Cell Phones and Driving-
An Unhealthy Combination

Americans are also spending more time out on the nation's highways. According to data from the federal Department of Transportation, the annual number of vehicle miles driven per household has increased during the past decade as well. As a nation, we're spending more time behind the wheel driving an increasing number of miles to work, school, or other activities.

Given these two independent trends, it's not surprising that Americans love to dial and drive. When you think about it. it's virtually impossible to drive down a road today without seeing at least one example of a driver with a cell phone pressed against his ear. Admittedly, using a cell phone while driving is a good way to make use of "down-time" that would normally only be usable for getting from point A to point B.

However, it's important to note that using a cell phone while driving is not hazard-free. First, in order to make a call, drivers have to take their eyes off the road to dial the number. Second, people can get so wrapped up in their conversations that their ability to safely operate their vehicle comes into question.

Consider these facts:

• According to the New England Journal of Medicine, talking on a cell phone while driving quadruples the chances of getting into a motor vehicle accident.
• The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis released a study estimating that 6 percent of the auto accidents in the U.S. each year could be attributed to cell phone use, linking the devices to 2,600 fatalities and 330,000 injuries. The study estimates that traffic accidents caused by cell phones costs $43 billion.
• Research commissioned by the British insurer Direct Line found that talking on a mobile phone while driving is more dangerous that being drunk behind the wheel. Drivers' reaction times were, on average, 30 percent slower when talking on a hand-held mobile phone compared to being drunk and nearly 50 percent slower than under normal driving conditions.

Opponents of cell phone restrictions say drivers should be educated about the effects of all driver distractions, not just cell phones. An August 2003 report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concluded that drivers are less distracted by their cell phones than other common activities such as reaching for items on the seat or glove compartment or talking to passengers.

The National Transportation Safety Board has called on all states to prohibit inexperienced drivers from using cell phones. Cell phones play an integral role in our society. However, the convenience they offer must be judged against the hazards they pose.