short essay on cell phone while driving

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Cell Phone Use While Driving, Essay Example

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Users are increasingly using cell phones currently. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that around 800,000 drivers use their cell phone every day (NHTSA, 2004). Cell phones are a huge distraction to drivers, as well as others who are near the driver being distracted, due to the attention being taken away from the driver. Like changing a stereo, who would want to be distracted by averting their eyes towards their phone? Texting and the conversations that take place on the cell phone cause accidents, and these two certainly represent the main causes. Any use of cell phones should be prohibited due to the dangers it causes to the driver and drivers around the one being distracted.

The use of cell phones while driving is dangerous. Fatal accidents have and will continue to occur with cell phones. There are clearly enough distractions on the road that one must be cautious of, so to handle an automobile safely, such as other automobiles, pedestrians, animals, signage, and many others. The added weights that cell phones convey, in terms of usage and stimuli, are too much for any driver on the road. Cell phone stimuli create an unsafe environment for the driver and those around. From a January 2010 report from the National Safety Council, 28% of car crashes (1.6 million accidents) are caused by cell phone conversations and texting (III, 2010).

Cell phones can delay reaction times, especially those that are hand-held. Other cars and pedestrians become targets when one’s reflexes are undermined with the cell phone. Research demonstrates a reduction of brain activity by 37% (Nationwide, 2009). Thus, a driver’s ability to concentrate is severely undermined with regards to a cell phone conversation or other distraction posed by the cell phone.  According to the NHTSA, 5,780 deaths and 515,00 personal injuries have been caused by driver distractions (III, 2010).

A conversation, albeit with a passenger or by cell phone, draws the attention of the driver away from the road to a degree. Additionally, the driver may not be able to hear surrounding sounds while driving, which is important in many cases, such as sounds from emergency vehicles. Studies have been performed on the comparisons between the danger of cell phone use and normal conversations with a passenger while driving. While there is some literature that has documented the risk of passenger conversations while driving, there are studies that demonstrate the increased danger with cell phone use in comparison. A University of Utah (Drews, 2004) simulation confirms the increased risk of cell phone conversations to passenger conversations.  In these and other experiments, drivers are less distracted while talking to passengers than they are when speaking to someone on a cell phone.  This literature confirms the dangerous status of cell phone use while driving, as it is evident that cell phone conversations are more dangerous than those with a passenger.

Other considerations add onto the distractions. As not all drivers use hands-free capabilities while speaking on the road, this incurs a level of danger.  One less hand is not conducive for safe driving.  When multitasking drivers who use a cell phone couple this use with something else, such as eating or writing down a note, driving safety is further compromised and compounded. As of March 2010, seven states have passed laws requiring hands-free devices when one uses a cell phone while driving. Banned are cell phones while driving in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah and Washington, plus Washington, D.C and the Virgin Islands (GHSA, 2010). An offender may not have to incur of a traffic offense to be able to be cited for cell phone use while driving. Novice drivers are not able to use a cell phone when driving in twenty-three states. Bus drivers are not able to use the phone on a bus when passengers are present for seventeen states and the District of Columbia (GHSA, 2010).

As one might imagine, driving with the cell phone is made even more unsafe when the act of texting is considered. Texting truly undermines the safety of drivers, even more than that of normal cell phone use on the road. Twenty one states and the District of Columbia ban text messaging for all drivers. In fifteen of these states, and the District of Columbia, this is a primary enforcement. States also display bans for texting, only for drivers (GHSA, 2010). While a number of states have banned texting while driving, further measures are needed.  Universal laws should be imposed with stricter consequences.  As texting may become a more main stream of communication as opposed to oral conversation, texting may become more dangerous than normal cell phone usage. Knowing that cell phone usage should be prohibited while driving based on earlier stats, it becomes evident and urgent to ban texting while driving. While there is limited testing on the subject, research has demonstrated increased danger with texting while driving.  An unreleased study from the University of Utah saw accidents related to texting increase six times (Livadas, 2007). Further studies have demonstrated increased risk in auto accidents from texting, even as text messaging rose in the late 2000s as attention increased. 200,000 accidents are listed by a source from drivers texting while they are driving on their cell phones (III, 2010).

