Take a Stance Cell Phones and Driving

Robert Beckelic
Mrs. Koontz
ENGL 1101
24 February 2013
The Biggest Distraction
Over the past several years, with much technological advancement, the use of cell phones while driving has become a major problem on the roads universally. Surveys and questionnaires have proved that cell phone use while driving directly impacts a driver’s aggression on the road. With all of the amazing capabilities a modern day cell phone has to offer it seems that society has become increasingly dependent on these tools and will risk many lives to use these applications behind the wheel.
In 2007, it was reported that 73% of drivers use a cell phone while behind the wheel. Knowing that such a large percentage of the population uses their mobile devices so frequently undoubtedly raises the question of how cell phone use affects driving performance. The Driving Behavior Questionnaire concluded that “Individuals who reported frequently using cell phones while driving were found to drive faster, change lanes more frequently, spend more time in the left lane, and engage in more instances of hard braking and high acceleration events.” (Zhao) Clearly, using a cell phone deters a driver 's attention away from the road and on to whatever task he or she is attending to with the mobile device. This causes not only a dangerous environment for the user, but also the other drivers around him or her.
With the technological advances that cell phones have acquired over the years, it has become seemingly easier for a driver to lose focus on driving and turn to what seems like thousands of other tasks a modern day cell phone can perform. Email, Internet, music, cameras, calendars, texting and calling are all distractions Americans face on today 's typical smart phone. Many members of our society work on the go in their cars which frequently leads to a higher rate of cell phone use while driving. With the advancement of applications on phones over the years, a cell phone has become one of the American businessman’s most frequently used tools for work. Many employees now conduct business while on the road, leading to various types of distracting situations that deter the driver from his or her responsibility to the safety of themselves and everybody around them. With so many potential distractions at the palm of a drivers hand, the only realistic way to drive safely is to not use a mobile device at all while driving. Many people would argue that one of the reasons we have mobile devices is that we can use them on the go. One method used to make driving safer was the invention of the hands-free earpiece that goes in your ear. Although this may seem safer and more convenient, the results do not show a huge improvement. It has been tested that drivers using a hands-free device scored similarly on a driving test as those who had a 0.08 blood-alcohol level. This can be quite surprising to some people, but it really does show that the best way to avoid the dangers of using a phone on the road is to not use the phone at all.
Even though cellular devices have made our lives easier, it is important to remember the danger that you put yourself, as well as others, in when you decide to answer that phone call or check that email. Just like society looks down on drunk driving, the same should be thought of when one is texting or talking while driving, even if they are using a hands-free device. Do not use your cell phone while driving, the person waiting on the other end would surely want to wait five minutes for you to get off the road, rather than forever if you were to die while using it. Works Cited
Zhao, Nan. "Self-reported and Observed Risky Driving Behaviors among Frequent and Infrequent Cell Phone Users." Accident Analysis and Prevention (n.d.): n. pag.National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.

Cited: Zhao, Nan. "Self-reported and Observed Risky Driving Behaviors among Frequent and Infrequent Cell Phone Users." Accident Analysis and Prevention (n.d.): n. pag.National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.