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Loading...Cell Phone Ban Recommended
- Jake Richardson
- December 14, 2011
- 7:07 am
- 103 comments
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended a nationwide ban on cell phone use and texting while driving. They say such a ban is needed because of the number of fatal accidents caused by cellphone and texting distraction.
n 2009 nearly 5,500 Americans were killed due to distracted driving, and 448,000 were injured. Distracted driving means driving while texting, eating, drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading, using a PDA or navigation system, watching a video, or fiddling with the car radio/CD/Mp3 player. Almost 1,000 of those deaths were related to cell phone usage while driving. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into an accident. Using a cell-phone even in hands-free mode, is equivalent to driving drunk at the intoxication level .08 percent. At this level one can be considered legally drunk. However there is some indication a level as low as .02% can impair one’s ability to drive a vehicle, which would mean using a cell phone while driving would actually be worse.
A New York Times article on the subject stated, “University of Utah researchers have shown in studies that conversations on hands-free phones are just as distracting as those on handheld ones. They called the problem one of inattention blindness.”
A related government study found 13.5 million drivers are on hand-held phones at any given moment during daylight hours. Currently about ten states have bans on cell-phone use while driving.
Have you or anyone you know been hit by a distracted driver? I have been nearly run over by distracted drivers several times, and witnessed a girl on a bike get hit by a GMC Yukon driver who was talking on a cell phone at the same time.
Image Credit: Anders
Related Links
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Read more: General Health, News & Issues, Transportation
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103 comments
+ add your ownCouldn't agree more! I've always thought driving and texting/talking on a mobile was dangerously irresponsible - this was confirmed when my car was run off the road by some little jerk talking on his mobile, whilst driving his mummy's 4x4 down the middle of the road. The POS didn't even stop, just fled the scene of the accident.
Anyone who kills someone because they were using their mobile whilst driving should receive an automatic 30 year jail sentence - maybe that would be enough of a deterrent!
thanks for this article
In Australia it is illegal to talk on a mobile phone while driving, but it's OK if you have the hands-free car kit.
A good idea in theory but so hard to police. The habit seems to be more and more pronounced.
I agree 100%
Thanks for the article.
its about time! but the problem still exists that it would need to be enforced. I know they are illegal here in NH, but I still see it going on all the time!
About time, GOOD!
I agree...
I don't know why it hasn't been yet, I live in Canada and it's been against the law for some time. I don't know why it takes the USA to make any changes. They still use the old imperial measurements and Fahrenheit. The USA is way behind.
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