Research has also demonstrated a higher risk of impairment with cell phone use while driving than alcohol use.  This finding is quite shocking.  Intoxicated drivers are not legally permitted to drive automobiles; any equal or higher risk to it should be very revealing. The University of Utah Psychology department studied this in 2003.  The findings demonstrated, and the study concluded, that cell phone use was more impairing than driving intoxicated (Strayer, 2003).  From these results, cell phone use while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving.

Cell phone use while driving is simply not safe. Cell phone usage places a number of limitations on the driver of an automobile, and it has been demonstrated in terms of reaction time, stimuli, and other factors that contribute to its inherent danger. Prohibiting cell phone use is the most important way to help make the roads a safer place. Prohibiting cell phone use will help to eliminate the current dangers posed by driving while talking on the cell phone. Furthermore, more uniform and stronger measures should be implemented against texting, which should go above and beyond the ramifications of driving while talking on a cell phone. Eliminating talking on the cell phone and texting would inevitable produce safer roads and less traffic accidents.  Educating drivers about the dangers of cell phone use while driving can help lessen these dangers. There are enough dangers and distractions on the road today to allow cell phone usage to threaten safe roads.

Drews, Frank; Monisha Pasupathi and David L. Strayer (2004). “ Passenger and Cell-Phone Conversations in Simulated Driving ” (PDF). Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 48th Annual Meeting.

Livadas, Greg (July 14, 2007). “ Text Messaging Not Illegal but Data Clear on Its Peril ”. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/NEWS01/707140333&template=printart. Retrieved 2010-04-06

Strayer, David; Frank Drews and Dennis Crouch. (2003). “ Fatal Distraction? A Comparison of the Cell-Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver ” (PDF). University of Utah Department of Psychology.

GHSA, . (2010). Cell Phone and Texting Laws. Retrieved Apr. 10, 2010, from Governors Highway Safety Association, Washington, DC. Web site: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html.

III, . (2010). Cellphones and Driving. Retrieved Apr. 10, 2010, from Insurance Information Institute, New York, NY. Web site: http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/.

Nationwide, . (2009). Driving While Distracted: Statistics You Need to Know. Retrieved Apr. 10,2010, from Nationwide, Columbus, OH. Web site: http://www.nationwide.com/newsroom/dwd-facts-figures.jsp.

NHTSA, . (2004). Cell Phone Use on the Roads in 2002. Retrieved Apr. 10, 2010, from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC. Web site: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809580.PDF.

DOT, . (2009). Distracted Driving Summit. Retrieved Apr. 10, 2010, from Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. Web site: http://www.distraction.gov/files/take-action/summit-agenda.pdf.

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Even hands-free , phones and their apps cause dangerously distracted driving

Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, UMass Amherst

Disclosure statement

Shannon Roberts receives funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, National Science Foundation, Sloan Foundation, Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center, and US Department of Transportation. She has received funding from GM in past years.

UMass Amherst provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

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Do you ever use your cellphone while driving? Don’t feel too guilty about saying yes – nearly 60% of drivers admit to using their phone in hands-free mode while driving.

But don’t become complacent either. Using your cellphone in hands-free mode while driving is not a perfectly safe activity, despite the impression you might be getting from laws, marketing messages and the behavior of people around you.

Fatal crashes caused by driver distraction have not gone down significantly over time: Distraction caused 14% of fatal crashes in 2017 and 13% of fatal crashes in 2021. Given that these numbers are calculated based on police-reported crashes, many experts believe the actual number of crashes caused by driver distraction is much higher. For example, real-world crash data from teens indicates that 58% of their crashes are due to driver distraction .

I am a human factors engineer who studies how drivers interact with technology . I see a gap between what people are told and what people should do when it comes to using your cellphone behind the wheel.

Hands-free calling

Most U.S. states ban hand-held cellphone use while driving but allow hands-free devices . However, hands-free devices are still distracting. Talking on a hands-free phone and driving is multitasking, and humans are not good at doing two cognitively demanding tasks at the same time.

For example, having a phone conversation in hands-free mode while driving causes you to stop looking out for hazards on the road and gets you into more close calls where you slam on the brakes than if you were not on the phone.

These detrimental effects last even after you end your call. There is a hangover effect: You can remain mentally distracted nearly 27 seconds after you finish using your cellphone . At 65 miles per hour, you’ve traveled nearly half a mile in 27 seconds.

Third-party apps

Third-party apps that connect your smartphone to your car’s interface, such ass Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, encourage you to use your phone in hands-free mode while driving. You can control things like music, navigation, text messaging and phone calls using voice commands and the car’s interface. IPhone users can connect their phones to more than 800 car models and Android phone users more than 500 models .

