Regulate Irresponsible Cell Phone Users on the Road free essay sample

The U. S constitution should pass a federal law to ban cell phone use on any moving vehicles. The law should include all 50 states. We get irritated when we are in certain places such as a library, movie theater or a concert when a person is talking or texting on his/her cell phone. But at least our lives are not in danger of extinction. When we are driving on the streets or the highways, however, drivers using their cell phones behind the wheels are more than irritating. These foolish cell phone users are putting our lives at risk. I have witnessed drivers so distracted by texting, chatting or updating their Facebook profiles that they resemble drunk drivers, merging between lanes or nearly driving into pedestrians in the crosswalks. These motorists are not convincing they are dangerous because the governments are not interfering with their careless behaviors. Only a few states are taking action to fines these drivers who are ignoring these safety warnings. For example, New York was the first state to ban motorists from using their cell phone while driving. In the state of New York, drivers that are found guilty of talking or texting behind the wheel, they will automatic fine a $150 violation fees and penalty of two points under the distracted driving handheld law. Many countries and cities in Europe are banning cell phones while driving and are persecuting drivers who are violating the cell phone laws. Some legislators introduce a number of bills to regulate these foolish drivers; apparently, those bills were rejected because most lawmakers do not think it is required. For example, Gary Biller the president of National Motorist Association (NMA) claimed the laws banning cell phone use while driving is not necessary. According to the NMA, talking and texting while driving are already covered by existing distracted-driving laws. It would be more productive, he said, to invest resources in campaigns that discourage careless driving in general. Mr. Biller quoted that drivers could easily become distracted by other actions such as having a conversation with their passengers, changing the radio stations, eating or applying make-up. Regulations on cell phone use while driving needed, because technologies are advancing, and more people are becoming more obsessed with their cell phone every five minutes in a day. Seemingly, 80% of people who live in the US have a cell phone and more people owning cell phones are expecting to grow in the future due to the arising of Smartphone’s. Drivers who are using their cell phone while driving are becoming more dangerous, and the laws on negligent and distracted driving are not sufficient to punish those offenders. None of us can disagree with that cell phone users on the road have caused traffic deaths and accidents. New studies verify drivers that are texting while behind the wheel, their reactions are the same as drivers behind the wheel intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit. Insurance companies and researchers suggest that using cell phone while driving is dangerous. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that three thousands fatal traffic accidents nationwide that occurred last year were caused by distracted drivers and 70% of those polled were phoning. A survey published by State Farm Insurance, states that using a cell phone while driving delays reaction time the same amount as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0. 08 the legal limit. In 2006, a Utah psychologist did a study and confirms that driving while on the phone is as impaired as drunken driver. By comparing these two types of motorist, here are the psychology results: We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit† of 0. 8 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U. S. states, says study co-author Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology. â€Å"If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving. † The report first gained lawmakers attention, but they later compared it with distracted drivers. Nevertheless, the comparison with drunk dr iving is very serious and lawmakers should look deeper into creating a federal law to prohibit drivers from using their cell phone while on the road. If past studies have demonstrated that using a cell phone while driving is as risky as driving intoxicated. Therefore, law makers should focus to have every states keep a record on fatal accident involving cell phone, based on the statistics—they should pass a federal law on whether a driver should allow to use cell phone while driving or not. Many researchers report the dangers of driving while on the cell phone. Sadly, some lawmakers argued that the states which create those traffic laws to regulate cell phone while driving use are unnecessary. Harvard Center Risk Analysis performed a research in 2002 on how many fatal accidents were results each year due to cell phones usage while driving on the road. They have calculated 2,600 people die each year in car accident due to using their cell phones while driving. I could use myself as an example; I work for TracFone Wireless which is a prepaid cell phone company—where I release information on customers such as call detail records and subscriber information when served a subpoena by third parties. I have come across subpoenas from the deceased family members where the family’s attorney requests cell usage to compare the time of the collision with the phone records. In addition, one day I received a subpoena from a deceased’s family attorney requesting a call record on one of our customers. Although, I have received numerous requests similar to this one, on this particular request, the attorney was more detailed in the subpoena which gets me more aggravated when I see drivers on their cell phones behind the wheel. He requested the call details record to confirm the time the accident occurred that the accused driver was on the phone. The attorney reports that the customer ran a red light at 50 mph broadsided his client vehicle and killed him instantly. From that day forward, I would think twice before I use my cell phone while driving. Furthermore, in 2010 a British news-paper reported a teenager girl who killed a grandmother while she was reading an incoming text message. The police stated that the victim receive the incoming text seconds before the collision. Since mobile phones are becoming more technology advancing which are creating obsessions among many young adults. Legislators should pass a federal law on a national level to restrict use of cell phones while behind the wheel. Moreover, cell phone use on moving vehicles should be enforcing as a primary law in all the 50 states. It will make more sense if the law is not legislated in a state level. As of November 2, 2012, only 10 states restrict motorists from using their cell phones, and 32 states banned school bus drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel. Because researchers and scientist have made public awareness and confirm the dangers of using cell phones while driving. Legislators should focus on drafting a nationwide federal law to enforce hands-free cell phones on all motorists while behind the wheels. It is not fair; the law to ban cell phones is only made available on a few states. If cell phone uses on any moving vehicle are regulating, people will feel safer on the road and it will eliminating unnecessary car accidents. The time has come for the federal governments to adopt legislation to ban the use of cell phone while driving.