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Brandis Echols Becky Foster English 101 R 22 November 2010 When Technology & Safety Collide When a cell phone goes off in a classroom or at a concert, we are irritated, but at least our lives are not endangered. When we are on the road, however, irresponsible cell phone users are more than irritating: They are putting our lives at risk. Many of us have witnessed drivers so distracted by dialing and chatting that they resemble drunk drivers, weaving between lanes, for example, or nearly running down pedestrians in crosswalks. A number of bills to regulate use of cell phones on the road have been introduced in state legislatures, and the time has come to push for their passage. Regulation is needed because drivers using phones are seriously impaired and because laws on negligent and reckless driving are not sufficient to punish offenders. No one can deny that cell phones have caused traffic deaths and injuries. "Cell phones were implicated in three fatal accidents in November 1999 alone"(Itkowitz 7). Early in November, a driver distracted by his cell phone killed two-year-old Morgan Pena. Morgans mother, Patti Pena, reports that the driver ran a stop sign at 45 mph, broadsided my vehicle and killed Morgan as she sat in her car seat. A week later, a woman distracted by a phone call killed corrections officer Shannon Smith, who was guarding prisoners by the side of the road. (Business News 1)

When the automobile was invented more than a century ago, it was seen as a advantage to human transportation, but it brought with it some problems, among them the danger inherent in riding in a vehicle moving faster than any person had ever done before. Flash forward to our present era, when cell phone technology has grown so rapidly that it has almost completely changed the way humans communicate with each other. Now, the phenomena of the automobile and the cell phone have come together and the controversial issue of texting while driving has arisen. Texting while driving is a behavior that grows more generally out of the almost obsessive need of many cell phone users to be connected 24/7, along with a strong fondness for multi tasking. However, "several studies, including one by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, have shown that texting while driving leads to a significant increase in accidents"( Moore 2). Texting is argued as a distraction that rivals far more disreputable and illegal forms of distraction such as driving while under the influence of alcohol. "As reported by The New York Times, nineteen states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, and federal legislation is under consideration"( Richtel 1). Enforcing the law and altering peoples behavior have turned out to be enormous challenges. Many drivers are openly defiant, insisting that their multitasking poses no risk and/or arguing that the government has no right to regulate what a driver does in the privacy of his or her own vehicle. Many Americans, citing the right to individual freedom, in the past have objected to attempts made by the government to enact laws that restrict personal behaviors even in the name of health or safety." Examples of these are mandatory seatbelt and helmet laws, smoking bans, and even prohibition of public use of alcohol by pregnant women"("Don't Text" 4). Given this historical context, the movement to pass laws against texting while driving is not just a series

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of attempts by the government to control the lives of citizens or take away their right to make personal behavioral decisions, however it is simply an attempt to protect your health and safety. Taking combat against these unruly cell phone users unfortunately impose costs on society. One of the potentially significant costs of cellular phone usage while driving is the increased risk of vehicle accidents, some leading to serious injury or death. "We estimate that several hundred people die each year in the United States as a consequence of collisions related to cellular phone use. The United States, municipalities, and even some foreign countries have proposed a large array of restrictions on the use of cellular phones"(Moore1). People with such habits often don't realize their bad decisions put others at risk every day. Many safety steps are broken, resulting in a high number of accidents caused by dangerous habits. Just for that split second of reading a message that is o so important, a crash could happen. Regulation is needed because drivers using phones are seriously impaired and because laws on negligent and reckless driving are not sufficient to punish offenders "Despite the consequences of government regulations restricting the use of cells phones while driving, many continue to ignore their bad and illegal habits. People must take the time to recognize and follow through with change to correct this behavior, If nothing is done fatalities' and injuries' will continue to be on the rise.

Works Cited

Business News; Majority of Motorists Feel Less Safe Due to Distracted Driving. " Journal of Transportation 9 Oct. 2010: Sciences Module, ProQuest. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. "Don't text, or drink, behind the wheel." Industrial Engineer 42.5 (May 2010): 14(1). Academic One File. Gale. Metropolitan Community College. 10 Nov. 2010 Itkowitz, Colby. "Driving While ... Distracted." CQ Weekly Online (December 14, 2009): 2854. Larry R Moore, and Greggory S Moore. "The impact of cell phones on driver safety. " Professional Safety 46.6 (2001): 30-32. Research Library Core, ProQuest. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. Richtel, Matt. Legislation to Curb Distracted Driving Gains Momentum. The New York Times (January 2, 2010): 3.