But is using these third-party apps while driving safe? Fifty-three percent of people say that if carmakers put the technology in vehicles, they must be safe . Though these third-party apps make cellphone use hands-free, they unintentionally cause you to look away from the road for dangerous amounts of time and they slow your reaction time .

Driving automation and distraction

Recent advances in technology have made driving a safer activity. Systems such as Cadillac Super Cruise and Tesla Autopilot control your steering and acceleration in limited situations, but they don’t mean you can text at will. Though it’s often lost in the marketing and enthusiasm for the systems, you are still required to pay attention to the road when you’re using them.

Research has shown that drivers using Level 2 automation, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering, are more likely to take their eyes off the road . Research also shows that watching a video or doing anything distracting while using these systems is unsafe – you stop looking at the road , and when you need to respond, it takes more time .

Some systems work to keep you focused on driving by monitoring your eye or head position to make sure you’re looking straight ahead. If your eyes are off the road for more than a few seconds, the systems alert you to bring your attention back to driving. This makes it difficult to get distracted by your phone.

Distracted driving awareness

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month . Distracted driving – in hands-free mode, using a third-party app or when using driving automation – still claims thousands of lives each year in the U.S. Despite continual advances in vehicle technology, cellphone use while driving is likely to remain a challenging problem for the foreseeable future.

To discourage distracted driving, it’s important to look back to see what’s worked in the past to keep roads safe. Modifying the culture around distracted driving as well as comprehensive education, training and media campaigns, similar to “ Click It or Ticket ” to encourage seat belt use, are good examples of what works. To that end, on April 1, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the “ Put the Phone Away or Pay ” campaign to discourage distracted driving.

And for all of those who drive with children in the car, be sure to model safe behavior – they are watching and learning from you.

• Distracted driving
• Inattention
• Smartphone use

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Persuasive Essay about Mobile Phones and Driving

Table of contents:

• Introduction and hook/thesis

So, you’ve chosen to write about the use of mobile or cell phones while driving as a persuasive essay. This isn’t as straightforward question as it might appear. While pretty much everyone would agree that mobile or cell phones should never be used as you drive, the situation is a bit more complicated than the demand to just ban cell phones while driving. One of the biggest problems of this case is texting while driving (don't text and drive!) Consider, for instance, the use of hands-free kits as a compromise – are they just as much of a distraction?

Start off your introduction with a hook that grabs your audience’s attention, then dive into your thesis, or statement of purpose, which should set out the ultimate point you are attempting to persuade people of. See the samples below for some ideas on how to write these.

Introduction examples

Hook & Thesis: Driving while using a mobile or cell phone could lose you up to 3 or 4 demerit points, plus make you subject to a costly fine, and that’s not even counting the danger you’re putting yourself into while doing it. If you must use a phone while driving, you should always use a hands-free kit, or better yet, just concentrate on driving, and save yourself the distraction and risk.

Hook & Thesis: Alarmingly, over 42 percent of smartphone users decide that it’s okay to use their phones while driving, according to research by Deloitte in 2015. This dangerous practice puts property and lives at risk for no good reason.

As you carry on into the body of your essay, create an outline of your points, followed by the evidence you’ll use to back up those points. You can use any kind of evidence in persuasive essays, whether that’s anecdotes, stats, or just emotional pleading. It’s up to you. You should have at least three points of evidence in the body of your essay.

Then, as you draw toward the conclusion, make sure you briefly go over all the points you made. This is your last chance to remind your audience of what you are trying to persuade them to do.

End with a call to action, encouraging your readers to take some sort of action based on your persuasiveness, or at least to think about the topic differently from now on. Have a look at the examples below to see some ideas for how to conclude a topic on driving with mobile or cell phones.

Conclusion examples

Conclusion: As we’ve seen, driving while talking on the phone can be very dangerous. Also, if you’re caught, you can be fined and receive demerit points, which could ultimately get your driver’s license suspended. Avoid all this trouble by only talking on your mobile phone when you are parked out of the way of traffic. It could save your life one day.

Conclusion: The use of a hands-free kit with your mobile phone as you drive doesn’t eliminate risk, as you still might be distracted, but it does help cut it down. Driving a car is dangerous enough without adding still more risk by texting or talking while you drive, so get yourself a hands-free kit today!

