Abigail Falletti
4-28-14
Essay #3 In today’s society we’ve all become attached to our cell phones. Cell phones make our lives easier in many ways, we can check our email, receive phone calls, send text messages, listen to music, and take pictures, all at our finger tips. With all this convenience, however there is a dangerous side to cell phones, and that’s when we use them while driving. Most of us are guilty of using cell phones while driving, but have we ever thought about its danger? I have, and this is why I think cell phone usage should be banned.
Many people consider cell phone usage while driving acceptable. Cell phones are just a normal part of our world today. Individuals believe should be able to use them whenever they would like to. Our society uses cell phones for everything nowadays, from searching the web to keeping in contact with friends. If we look around a restaurant, we will see everyone on their phone and have a phone remotely close to them. Several people feel that since cell phones have become extremely common in our everyday life, people should be able to use them wherever they are regardless of the risks that can occur. Individuals, also think that since the United States of America is a free country that cell phone while driving should not be banned. We consider the U.S. to be a free country for everyone in it. This country gives us the opportunities to live our lives like we want to. We retain the right to speak freely, do whatever we want, and manage our own lives with little to no affliction of the government. However, when it becomes harmful to others the government can step in. For example, many people use their phones for social media and if someone were to make a harmful comment about terrorism. The government would track the IP address and arrest that person. However, normal cell phone usage is not harmful to others.
Many folks believe that hands-free devices are no more dangerous than talking to a passenger while driving. Plenty of states consider hands-free devices alright to talk on, however; people feel that talking to passengers is similar. When driving with passengers, we tend to look and talk to the person sitting next to us. Talking to the passenger is not that big of a deal, but when the driver begins looking at them the problems then arise. Tons of individuals talk on hands-free devices while driving, because they think it is safer than hold a phone in their hands. But many people feel that, it is just as bad as talking to the person sitting next to us while driving. For instance, when we drive with friends we normally talk to them and look at them while we are cruising down the street. Individuals are not concentrating on the road while using hand free devices either. This makes talking to a passenger and on a hands-free device equally dangerous.
Even though some people think cell phones are an advanced asset to our society, others believe cell phones usage should be banned because it causes distractions while driving. Texting is one of the major reasons why distracted driving can be harmful (). Texting while driving can be six times more hazardous than driving drunk (National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA), qtd. in Hanson). Everyone hears about drinking and driving, but nobody ever hears about incidents where people text and drive. Handson also quotes that Individuals who text and drive take their eyes off the road for approximately 5 seconds. In that time limit it is equivalent to driving blindfolded down the length of a football field while going 55 mph (NHSTA). If an accident were to occur within those 5 seconds, everyone in or near that vehicle could be hurt or even worse die. Roughly 3,000 people die and 330,000 people are injured due to texting while driving (A Harvard Center of Risk Study, qtd. in Hanson). Making cell phone distraction illegal can help prevent any further