The idea and start of the cell phone originally came from Patent #887357 which was patented in 1908 and was applied to “cave radio” style telephones. Since then we have made great leaps and bounds in the field of cellular technology. Now almost everyone has a cell phone and there are enough towers all over the place to let anyone talk to anyone anywhere. But there is a problem with this freedom, and the problem covered here is the fact that people take that freedom and use it while doing something else important, driving. Anyone who drives has interacted with at least one or two people that have been too busy chatting on their phone and did not pay much attention to the road. Most people might think that driving with people on the cell phone is little more than an annoyance but that is not the case.
- Cell phone distraction causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the
- Drivers talking on cell phones were 18 percent slower to react to brake lights, the new study found. In a minor bright note, they also kept a 12 percent greater following distance. But they also took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. That frustrates everyone.
Cell phones are not only an annoyance but they are also dangerous; governments across the world have picked up on this knowledge and initiated bans. Countries like
Technological fixes
Cell phones are wireless phones capable of being brought and used virtually anywhere. Cell phones further encourage the capabilty of contacting any given person at any time. Though an integral part of today's society, cell phones create an immediacy between individuals that can lead to hazardous concequences, particularly when driving.
Driving requires undivided attention on behalf of the driver and the usage of an individual's senses. Inhibiting even one will weaken an individual's driving performance and can endanger both themselves, fellow drivers and unsuspecting pedestrians.
Advancements in wireless and hand-free devices are believed to aid in better driving performance. Bluetooths or wireless cell phone accessories, cell phone mounts for cars and screen-based navigational systems are only a few of the new technological fixes supposed to aid with driving. While the devices may no longer inhibit the driver from keeping both hands on the steering wheel and both eyes on the road, their attention will still be partially focused on the devices and not entirely on the road as should be. The driver must be equipped to deal with all sudden external occurances when driving.
Links to sources about the issue
http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/
http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/
http://unews.utah.edu/p/?r=062206-1
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809967.PDF
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-10-19-handsfree-driving_x.htm
http://www.livescience.com/technology/050201_cell_danger.html