Cell phones have been one of the greatest technological inventions known to man; the ability to verbally communicate with someone who is hundreds or even thousands of miles away in almost a complete instant, or sending someone a message in fewer than 30 seconds is remarkable! But when is the right time to use a cell phone, and when is the wrong time to use one. Cell phones are starting to take over our society. Now day’s people usually can’t even last a day without using a cell phone. Its people like these who are abusing cell phone by using them while driving. If we don’t find suitable way to prevent people from using their cell phones while driving, there will only be continuation of catastrophic events that essentially only worsen our society.
The usage of a cell phone while driving has caused over 2,600 death and 330,000 injuries in the U.S every year, according to journal’s publisher, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. According to Carnegie Mellon University the usage of a cell phone while driving reduces the amount of brain activity by 37 percent. That means people using cell phones have a slower reaction time to use the brakes or maneuver out of a possible accident. According to Nationwide.Com they polled what the worst distracted driving offense would be, in which 66% of the voters voted texting while driving. For instance November 2008 a9 year old child was riding her bike, on her way home from school. She was only 30 seconds away from her home when she was hit head-on by a 5,000-pound SUV. According to the Police report the driver was finishing up a phone call at the time of the accident. Her mother was on her way home when she saw the crowd near her house, where she would see her daughter (Erica) lying unconscious on the pavement. Erica died at the hospital. It’s sad how people feel the need to text or talk to someone right then and there instead of focusing on the road. You know there is a problem in our society when it is absolutely mandatory to risk your life and the life of someone else’s to text someone back or answer a phone call.
What a lot of States are doing now which is a great idea is outlawing the usage of a cell phone while driving. So far only 12 states have passed this law, and ordering police to issue tickets to anyone using their cell phone while driving. According to the University of Utah, distractions from cell phone use while driving enlarges the reaction time of the driver just as much as being under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. An example of just how bad the usage of a cell phone while driving actually is, is The 2008 Chatsworth train collision. This collision was the cause of the Metrolink computer train engineer who was distracted by text messaging. This led to the death of 25 people and 100 injuries. If this man would have only waited and not tried to multitask he wouldn’t have ended the lives of 25 people and injured 100 more on top of it.
In conclusion it is necessary for our society to take action by help preventing the usage of a cell phone while driving. You can save innocent lives by just putting your phone down while driving and focus on the road. A simple text or a 30 second phone call (while driving) can change someone life in a instant don’t let it be you or a friend. Do the right thing and don’t text and drive.
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