Introduction
Cell phones have become part and parcel of our lives; one cannot imagine a life without cell phones these days. Cell phones have become an integral part of our lives. It is not very safe to use cell phones continuously and research goes to prove the same. There is no doubt that cell phones have made our lives easier but on the contrary, people expose themselves to vulnerable circumstances when they use cell phones while driving. This paper will throw light upon the consequences of the same.
Main body
“Increased reliance on cell phones has led to a rise in the number of people who use the devices while driving. There are two dangers associated with driving and cell phone use, including text messaging. First, drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing. Second, people can become so absorbed in their conversations that their ability to concentrate on the act of driving is severely impaired, jeopardizing the safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians.” (Cell Phones and Driving, 2008).
The human brain is not capable of doing multi-tasking to perfection, all are not Leonardo da Vinci to write with one hand and to paint with the other. A normal human brain is only capable of carrying out a single task with perfection but when it comes to multitasking, the brain often underperforms. Accidents take away many a life each day in some part of the world or the other. Most of these accidents are caused by ignorance and one of the most important causes of accidents is the use of mobile phones while driving. The message conveyed over the phone takes priority and driving take a back seat which inevitably results in an accident, the severity of the same depends on more factors than one, the most important of all is the speed of the car, another important factor is how quickly the driver realizes that the car is out of control and lastly it depends on the reflexes of the driver.
“An estimated 44 percent of all U.S. motorists have a cell phone in the vehicle.” (Should Using a cell phone while driving be Illegal? 15 November 2008). There are mainly two types of distractions caused by the mobile phone, namely physical distraction, and cognitive distraction. Physical distraction is caused when a driver has to call, hold, etc and drive the vehicle simultaneously; cognitive distraction is caused when a driver is required to divert a part of his attention during a conversation over the phone. Both types of distractions can cause fatal accidents and should be avoided as long as possible. The governments of various countries have realized the risk involved in the same and have restricted the use of mobile phones while driving but the breach of this rule can be witnessed in more countries than one. Despite the repeated fines and warnings drivers risk their lives even for something which is not very important. It is high time that such people start realizing the value of their life and put an end to risking their life. The technology is developing and so are the risks from it, the hands-free mobiles have become very popular these days and drivers feel that it is safe to talk over a hands-free phone while driving but research goes to show otherwise. Hands-free reduce the risk of accidents is very true but saying that hands-free eliminate the risk of accidents would be tomfoolery. Maximum distraction is caused when drivers dial on their phones, hands-free provides the facility of voice dialing which reduces the risk of an accident.
“Five cheerleaders from Fairport, New York are killed when their vehicle swerves into oncoming traffic and is struck by a semi. Media reports 17-year-old driver’s cell phone was in use immediately before the crash and had just received a text message reply. Unknown if the driver was using at the time of the crash.”(Teen Cell phone use and messaging, 15 November 2008). A driver is most vulnerable to an accident when sending a text message; research goes to prove the same. It is high time that people who indulge in this deadly act start realizing the risks involved in the same. One minute of distraction can make a person sleep forever and the worst part is that there won’t be a chance to regret it. Once a mistake made is made for life, there is no making up for the same. Mobiles can be kept in the car but at no point should the driver touch the phone. The vehicle can be stopped in case of an emergency and the driver can talk over the phone.
It hardly makes any sense to put countless lives at stake just to speak over the phone for some seconds; the important things can be done in a better way than to risk lives. This has to be understood by all the careless people who despite knowing the risk of talking over the cell phone while driving. The government has to take initiative to counter the same. The laws should be made stricter to make sure that no person dares to talk on the phone while driving no matter how important it is. People do not realize that because of their mistake an innocent person can lose his/her life. For instance, if a driver of an SUV is talking over the phone while driving, he/she may unconsciously fail to take a note of another car that is running close to the SUV and both cars may collide at a high speed, the damage to the SUV will be very little but on the other hand, the car which was running close to the SUV may end up getting badly damages and in all probability, the driver mat loses his/her life too. So keeping this in mind it is high time that something stricter is done about this menace.
Conclusion
People who are careless about this whole issue should think again and change themselves at the earliest. Failing to do so can lead to devastating circumstances. The other people sitting in the vehicle can lose their life because of the ignorance and the carelessness of the driver. To conclude it is very fair to say that mobiles should never be used while driving.
Works Cited
Cell Phones and Driving. In Insurance information institute. 2008. Web.
Should Using a cell phone while driving be Illegal? In Speak out. 2008. Web.
Teen Cell phone use and messaging, 2008. In Operation Stop. Web.