers are more vulnerable to the risks of collisions and injuries, if they use their cell phones during driving (Schmidt & Lee 112), but that does not mean that younger drivers do not have to be cautious and have the right to use their cell phones while driving. The problem is in that the ways in which handheld phones are used during driving are not limited to talking, but are associated with other related actions and moves. These may include searching for a phone, reaching for a phone to receive or to make a call, holding the cell phone near the ear while talking or dialing, and even picking up the phone after it has been dropped (Lissy et al 15). The seconds that pass while the driver is searching for his (her) phone are enough to cause a serious traffic incident. The talk itself is about the need for the driver to contribute a certain amount of energy, coordination, and time which he would have otherwise used to drive more attentively. Dialing is fairly regarded as the most risky activity related to the use of cell phones during driving, especially if the conversation suddenly broke (Lissy et al 18). However, even the mere presence of the cell phone in the car and the vision of the cell phone in the close proximity to the driver make it difficult for the latter to concentrate on the major driving tasks. Thus, a cell phone stands as the major driver’s distraction and the major health and safety risk; and if drivers fail or are not willing to recognize these risks, they should be officially restricted from using cell phones during driving.

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Of course, proponents of cell phone use in cars will try to justify their actions by urgent business purposes and by the fact that they use hands-free devices. At some point of technological advancement, hands-free speaking devices seemed to have resolved the issue of cell phone use during driving, and drivers could finally feel secure in their cars. Unfortunately, the real situation is not as optimistic as someone may try to present it. Hands-free devices are as dangerous to drivers as handheld cell phones, and there is no real difference between the two. Schmidt and Lee write that “most experimental studies have shown no differences in performance decrements when handheld cell phones and hands-free phones were compared directly” (113). Although the use of a hands-free phone saves the driver from the need to search for or to pick up the dropped phone, it does not reduce the extent, to which the driver is involved in a conversation; and the level of this involvement is the critical measure of collision and injury/ fatality risks during driving. Moreover, regardless of whether the driver uses a hands-free phone or a conventional handheld phone, his (her) reactions during the conversation change significantly, and make the driver less sensitive to what is happening on the road (Schmidt & Lee 114). Thus, the ban on using cell phones during driving should also extend to cover all types of hands-free devices. In light of these effects, it is natural that insurance companies now offer parents significant discounts if the latter agree to use technology, which disables their teen children’s phones during driving (O’Donnell). These discounts reflect the seriousness of the traffic situation and the need for the country to address the use of cell phones during driving at the federal level.

Those, who still support the use of cell phones during driving, say that there is no direct statistical correlation between the use of cell phones in motor vehicles in the process of their operation and fatality risks and, moreover, there is no statistical proof for the fact that cell phones are the prevalent cause of motor vehicle collisions in the country (Sugano 25). Those who favor the use of cell phones in cars also suggest that the number of cases, which report the use of cell phones as the cause of a traffic accident is too low to turn a cell phone into the major driver’s enemy (Lissy et al 22). Finally, the use of cell phones during driving is associated with numerous benefits, which hardly anyone can deny. These include an opportunity to prevent an unnecessary trip, to diminish the tendency to speed, to maintain the inner psychological balance and peace of mind, to facilitate privacy in communication, and even to expand business productivity (Lissy et al 43). All these benefits, however, are at least doubtful and are more dangerous that anyone can even expect, because neither productivity nor privacy can justify the risks of cell phone use in cars. The low number of official cases involving cell phones is easily explained by the drivers’ reluctance to report the use of the cell phone just before the accident. It is natural that drivers have a fear of being fined for inappropriate use of a handheld speaking device while driving. The benefits of cell phone use while driving increasingly questionable, because researchers neither were able to quantify their real value, nor did they have a chance to evaluate possible tradeoffs. For example, when it comes to privacy, cell phones become of the utmost importance, but given the risks of cell phone use during driving and the need for drivers to address emergency services, this privacy simply becomes irrelevant. Human life and human health are of the utmost importance for us, and cell phones seem to diminish their value. By using cell phones while driving, drivers subject themselves to considerable risks, and display their negligence toward others. As drivers, we carry responsibility for the wellbeing of those, who use our car; who sit next to us; and who have already chosen the same road, and for this reason, cellular phones should no longer be used while driving. Through the prism of negative effects which cell phone use produces on drivers and the level of distraction, which drivers experience while using cell phones in cars, federal legislation should put an official ban on using cell phones during driving. 

