| Mobile phone use in motor vehicles has
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| | research for, and by, the National
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| increased at a remarkable rate over the
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| | Highway Traffic Safety Administration (
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| past 15 years. Yet it is undeniable that
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| | we should at least consider their policy
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| utilizing a cell phone while driving can
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| | on using cell phones while driving that
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| affect driver performance as it relates
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| | states "The primary responsibility of the
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| to the overall safe operation of a
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| | driver is to operate a motor vehicle
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| vehicle. There are a number of things to
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| | safely. The task of driving requires full
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| consider in deciding whether the trade
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| | attention and focus. Cell phone use can
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| off in convenience is worth the potential
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| | distract drivers from this task, risking
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| risks associated with the distraction
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| | harm to themselves and others. Therefore,
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| created by a cell phone. Given the fact
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| | the safest course of action is to refrain
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| that the individual driver (and/or
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| | from using a cell phone while
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| business owner) ultimately pays for the
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| | driving."Source: Cellular
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| resulting consequences associated with an
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| | Telecommunications & Internet Association
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| auto or truck accident (financial,
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| | (CTIA)According to the CTIA, there are
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| emotional and physical lose); it is
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| | currently more than 218 million
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| prudent to seek out relevant and reliable
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| | subscribed cell phone users as of August
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| information in making a decision. In
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| | 2006 (compared to some 4.3 million in
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| doing so, consider the source, as well as
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| | 1990). Based on the extraordinary growth
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| the possible motivation behind the
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| | of cellular phone industry and the CTIA's
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| information provider.Source: US
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| | advisory role, it may be of value to
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| LegislationIn the United States, there
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| | think about their point of view on this
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| are currently no federal laws prohibiting
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| | topic. In doing so, you might consider a
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| driving while using a cell phone. In an
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| | document found on the CTIA's web site,
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| earnest attempt to find a solution, some
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| | entitled "SafeDrivingTalkingPoints2"
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| states (New Jersey, New York, the
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| | (created June 6, 2006) that states "But
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| District of Columbia, Connecticut and
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| | for some reason, legislative efforts to
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| pending in California) have passed laws
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| | prevent driver distractions have been
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| barring hand-held cell phone use while
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| | narrowly focused on wireless phone use.
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| driving. Typical fines range from $50 to
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| | According to government statistics and
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| $100 for drivers caught using a hand-held
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| | respected research studies, this approach
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| device. While these lawmakers have the
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| | is well off point." Consider that, there
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| public's best interest at heart by
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| | are more than 220 million vehicles on the
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| levying fines, not all entities weighing
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| | road and a similar number of cell phones
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| in on this subject are likely to have the
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| | subscribers. Based on the amount of time
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| same incentive.Source: Manufacturer
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| | customers might potentially spend using
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| ResearchAs the result of an independent
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| | their cell phones in vehicles, we would
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| study (found on their web site in the
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| | hope to find the CTIA an objective
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| form of a press release), Plantronics, a
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| | source. Given the magnitude of the
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| manufacturer of headsets states, "71% of
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| | revenue at stake, is a greater degree of
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| drivers steer more accurately when using
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| | scrutiny in order here? Would the CTIA
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| a headset with a mobile phone". They
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| | hold a different position if they were
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| point out that the study was to discover
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| | liable, in part, for distracted vehicle
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| if a person using a mobile phone improves
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| | accidents?Source: Leading Universities &
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| driving if he or she uses a headset.
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| | Independent ResearchersWhile there are a
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| Stephen Wilcox, Ph.D., Principal of
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| | number of valuable studies on this
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| Design Science (independent research
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| | subject, the following are extensive
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| firm) states, "Driving with both hands on
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| | research projects provided by highly
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| the wheel is the safest option for
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| | accredited organizations:1) Virginia Tech
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| motorists who use mobile phones, and
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| | Transportation Institute researchers and
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| headsets are tools to enable that
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| | the National Highway Traffic Safety
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| improvement." Considering the source, is
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| | Administration (NHTSA) tracked 100 cars
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| this statement characteristic of
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| | and their drivers for a year; they
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| scientific research? Is it objective and
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| | discovered that talking on cell phones
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| free of marketing bias? Could it confuse
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| | caused more crashes, near-crashes and
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| individuals into thinking that cell
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| | other incidents than other distractions
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| phones are safe as long as you are
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| | (100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study,
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| hands-free? Additionally, found toward
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| | April 2006).2) University of Utah
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| the end of the press release, is a
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| | researchers determined that motorists on
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| comment by a senior director of product
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| | the blood-alcohol threshold of being
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| marketing. Beth Johnson states, "It's
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| | legally drunk were able to drive better
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| important to keep in mind that our study
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| | than sober cell phone using drivers. A
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| is not intended to address the issue of
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| | key researcher and author in this field,
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| whether or not it is safe to talk on a
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| | Psychology Professor David Strayer notes,
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| mobile phone while driving, but rather
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| | "Just like you put yourself and other
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| what type of technology is safest for
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| | people at risk when you drive drunk, you
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| drivers to use while talking on their
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| | put yourself and others at risk when you