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Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Crime — Cell Phones and Driving

Essays on Cell Phones and Driving

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• Essay on using cell phones while driving

Argument Essay on the Use of Cell Phones while Driving

Cell phones were introduced in the United States market in the decade of 1980 and their usage instantly grew during next two decades. The trend of using cell phones has increased throughout the world. One of the primary reasons for the gigantic growth of cell phones is that they facilitate communication offering high levels of flexibility reaching desired person within seconds whether he/she is at office, home, or outside driving a car etc. Cell phones support in making a direct contact with person effectively and without wastage of any time. Other main reason for the explosive growth of cell phones is the safety aspect. Cell phones make it easy to contact during emergency even during driving although using cell phone while driving is mostly dangerous and not advisable, it provides the convenience of tackling emergency situation, listening music through hands-free, and tracking routes etc. In this context the thesis of the paper is presented as follows:

Thesis statement : it is hypothesized that despite an effective way of communication, using cell phones during driving results in distracting attention of driver increasing road safety concerns.

Undesired Situation by Using Cell phones during Driving

Billions of people throughout the world are using cell phones in daily routine life. Cell phones provide communication with greater flexibility. It is, nowadays considered less fashion and more a utility providing several benefits. Cell phones have different features in addition to communication including cameras, video games, music, FM receivers etc. Cell phones not only facilitate business and personal convenience they also provide comfort and safety. However, observations, experience, and studies all have highlighted the dangerous effects of using cell phones during driving, strictly unadvisable, and an illegal matter. The major drawback of using cell phones during driving is that it distracts attention of driver. (Scotti, 2007)

There are number of traditional ways that distracts driver's attention. They include talking to passengers, lighting and smoking a cigarette, eating, drinking etc. It is pertinent to mention that attention of driver distracted through cell phones means driving and communicating at the same time that increases threats to safety. Furthermore, drivers has also to operate both, vehicle and cell phone, simultaneously, that also distract attention leading to dangerous accidents, and in some cases resulting in death of driver and passengers. In other words, cell phones reduce driver's performance. (Gravelle, 2005)

Despite offering huge benefits, cell phones have become a grave concern and a major cause of road accidents. Drivers using cell phones are not able to give their complete attention on roads exposing not only themselves but also other people on the road. Therefore, most of the governments, including Austria, Australia, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, and different Asian as well as African countries, have imposed restriction on using cell phones during driving.

Because of diversion in attention drivers reacts slowly to the traffic signals, missing them at times. Decision making during driving is a critical factor giving drivers fraction of a second to make a swift decision about a given complex scenario. Studies have highlighted those drivers using cell phones react slowly and often make wrong decision causing serious accidents involving other vehicles also. (Gravelle, 2005)

Drivers demonstrates comparatively slower braking responses and also had low awareness of other traffic flowing through the roads ignoring their presence concentrating more on cell phones and less on roads as how other drivers are behaving. Different studies have reported hundreds of deaths during a year because of using cell phones during driving.

Increased Chances of Fatal Accidents

Several researchers have proved that using cell phones during driving makes driver more exposed to fatal accidents. Focus of the driver is not on the road or traffic and it becomes difficult to handle phone and vehicle at one time. Cell phones during driving also reduce the mental capacity of drivers as they fail to concentrate on minor or major activities happening around them. As already discussed, cell phones distract drivers' attention resulting in comparatively slow response to traffic signals and other related traffic events. Studies have shown the fact that breaking reaction time is also slower while talking on a cell phone during driving. The perception, vision, general awareness, and concentration of the driver are impacted while communicating on a cell phone during driving. Especially during bad weather or driving on slippery roads, drivers engage in conversation pay less attention to these areas increasing risks of fatal accidents. (Gravelle, 2005)

The main advantage to avoid using cell phone during driving is ensuring safety of driver, vehicle, and other people driving on the road. By making conversation, writing messages, or just playing with the mobile increases the chances of accidents. It is pertinent to highlight that hands-free phones have also similar negative impacts during driving; both distracts attention, although hands-free cell phones do not require manual handling. (Sturnguist, 2006)

The nature of conversation on cell phones during driving differs and can have distinctive impacts on drivers. The complexity of conversation draws more attention of drivers, while simple or casual conversation is less distracting, however, both may produce same consequences. As such, the more complex a situation is higher are chances of distraction that presents a threat to road safety. (Klein, 2000)