The use of cell phones in motor vehicles has always been the subject of the hot social debate. Proponents of cell phone use while driving are confident that cell phones contribute to their privacy, help them in business, improve their connectedness, and even save them from unnecessary trips. Unfortunately, the results of recent researches show cell phones as the sources of the major driving risks. Neither handheld phones nor hands-free devices can reduce the risks of injure, fatality, collision, or property damage on the road. The problem is in that the use of a cell phone during driving is associated with the distraction, which drivers experience when they have to balance and combine several different activities and tasks. Any conversation is always an emotional exchange, which reduces attentiveness and decreases the level of sensitivity to what is happening on the road. In light of this information, and given the danger which cell phones pose to drivers, federal authorities should put an official ban on using cell phones (either handheld or hands-free) during driving.

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Essay On Why Cell Phones Should Be Banned While Driving

should cell phone use be banned while driving argumentative essay

Show More Should cell phones be banned while driving Cell phones should be banned while driving. Many are quick to say that will never happen to me, I am a pro at this, however I am sure the people who died from texting and driving said the same thing. We are a generation that is easily distracted, to some we are the technology generation our phones are the most important thing to us. Although you cherish your phone shouldn’t you cherish your lives even more? How are we concentrating on the road if we are using our phone. Driving requires a great amount of concentration , judgement , and precision when you are using a cell phone your concentration is greatly shifted from the road to the cell phone. When texting or dialing a call they are not looking …show more content… About 11 teenagers die every day as a result of them texting while driving. (Distracting driving) 1 out of 4 car accidents in the U.S are caused by texting while driving. (Hands free is not risk free) If they ban cell phone usage while driving, they could save millions of lives, their will be more graduations rather than funerals. In 2010, the National Safety Council released a study that shows 28% of all car accidents in the U.S. are caused by cell phone use while driving.This represents that using cell phone while driving is a risky business which will cause not just killing themselves but killing other people (Live …show more content… People would be more focus on the road instead of there phones. National data shows that cellphones were involved in 350 fatal accidents nationwide in 2011.( "Cell Phone Crash Data & Under-Reporting”) The United States Department of Transportation notes that cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half million injuries and take 6,000 lives.("Don 't Text & Drive). If we ban cellphones while driving we could save thousands of lives and innocent people. Take a stand and not use your cellphone while driving. Drivers need to educate themselves on dangers of cellphone usage while driving. Although talking on the phone is not as dangerous as texting while driving , you are still distracted and your attention is not on the road 100%. With all these negative aspects, does one person deserve to use their cellular device while driving ? As people of society we have to take it upon ourselves to take action on this given issue. In the end is one text or a phone call worth a

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  1. Should Cellphones Be Banned While Driving

    Advocates for banning cellphones while driving point to several compelling arguments in favor of stricter regulations: 1. Road Safety. The foremost argument is road safety. Proponents argue that banning cellphone use while driving reduces the risk of accidents and saves lives. With distracted driving being a leading cause of accidents ...

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    Cellphone use should be illegal while driving a vehicle of any shape, size, and form. The usage of handheld electronics is dangerous for all young and old drivers out on the road today. In an article from Edgar Snyder & Associates Law Firm called "Texting and Driving Accident Statistics" it states that "Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each ...

  3. Should Cellphones Be Banned While Driving: Persuasive Essay

    This shows that driving with a cellphone is wasting because of the negative externalities caused by distraction. Therefore, when the states make a law that prohibits the use of cellphones while driving, the negative externalities can be reduced thanks to those laws. If a driver got a ticket for using a cellphone, that ticket revenue can be used ...

  4. Essay on Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Vehicles

    Conclusion. In the end, whether or not cell phones should be banned from vehicles is a tough question. There are good points on both sides. But one thing is clear: safety should always be the most important thing. If using a phone while driving is not safe, then it should not be done. It is up to each of us to make the right choice and keep the ...

  5. Using Cell phones while driving Free Essay Example

    Essay, Pages 17 (4115 words) Views. 6. As people become more independent on cell phones, nowadays most people using cell phones while driving. Talking or messaging on a phone while driving is a serious distraction. Using cell phones while driving can lead you to a fatal accident. There are a few reasons that cell phones should be banned while ...

  6. Argumentative Essay on Cell Phones Should not Be Allowed

    In this argumentative essay, I will argue that cell phones should not be allowed in certain environments due to the potential distractions and disruptions they can cause. By examining the negative impact of cell phone use in these settings, I will highlight the importance of implementing restrictions to promote productivity and focus. Through a ...

  7. Bans on Cellphone Use While Driving and Traffic Fatalities in the

    As of January 2020, 18 of 50 US states comprehensively banned almost all handheld cellphone use while driving, 3 states and the District of Columbia banned calling and texting, 27 states banned texting on a handheld cellphone, and 2 states had no general cellphone ban for all drivers. However, it remains unknown whether these bans were ...

