Talking on a Cell Phone While Driving is Dangerous

My friend Mitchell McClure was just recently involved in an accident caused by a cell phone.
             "I was going down 94 when I heard my cell phone ring. I couldn't see my phone but I could hear it. When I leaned over to pick up my phone I ran off of a bridge and landed in a ditch. I totaled my brand new Explorer that I had only had for a few months. It took two wreckers to get my car out. I feel very lucky that I ended up ok, especially after seeing my car," McClure said. (Personal Interview).
             Accidents involving cell phones is not just a problem throughout the world, but also here in Murray, Kentucky. I know of two friends that have had accidents because of cell phones. My friend Mitchell, and another friend who lost control of her car while on the phone and hit a fence. She was in the hospital for many weeks just because she was on her cell phone. Also, in the class survey, eight students have admitted to being distracted from driving while talking on a cell phone.
             In a recent survey performed by David Strayer, Sixty-four study participants who had normal or corrected-to-normal vision and perfect color vision, were randomly assigned to one of the radio control, book-on-tape control, hand-held cell phone, or hands-free cell phone groups. Those engaged in cell phone conversations missed twice as many simulated traffic signals as when they were not talking on the cell phone. They also took longer to react to those signals that they did detect. These deficits were equivalent for both hand-held and hands-free cell phone users. (par. 5).
             Ninety-one percent of Americans believe driving while talking on a cell phone distracts drivers and increases the likelihood of an accident, according to a 2000 survey conducted by the Insurance Research Council. Talking on a cell phone while driving quadruples the chances of getting into a motor vehicle accident, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.