Cell phone users while driving has low level of perceptions. There exists a direct relationship between perception and performance of a driver. Distracted attention results in low perception of the driver reducing performance levels. A major strength of driving skills is a pro-active approach anticipating actions of other drivers and making adjustments accordingly. However, a driver busy in conversation on a cell phone is unable to adopt a pro-active approach and it becomes almost impossible to anticipate other person's attitude as well as behavior. The consciousness of events happening around vehicle has a huge impact on driving. It is necessary for the drivers to monitor outside events and their possible impacts on driving. Using cell phones make it difficult to keep an eye on the outside events. Negligent behavior is highly immoral and unethical as it exposes human lives to a huge threat of accidents that could ultimately lead even to death. (Gravelle, 2005)

Some Benefits of Cell Phones during Driving

Although, there are grave negative impacts of using cell phones during driving it is pertinent, for the sake of arguments, to present benefits also. The most important benefit of cell phones during driving is again the security factor. During emergency situations cell phones can provide help and driver can make emergency calls, even reporting any dangerous scenario such as roadside accidents. Through cell phones a driver can locate the desired route. Furthermore, using FMs on cell phones can provide information about weather and traffic. (Sturnguist, 2006)

The paper has presented arguments on both sides of the issue using or not using cell phones during driving. On the basis of arguments presented in the paper, it can be concluded that despite an effective way of communication, using cell phones during driving distracts attention of driver increasing road safety concerns.

Gravelle, K (2005) The Driving Book: Everything New Drivers Need to Know but Don't Know to Ask, Walker Books for young Readers

Klein, N (2000) Drive Without Fear: The Insecure Driver's Guide to Independence, 1st Books Library

Scotti, A (2007) Professional Driving Techniques: The Essential Guide to Operating a Motor Vehicle with Confidence and Skill, PhotoGraphics Publishing

Sturnguist, D (2006) Mobile Phones and Driving, Nova Science Publishers

Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives Essay

Introduction, distracted drivers, phone use and road accidents, legislation, cell phone use while driving is dangerous.

Vehicle accidents occur when a car collides with another car, pedestrian, or animal. A vehicle may also veer of the road and hit some stationary object such as a tree or pole or reaches a rough terrain such as a steep slope. Traffic accidents cause injury and death to millions of persons around the world.

Other results of accidents include loss of property. The dictionary defines an accident as an unforeseen and unwanted event or a disaster that occurs without any warning. However, strictly speaking, a number of traffic ‘accidents’ do not qualify as accidents since they could have been avoided.

Vehicle accidents are caused by a vast number of factors and the top six causes are in order from most common to least: distracted drivers, driver fatigue, drunk driving, speeding, aggressive driving, and weather.

There are three main forms of distraction among drivers: visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distraction occurs when a driver takes his eyes of the road while manual distraction occurs when a driver takes his hands off the steering wheel and finally, cognitive distraction occurs when a driver takes his concentration off the road. Research has shown that distracted drivers are the leading cause of car accidents(Redelmeier & Tibshirani, 1997).

Distractions are caused by a number of activities, however, a significant number of distractions have been attributed to mobile phone use. For instance, a driver may receive a phone call or make one, and while tending to the call, takes his mind of the road and increasing the chances of causing an accident. Writing text messages also cause distractions as a driver takes both his eyes and mind of the road (Strayer et al, 2003).

Figure 1: Distracted Driver

Other forms of distraction among drivers that have been numerously cited include low-tech distractions such as spilling hot coffee on oneself or dropping something on the floor and changing a radio station or tuning a climate control gadget.

A second, commonly reported cause of road accidents is driver fatigue. This condition is created when a driver suffers from the symptoms of fatigue while driving as a result of inadequate sleep and rest. Driver fatigue causes many drivers to fall asleep while on the wheel and this regularly leads to road accidents, however, it may also lead to exhaustion, causing a driver to make serious- and deadly- traffic mistakes (Redelmeier & Tibshirani, 1997).

Driving under the influence of alcohol, or drunk driving, is a leading cause of road accidents among the youth. Accidents arising from drunk driving normally occur during the weekends or on major holidays. Alcohol-related deaths are so common in the US, close to 40 % of all adult persons in the US will have been involved in a road accident involving alcohol. Over-speeding among drivers, aggressive driving, and poor weather make up the rest of the road accidents that occur in the US (NHTSA, 2010).