  8. Free should cell phones be banned while driving? Essay Sample

    Therefore, cell phone use should be banned while driving because phones cause the driver to be distracted and causes accidents. To begin with, talking on a phone while driving reduces the competence level to control the vehicle as well as lose focus on the road. For example, the driver has to multitask by dividing their attention between the ...

  9. Cell Phones While Driving Essay

    Cell Phones While Driving. Should cell phone use be banned while driving? Since the mid-1990's, cell phones have been a part of our daily lives. Cell phones allow us to communicate with anyone, anytime, and anywhere even while we are driving, they are convent and make our lives easier.

  10. Should Cell Phones Be Banned While Driving?

    A study from the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious ...

  11. Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives Essay

    Since the use of mobile phones while driving is as bad as driving, the drivers must completely abstain from using them. (Argument 3) Although many authorities have advised drivers to use hands-free cell phones rather than those that are handheld, studies have the latter is not significantly secure than the former.

  12. Cell Phone Use While Driving Persuasive Essay

    Using the mobile phone during driving has always been a problem, all around the world. Studies show that talking on the cell phone while driving is really dangerous: it could raise the rate of accidents about 50% and more. They say that using the cell phone to text while driving, for example, is like driving after drinking 9 beers.

  13. The Dangers of Cell Phone Use While Driving

    Mobile phones cause two types of distractions: physical distraction and cognitive distraction. Physical distraction occurs when a driver has to hold the phone, dial a number, or perform other manual tasks while driving. Cognitive distraction occurs when a driver's attention is diverted during a phone conversation.

  14. Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Banned Persuasive Speech

    André Ajabor Principles of Speech 10/28/14 The use of a cell phone while driving should be banned - Persuasive Speech Essay Cell phones have become a major necessity to the average American. In today's world, cell phones can do more than just a simple phone call. A cell phone makes life easier and allows an individual to perform daily tasks ...

  15. IELTS Essay # 1293

    Write at least 250 words. Model Answer: The use of mobile phones while driving has become a growing concern due to its potential to cause driver distraction and compromise road safety. Consequently, there is a strong argument for making mobile phone use by drivers illegal everywhere. This essay will explore the dangers associated with mobile ...

  16. Should Cell Phone Use in Cars be Banned?

    In only 3 hours we'll deliver a custom Should Cell Phone Use in Cars be Banned ... (2010) assert that using cell phones while driving presents as much danger as driving while intoxicated. To support this argument, Mccartt, Hellinga & Geary (2006) refer to a study conducted at the University of Utah. ... Such facts reveal the sad states of ...

  17. Using a Mobile Phone While Driving Should Be Banned

    All the Yes points: Using a mobile phone while driving is very dangerous. Physically holding a handset removes one hand…. Research shows very little difference between using a handheld and a hands-free mobile phone, in ter…. Existing laws are inadequate; driving without due care and attention is a limited charge that can be….

  18. Essay on Cell Phone Use Should be Banned While Driving

    In other words, does handsfree usage of cell phones, via bluetooth, speakerphone, etc., distract drivers enough to the point where states should legally ban the total use cell phones while driving. The following essay will introduce arguments for both sides of this topic, one for hands free cell phone usage and the other against cell phones ...

  19. Essay about Cell Phone Use While Driving should be Banned ...

    Lastly, cell phone use while driving should be banned because it can become dangerous for oneself as well as others on the road. Not only does cell phone use for drivers endanger other people, it endangers the life of the operator itself. Drivers can run off the road into trees, ditches, or poles; they may also run into other cars or drift into ...

  20. Sample Persuasive Speech: Using cell phones while driving is dangerous

    The use of cell phones may result in a driver's slower reaction while breaking or regaining speed. It may cause accidents but it may be a coincidence with some other action. So, the use of cell phone is not desirable because it involves a driver in a multi-task activity while driving. Young drivers are banned or restricted from using cell ...

  21. Free Essay on Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Banned

    In its current state, the use of cell phones during driving is surrounded by numerous controversies. 42 state legislatures are waiting for 250 bills prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving to be passed (O'Donnell). Just 18 months ago the number of such bills in the U.S. did not exceed 120, meaning that the situation with cell phones ...

  22. Essay On Why Cell Phones Should Be Banned While Driving

    About 11 teenagers die every day as a result of them texting while driving. (Distracting driving) 1 out of 4 car accidents in the U.S are caused by texting while driving. (Hands free is not risk free) If they ban cell phone usage while driving, they could save millions of lives, their will be more graduations rather than funerals.

  23. Persuasive Speech: The Use Of Cell Phones While Driving

    These cell phones are a huge cause of many car accidents. Americans using their cell phones to text, call, or surf the internet while driving is the cause of up to about 80% of accidents (TextingnDriving par 1). So many people are seen using their phones while driving it is becoming impossible for police to gain control over the issue.