Distarctions of Cell Phone Use While Operating Motor Vehicles
Shannon Hudak
Distractions of Cell Phone Use While Operating a Motor Vehicle
Using cell phones while driving are not only dangerous but deadly. We have many distractions while driving, let alone the use of cell phones as well. In this day and age cell phones are used for a variety of things such as text-messaging, internet usage, watching television, e-mailing, faxes, games, and much more. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Many Americans take the technology we have today for granted. Once issued a drivers license it can be revoked for not obeying the laws and this is not the case with cell phone usage while operating motor vehicles. The thing we need to remember is that we all need to be responsible drivers to ensure not only our safety but the safety of other drivers as well.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 6,000 people were killed in 2008 and more than 500,000 people were injured due to distractions while driving, which was in a published report in September 2009. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported in October 2009 that texting was the most dangerous of all cell phone activities. In September 2009 all government employees were banned texting while driving by an executive order that President Obama signed. In October 2009 there was a new bill introduced that offered financial incentives to states that ban cell phone use for both texting and talking. People who are texting would have doubled fines compared to those who are talking. Although this bill is still being debated on I think it will be something that we the people should encourage for these restrictions to apply.
As of November 2010 there are currently twelve states that have no ban at all against cell phone use while operating motor vehicles and Ohio is one of them. There are eight states that have partial cell phone usage bans. Thirty states have a ban of no texting for all drivers. The United States has specifications on how these bans
Distractions of Cell Phone Use While Operating a Motor Vehicle
Using cell phones while driving are not only dangerous but deadly. We have many distractions while driving, let alone the use of cell phones as well. In this day and age cell phones are used for a variety of things such as text-messaging, internet usage, watching television, e-mailing, faxes, games, and much more. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Many Americans take the technology we have today for granted. Once issued a drivers license it can be revoked for not obeying the laws and this is not the case with cell phone usage while operating motor vehicles. The thing we need to remember is that we all need to be responsible drivers to ensure not only our safety but the safety of other drivers as well.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 6,000 people were killed in 2008 and more than 500,000 people were injured due to distractions while driving, which was in a published report in September 2009. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported in October 2009 that texting was the most dangerous of all cell phone activities. In September 2009 all government employees were banned texting while driving by an executive order that President Obama signed. In October 2009 there was a new bill introduced that offered financial incentives to states that ban cell phone use for both texting and talking. People who are texting would have doubled fines compared to those who are talking. Although this bill is still being debated on I think it will be something that we the people should encourage for these restrictions to apply.
As of November 2010 there are currently twelve states that have no ban at all against cell phone use while operating motor vehicles and Ohio is one of them. There are eight states that have partial cell phone usage bans. Thirty states have a ban of no texting for all drivers. The United States has specifications on how these bans
Cited: [ (Studios) ] Company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance. Driving While Distracted: Statistics to Know. 2010. 28 November 2010 <http://www.nationwide.com/newsroom/dwd-facts-figures.jsp>. David Strayer, Frank Drews, and Lee Siegel. News Center, University of Utah. 29 June 2006. 28 November 2010 <http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=062206-1>. Gale. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Texting While Driving. 2010. 28 November 2010 <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=K12-Reference&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=GALE%7C00000000LVZE&documentId=GALE%7CPC3021900170&mode=view>. Studios, Harpo. Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Studios Announce National "No Phone Zone" Day Friday, April 30. 6 April 2010. 29 November 2010 <http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-Winfreys-National-No-Phone-Zone-Day_1>. Utah, The University of. Key2SafeDriving. 2010. 29 November 2010 <http://www.key2safedriving.com/>.