Mobile phone use while driving is a very common phenomenon and can be quite dangerous. Indeed, several studies have shown that the number of deaths arising from phone use while driving has been increasingly steadily, and that drivers who use mobile phones while driving are at a higher risk of being involved in a road accident that those who do not (Strayer & William, 2001).

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released the results of a study that focused on the number of deaths resulting from driver distractions for the tear 2009 (NHTSA, 2010).

From the report, there were 5,474 fatalities arising from distracted drivers. Out of these fatalities, 995 were as a result of distraction by mobile phones. However, the report did not indicate whether there was a positive association between cell phone use and accidents (NHTSA, 2010).

Figure 2: Phone use and Road Accidents

A study of car accidents in the US conducted in 2003 showed that driver inattention resulted into 20-50 per cent of all road accidents (Eby and Lidia, 2003).

Driver distraction, which is a branch of inattention, has been approximated to be a causal factor in between 8 and 13 per cent of all accidents. Under driver distraction, mobile phone use contributes to between 1.5 and 5 per cent. However, the large number of variables in road accidents may cause errors in getting a clear picture of the overall contribution of cell phones to all road accidents.

These are variables that may also contribute to road accidents and include poor weather, poor roads, mechanical problems, driver fatigue, over speeding, and so on. The NHTSA recognizes this and asserts that only a small proportion of accidents are reported as having being caused by cell phone distraction. Inadequate reporting and use of different analytical techniques has led to differing results in various studies.

A report published by the Human Factors Journal reveals that cell phone use among drivers cause between 2,600 deaths and 330,000 deaths annually (Horrey and Christopher, 2006). Because of the rising number of deaths attributed to mobile phone use while driving, several states have passed legislation that limits cell phone use while driving on busy roads and highways.

Figure 3: Legislation

Although restrictions have long been in place, they have been enforced by including strict penalties to stem the increase in the number of drivers ignoring the traffic rules. Some of the US states that have enacted laws against phone use while driving include California, Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

Most of the states have placed bans on all forms of hand held cell phone use while driving. As a result, a traffic officer can ticket a driver for using handheld mobile phones without any other offence having taken place (McEvoy et al, 2005).

As of January 2008, the state of Oregon enacted a law that stated that persons below the age of 18 years are not allowed to “operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile communication device” (Oregon.gov, 2011).

Additionally, such persons must have one of the following: 1) a permit; 2) a temporary driving license; or 3) a special student driver permit. A mobile communication device is described as “a text messaging device or a wireless, two-way communication device designed to receive and transmit voice or text communication” (Oregon.gov, 2011).

Persons convicted of this offence must undergo the Provisional Driver Improvement Program among other forms of punishments. And on the other side of the nation, the state of Tennessee does not authorize any learner permit or person holding a temporary license from using a mobile phone while driving. Besides, it is an offence for anyone to read or write a text message while driving. These laws are extended to school bus drivers, unless there is an emergency.

Several countries in the world have implemented strict laws on cell phone use while driving. For instance, in 2007, UK enacted traffic laws in which a traffic officer could add three penalty points to driver’s licenses besides a fine for motorists caught violating this law. Israel, Japan, and Singapore all ban mobile phone communication, as well as hands-free devices. New Zealand enacted laws against hand held devices in 2009.

A number of countries have adopted these laws in part or in full. Some countries use the legislation selectively on different segments of the population; stricter measures are placed on younger drivers.

Canada, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Italy, China, Ireland, Turkey, UK, Spain, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, and Bulgaria are just a few of the countries that have placed some form of ban on handheld cell phone use by motorists. Countries such as Japan and some states in the US have banned both handheld and hands-free communication devices.

(Argument 1) When a driver uses the phone while driving, his eyes are not fixed on the road due to distraction from the conversation. A Ford study showed that there is a considerable difference in the distraction level between voice-controlled systems such and visually and manually operated systems mobile phones (Ford, 2011).

Further studies by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society showed that cell phone use causes drivers to respond slower to brake lights (Horrey and Christopher, 2006). In a minor positive finding, they were found to keep a 12% per cent breaking distance.