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| mobile phones". They also state their
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| | use a cell phone and drive. The level of
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| intent is to "educate drivers on options
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| | impairment is very similar." Also,
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| for using mobile phones comfortably and
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| | consider they found motorists to be more
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| responsibly while driving". Given that
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| | accident-prone and slower to react when
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| the goal is safety education, is this
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| | talking on cellular telephones. It did
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| research responsibly comprehensive to
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| | not matter if it was hands-free either
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| consider it a relevant and reliable
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| | because of "inattention blindness", a
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| source?Surely, as you go about your own
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| | syndrome that makes a driver less able to
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| assessment the idea of freeing up both
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| | process visual information.3) The George
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| hands to control the steering wheel is a
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| | Institute for International Health
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| logical consideration. If a driver
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| | (University of Sydney, Australia),
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| focuses exclusively on driving the
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| | Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
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| vehicle, then two hands on the wheel is
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| | (Arlington, Virginia) and Injury Research
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| better than one. Unfortunately, this
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| | Centre, University of Western Australia
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| seemingly sensible approach can lead to a
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| | (Crawley Australia) jointly presented
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| false sense of driver security (possibly
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| | research entitled "Role of mobile phones
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| increasing crash risk) as noted in
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| | in motor vehicle crashes resulting in
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| various reports ( by the Crash
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| | hospital attendance: a case-crossover
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| Investigation Team at Virginia
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| | study". The research consisted of 456
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| Commonwealth University Center for Public
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| | drivers aged 17 years who owned or used
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| Safety. Their findings illustrated that
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| | mobile phones and had been involved in
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| the cognitive resources required to carry
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| | road crashes requiring hospital
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| on a phone conversation are equivalent to
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| | attendance between April 2002 and July
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| those necessary to drive. This is an
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| | 2004. They concluded that a driver who
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| important concern given VCU's history of
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| | uses a mobile phone (up to 10 minutes
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| transportation safety research, as well
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| | prior to a crash) has a four times higher
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| as other studies concluding this behavior
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| | likelihood of crashing and an increased
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| (carrying on a phone conversation while
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| | likelihood of a crash resulting in
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| driving), reduces both driver reaction
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| | injury. Using a hands-free phone is not
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| time and driver attentiveness, especially
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| | any safer.Eliminate the Risk & Keep the
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| as they relate to braking.Unlike a
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| | BenefitsIf you are the head of a
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| computer, humans have a limited capacity
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| | household, a guardian or the parent of a
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| to process simultaneous information. If
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| | less experienced driver, your decision to
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| the software on your computer seems to
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| | allow any in-vehicle cell phone use
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| slow down, you might consider increasing
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| | carries a major emotional and financial
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| the memory or processor speed to
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| | risk. If you are a fleet manager or you
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| compensate for delays resulting from an
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| | employ individuals that conduct
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| overload in computing capacity. We as
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| | work-related conversations while driving,
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| humans have a similar limitation when it
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| | the risk of liability for distracted
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| comes to processing too much information,
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| | accidents could fall on you. Strongly
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| but unlike computers, our resources are
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| | consider the legal ramifications for the
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| somewhat fixed. Given the inherent delays
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| | careless operation of an employee-owned
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| in our own thought response time when
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| | or company-supplied vehicle before
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| faced with increased load factors, is it
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| | deciding to ignore the inherent danger
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| practical or safe to hold a cell phone
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| | created by a major cognitive distraction
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| conversation while driving a motor
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| | such as a cell phone.Obviously, there are
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| vehicle?Source: Government Transportation
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| | no easy or certain solutions without
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| Safety ResearchThe US government employs
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| | sacrifice of convenience. Remember that
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| many of the top transportation safety
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| | the benefit of having a cell phone
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| experts and funds a major portion of the
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| | (emergency use and times when you are not
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| world's accident prevention research.
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| | operating a vehicle) is not lost just
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| Given the effects traffic accidents and
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| | because it remains off while driving. If
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| related congestion have on US
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| | you consider the facts presented by
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| productivity, accident reduction is a top
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| | relevant and reliable sources, it really
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| priority. Considering that distracted
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| | is not a matter of a trade off after all,
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| driving accounted for at least 6.4
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| | but an opportunity to prevent an accident
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| percent of crash fatalities in 2004 (U.S.
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| | or possibly a fatality. In the mean time,
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| Department of Transportation), many
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| | until it is proven otherwise, think about
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| researchers are looking closely at the
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| | instigating a life saving strategy NOW
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| distinguishing distraction caused by cell
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| | for the safe use of cell phones - limit
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| phone use in vehicles. Furthermore, of
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| | yourself, loved ones and employees to use
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| the many potential distractions in a
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| | (personal and business) only when the
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| vehicle, cell phones are considered
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| | vehicle is in park!Gary S. Rothstein is
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| equally or more dangerous than the other
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| | the President of Mobile Awareness, a
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| known distractions such as eating,
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| | company which designs and markets vehicle
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| reading a map or grooming while operating
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| | safety products.
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| a motor vehicle. In light of the ongoing
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| |
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