Cellular Phones and Driving
You may not want to admit it, but cell phones and driving often don't mix.
You can often tell if someone in front of you is talking on the cell phone even when you can't see it just by the way they are driving.
The driver isn't paying enough attention and either fails to accelerate when the light turns green, or drives erratically, speeding up and slowing down frequently.
A driver on a cell phone also is often not paying attention to the traffic and is notorious for cutting in front of other cars without warning.
Most states have adopted laws concerning the use of cell phones while driving.
1 The laws vary widely though.
For example, in some states you are allowed to use a hands-free system only while driving.
In other states you can still use a handheld phone unless you are a bus driver or under 18 years old.
There are also states that have text messaging bans.
It is amazing to think people try to text message while also driving.
How on earth can you possibly be paying attention to the road if you are looking at a cell phone screen? Studies have shown that during the 3 seconds before a crash, the driver was distracted.
There is not a much bigger distraction than a cell phone.
There is another reason why it is not good to talk on a phone while driving.
Research studies of the brain have determined that the brain is not able to handle a response to two intensive tasks at the same time.
The part of your brain concentrating on the conversation is the same part of the brain which responds to input related to driving responses.
All those jokes about being able to multi-task do not apply when talking about cell phones and driving.
2 Besides, do you have any idea how funny you look talking to yourself when using a hands-free cell phone device? Okay..
..
that doesn't have much to do with safe driving, but it needed to be pointed out.
What does have a lot to do with safe driving is the fact that the level of inattention that is produced by talking on a cell phone while driving is equivalent to the inattention of drowsy driving or driving under the influence of alcohol.
You just cannot process information accurately nor can you respond quickly enough to traffic situations.
Your judgment is impaired as a result of the inattention and distraction .
If you insist on using a cell phone while driving, then you should at least use a hands free device.
The best option of course is to not use the cell phone at all while driving.
To be honest, the day is coming when cell phone use while driving will be banned in most states.
So you might as well start weaning yourself off that phone now before you have an accident.
Sources: 1.
(2009, June).
State Cell Phone Driving Laws.
Retrieved July 15, 2009, from Governors Highway Safety Association Web site: ghsa.
org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.
html 2.
(2008, March 08).
Listening To Cell Phones Impairs Driving, Study.
Retrieved July 15, 2009, from Medical News Today Web site: medicalnewstoday.
com/articles/99696.
php
You can often tell if someone in front of you is talking on the cell phone even when you can't see it just by the way they are driving.
The driver isn't paying enough attention and either fails to accelerate when the light turns green, or drives erratically, speeding up and slowing down frequently.
A driver on a cell phone also is often not paying attention to the traffic and is notorious for cutting in front of other cars without warning.
Most states have adopted laws concerning the use of cell phones while driving.
1 The laws vary widely though.
For example, in some states you are allowed to use a hands-free system only while driving.
In other states you can still use a handheld phone unless you are a bus driver or under 18 years old.
There are also states that have text messaging bans.
It is amazing to think people try to text message while also driving.
How on earth can you possibly be paying attention to the road if you are looking at a cell phone screen? Studies have shown that during the 3 seconds before a crash, the driver was distracted.
There is not a much bigger distraction than a cell phone.
There is another reason why it is not good to talk on a phone while driving.
Research studies of the brain have determined that the brain is not able to handle a response to two intensive tasks at the same time.
The part of your brain concentrating on the conversation is the same part of the brain which responds to input related to driving responses.
All those jokes about being able to multi-task do not apply when talking about cell phones and driving.
2 Besides, do you have any idea how funny you look talking to yourself when using a hands-free cell phone device? Okay..
..
that doesn't have much to do with safe driving, but it needed to be pointed out.
What does have a lot to do with safe driving is the fact that the level of inattention that is produced by talking on a cell phone while driving is equivalent to the inattention of drowsy driving or driving under the influence of alcohol.
You just cannot process information accurately nor can you respond quickly enough to traffic situations.
Your judgment is impaired as a result of the inattention and distraction .
If you insist on using a cell phone while driving, then you should at least use a hands free device.
The best option of course is to not use the cell phone at all while driving.
To be honest, the day is coming when cell phone use while driving will be banned in most states.
So you might as well start weaning yourself off that phone now before you have an accident.
Sources: 1.
(2009, June).
State Cell Phone Driving Laws.
Retrieved July 15, 2009, from Governors Highway Safety Association Web site: ghsa.
org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.
html 2.
(2008, March 08).
Listening To Cell Phones Impairs Driving, Study.
Retrieved July 15, 2009, from Medical News Today Web site: medicalnewstoday.
com/articles/99696.
php
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