People all around the world have cell phones. It does not matter what their age is, they still have them and use them frequently. At the end of last year a reported 4.1 billion cell phones were being used. A cell phone can be very useful to have, especially in a case of an emergency. People use cell phones at home, in stores, and even on the road. Using them on the road is a very dangerous thing that you could be doing and not even realize what problems you are getting yourself into, because you are not paying attention to the road. More people are becoming aware of the dangers of texting and talking while driving, but not everyone is fully aware of the true danger. Everyone should know about the situations that they could get in while using and cell phones and driving
Texting is one thing that teenagers love to do, and they do it all of the time. Unfortunately, some text while they are driving their car. Teenagers are new to the driving experience so they should be totally focused on the road and traffic in front of them. About 50% of drivers, aged 16-24, say that they have texted while driving, compared to 22% in ages 34-44. Teenagers are not used to driving, and once they start texting and become distracted, it can become even more dangerous for teens, than it is for adults. Texting can be almost as dangerous, if not more, than drinking and driving, because being on a cell phone causes you to have slower reactions with break times and stopping. According to the New York Post, 2,272 text messages were sent and received by the average American teenager, at the end of 2008. This can cause more rear-end accidents. When you drink and drive you have more of an aggressive driving style, so you have a faster break reaction.
Talking on your cell phone, while driving, is also a danger thing that people don’t think about. Sure, your eyes will still be on the road, but your mind won’t be focused on the road- it will be focusing on the conversation between you and the person on the other end. People say that they will stop talking on their cell phones while driving, but they do it anyway. If you really want to stop that habit, the phone should be turned off in the car. Once again there is a slower reaction. It has you choosing concentrating on one thing, and not being as conscious to the other one. Talking on a phone is different than talking to the passenger in your car. The passenger can see the road ahead of you and can help you be aware of what is happening. The passenger can also see the road conditions and can make you stop talking so you are able to concentrate. The person on the cell phone is not aware of the traffic conditions the rider has. You are four times more likely to get in to some sort of accident when using a cell phone, or even a non hand-held object.
The risk of getting into an accident while using some sort of electronic device in the car is much higher than just driving along the road with no distractions. In December of 2009 a survey showed that 570,000 accidents leading to minor and serious injuries are caused each year by cell phone distractions, according to Harvard study. Another study of Harvard shows that 2,600 traffic deaths are caused each year by drivers using cell phones. These numbers will hopefully start to decrease once people recognize the real danger of a cell phone, but for now the numbers have gone up since cell phones have become more and more popular in the last couple of years. They are higher, especially in college and high school kids. An accident simply won’t affect just the driver it will affect anyone else in the car and also other cars that have been hit because of the driver. The irresponsible driver may be fine but any other people that were involved might be seriously injured or possibly killed. More people should advertise and give their opinions on this subject. The more influences and information people have, the more they will understand the situation.
Risking your life and everyone else’s life, that are one the road, is not worth it. It’s easy to pull off into a lot and talk to someone or text them back. The text message can also wait to be replied to. That incoming call can just go into a voice mail that you can hear when you are not surrounded by cars, driving down the highway, at 70 miles per hour. A simple law of no more cell phones on the road sure could save so many people from getting in accidents, having an injury, or possibly killing someone. We should all think smarter when we are behind the wheel.