However, drivers were found to take 17 per cent more time to regain their speed when they braked, an action that frustrates everyone as it slows down the overall flow of traffic and increases the likelihood of an accident. Although some people have mentioned that using hands-free cell phone eliminates driver distraction, similar studies have proved the opposite; hands-free cell phones distract drivers as much as non-hands free units (Strayer & William, 2001).

Scientists have found out that while using hands-free systems, drivers ‘look but they do not see’ as their mind is diverted onto the phone call. Besides, the use of mobile phones for long hours has been found to be harmful as it can lead to brain cancer.

(Argument 2) The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society reports that using a cell phone while driving is just as risky as driving under the influence of alcohol (Horrey and Christopher, 2006). A paper by Strayer et al reported that the level of distraction caused by the two factors is similar (Strayer et al, 2003).

Of importance is that the study did not spare hands free devices, asserting both handheld and hands-free cell phones have similar effects on driver distraction. Since the use of mobile phones while driving is as bad as driving, the drivers must completely abstain from using them.

(Argument 3) Although many authorities have advised drivers to use hands-free cell phones rather than those that are handheld, studies have the latter is not significantly secure than the former. The study, undertaken by the AAA, indicates that hands free kits can cause enough distraction to cause a road accident (AAA, 2001) These studies found out that using hands free kits causes an increased ‘cognitive workload’ due to the involvement in conversation.

This distraction can lead to a 37 per cent drop in cognitive activity in the brain. Hence, the distracting factor is the conversation and not the device. Consequently, there has been a call for the ban of both hands free and handheld mobile devices by drivers, especially learners. However, a complete ban on the use of all mobile phone devices while on the road is the surest way of eliminating all accidents related to cell phone use (Utah DUI Checkpoints, 2009)

(Counter Argument 1) One weakness of the call to ban the use of cell phones by motorists is that such a move would imply that we ban all communication devices, a deed that is practically impossible due to the vast benefits of communication.

Cell phones help individuals to interact effortlessly over long distances and their full ban would create an inconvenience to a very large number of people. In fact, it is common that a driver asks for turn-by-turn instructions when driving into a new place. Instead of banning these devices, drivers should be advised on ways through which they can reduce road accidents and still use their phones. However, if such a move would benefit society against all the consequences, then we should proceed with the move.

(Counter Argument 2) The second counter argument against a ban on cell phone use while driving is that such a move might induce a state of boredom and cause a driver’s mind to wander off the road. Boredom might also induce dizziness or sleepiness. A sleepy driver may try to avoid sleep by talking to their spouse or friend (AAA, 2001). Instead of banning cell phone use, some factors and considerations should be assessed. These include:

• Is the driver using headphones or not?
• What is the nature of the conversation? Is it casual or heated?
• The pace of the drive and the weather condition;
• The experience of the driver; and so on.

These factors must be considered in coming up with security measurements, and it must be recognized that a sleepy driver on the road poses a far higher risk that one using a cell phone.

(Rebuttal Counter Argument 1 and 2) While authorities place bans on cell phone use by drivers, it is vital to note that individuals have every right to use their mobile devices as long as they do not violate the social requirement of keeping other road users safe. However, drivers also have a role to play in minimizing these risks, for instance, they can engage in other activities that prevent boredom and yet keep them alert on the road, such as listening to music through the car stereo.

Road accidents arising due to the use of mobile phones by driers have been on the rise in the past few decades. In most countries, the number of accidents has been proportional to the number of mobile phone subscribers thereby pointing to a positive link between the two.

These accidents are caused as a result of distractions among drivers. To reduce their occurrence, drivers must keep their eyes and minds on the road by limiting mobile phone use, both handheld and hands free. Failure to concentrate fully on the road can lead to serious injuries and even death of one or a couple of people. In order to improve the safety of our roads, each of us must play a role towards this goal.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (2001). The Role of Driver Distraction in Traffic Crashes. Web.

Eby, D., and Lidia K. (2003). Driver distraction and crashes: An assessment of crash databases and review of the literature. Michigan: UMTRI.

Ford. (2011). Study: Ford Sync Reduces Driving Distractions, Helps Drivers Keep Eyes on Road . Web.

Horrey, W. and Christopher W. (2006). Examining the Impact of Cell Phone Conversations on Driving Using Meta-Analytic Techniques. Human Factors (Human Factors and Ergonomics Society), 38 (1): 196–205.

McEvoy, S. Stevenson, M. R., McCartt, A. T., Woodward, M., Haworth, C., Palamara, P., and Cercarelli, R. (2005). Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: a case-crossover study. BMJ , 331 (7514): 428.

NHTSA. (U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). (2010). Distracted Driving 2009. Traffic Safety Facts.

Oregon. (2011). Oregon law prohibits use of cell phones and text messaging by teen drivers . Web.

Redelmeier, D. Tibshirani, R. (1997). Association between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collisions. The New England Journal of Medicine , 336 (7): 453–458.

Strayer D. L. & William J. A. (2001). Driven to distraction: Dual-Task Studies of Simulated Driving and Conversing on a Cellular Telephone. Psychological Science , 6 (12): 462–466.

Strayer D. L., Drews F. A., & Johnston W. A. (2003). Cell Phone-Induced Failures of Visual Attention During Simulated Driving. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1 (9): 23–32.

Utah DUI Checkpoints. (2011). Banning Texting While Driving Will Save Lives . Web.

Figure 1 and 2: Web.

Figure 3: Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, October 29). Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/

"Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." IvyPanda , 29 Oct. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives'. 29 October.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." October 29, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

1. IvyPanda . "Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." October 29, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Banning Phone Use While Driving Will Save Lives." October 29, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/banning-phone-use-while-driving-will-save-lives/.

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Ielts essay # 1293 - using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous because it causes the driver to become distracted. therefore, mobile phone use by drivers should be made illegal everywhere., to what extent do you agree or disagree.

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Cell Phone use While Driving Essay | Essay on Cell Phone use While Driving for Students and Children in English

Cell Phone use While Driving Essay: Mobile phones or cell phones is one of the most wonderful and popular inventions of science. It has benefited us in many ways. Wireless phone in many ways is more beneficial than landline phone. We can carry it wherever we go. We don’t have to search for a phone booth to carry on our important business.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Cell Phone use while Driving for Kids and Students in English

Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of ‘Cell Phone use while Driving’ in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on the Cell Phone use while Driving of 400-500 words. This long essay about Cell Phone use while Driving is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Cell Phone use while Driving of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.

Long Essay on Cell Phone use While Driving 400 Words in English

Below we have given a long essay on Cell Phone use While Driving of 400 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.

In this country, there are more than 40 million subscribers who rely on their cellular phones to conduct their business or just talk to friends and family.

With the increase of mobile phone users, dangers to safety, while talking while one is driving have also increased. Everyday, there are accidents when a person using mobile while he is driving have also increased. Every day, there are accidents when a person while talking on cell phone could not pay attention to road in front of him and was injured himself or injured others or both. The rise in phone related accidents is very serious, thought provoking and a danger to all concerned.

When one is driving and talking on his cell phone, his or her attention is naturally diverted. Talking on mobile phones affect a person in several ways. For example, the emotional stress involved in a conversation can lead to lessened awareness of what is happening on the road. Having to dial phone numbers and answering calls takes one’s attention from the road. There are so many good uses of mobile phones. This is an established fact which cannot be denied but along with this truth, so many accidents are taking place everyday, when people were talking and driving. This fact also cannot be denied.

No law, no committee, no state or government can stop this danger unless people wake up and come to realize that for a little convenience, they are endangering themselves and others. If a very important call is ringing or they have an important call to make, they can easily stop, finish the call and start again. No law or fine can make them realize this fact. They have to take care of their safety and the safety of others. It is no use crying over the spilt milk.

Life is very precious. It should not be wasted in this way. If we are careful and just a little cautious, such accidents can be avoided. After all, cell phone is such a useful device, it should not be made a scape goat or given a bad name. There are seven countries-including England, Spain Israel, Switzerland, Australia and Italy which restrict or prohibit cell phones while driving a motor vehicle.

Short Essay on Cell Phone use While Driving 150 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay on Cell Phone use while Driving is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.

Wireless telephone use among the drivers will continue to grow. As use increases, state laws will be challenged to balance the new technology and use of mobile while driving. Legislation is still pending even in foreign states like Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. Although traffic safety laws and enforcement are within the scope of state law, it is becoming difficult to enforce the same.

As for as our country is concerned, it is a far cry. Moreover, whichever is the country law cannot be denied and their concern is legible. One fact is crystal clear. There should be co-ordination between those who implement the law and those who are supposed to follow or obey it. If it is not done soon, there will be more accidents and deaths and it is in the interest of the users to follow instructions so that more havoc can be avoided.

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