The problem
is not with Cell phones, but with folks that cannot drive.
Hello for 6-2001
By: Mike Lipshultz
Mike@biznetonline.com
|
The problem
is not with Cell phones, but with folks that cannot drive. |
|
||
Right now in Washington D.C., you
government is working on a national law to ban the use of Cell phones when
driving unless the units are both hands free and voice activated.
One version of the bill will require drivers to pull over to make or
answer calls.
I have no doubt that more accidents will
be caused by drivers frantically pulling over to answer their phones before it
stops ringing.
Please tell your elected officials we do
not need these laws!.
Again, this is not just my opinion. Lets look a brief industry report:
Cell
Phones Low on the List of Distractions
According to a national study released today by the American Automobile
Association (AAA), distracted drivers who crash their vehicles are more likely
to have been changing a CD, eating a hamburger or quieting a toddler than using
their cell phones. The study, which the University of North Carolina Highway
Safety Research Center analyzed for the AAA, said cell phones were low on the
list of distractions for drivers involved in 5,000 accidents between 1995 and
1999. The findings of the study will be the focus of a hearing tomorrow by the
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Critics of the study say
the data may not be dependable, because many drivers will not admit they were
talking on a phone at the time of a crash. Cell phones have become the focus in
the debate over whether to regulate the use of technological gadgets while
driving. Mark Edwards, managing director of traffic safety programs at AAA,
said, "Legislation that bans cell phones from cars or requires hands-free
right now is premature." (as reported in the Washington
Post)
Now The Full Washington Post Story
Crash Analysis Lets Cell Phones off Hook
Critics Say Drivers Weren't Honest About Distractions
By
Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 8, 2001; Page B01
Distracted
drivers who crash their vehicles are more likely to have been engrossed in
changing a CD, eating a hamburger or quieting a toddler than by using their
cellular telephones, according to a national study released today by AAA.
Cellular
telephones were low on the list of distractions for drivers involved in 5,000
accidents between 1995 and 1999, which the University of North Carolina Highway
Safety Research Center analyzed for the American Automobile Association.
But
those who still believe the phones create a hazard -- and even the study's
author -- cautioned that the data may not be dependable, because many drivers
won't admit that they were talking on a telephone at the time of a crash.
"People
will tell you, 'Oh, yeah, a package fell off the seat,' but they won't tell you,
'I was on the phone, having a conversation,' " said Frances Bents, a former
federal official who studies crashes and cell phones for Dynamic Science, an
Annapolis-based research company. "The problem is, this data is unreliable.
The study is not accurate."
While
slightly more than 29 percent of distracted drivers said something outside the
car -- like an accident scene, another vehicle or sun glare -- caused them to
crash, only 1.5 percent blamed their cell phones.
"This
surprised everyone," said Mark Edwards, managing director of traffic safety
programs at AAA.
The
findings, which will be the focus of a hearing tomorrow by a subcommittee of the
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, , are being embraced by
the cell phone industry as it tries to combat growing opinion that the phones
pose driving hazards. Legislation is pending in 40 states to regulate drivers'
cell phone use.
"This
says a Big Mac is a much bigger issue than a cell phone," said Tom Wheeler,
of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, based in
Washington.
The
study's author, Jane C. Stutts, acknowledged that drivers play down the role of
cell phones in accidents. "People are not willing to report it," she
said. The only way to get better data is to check a driver's telephone records
to determine if the phone was being used before the crash, a technique not used
in the study, Stutts said.
Still,
she said the data are valuable for exploring the range of driver distractions
that experts believe is increasing. "I don't want people to think cell
phones are not a big part of the problem," she said. "They are
distracting, but they're just one of the things we do that puts us and other
people on the road at risk."
The
study found that men under age 20 were most likely to be involved in
distraction-related crashes. And the type of distractions varied according to
age: Those under age 20 were most likely to be adjusting the radio or CD player,
while drivers 20 to 29 were most likely to be distracted by passengers. Senior
citizens were most likely to be distracted by something outside the car, such as
rubbernecking or sun glare.
"Older
people don't allow themselves to be distracted by all these other things -- they
don't talk on cell phones, they don't eat and drink in the car," Stutts
said. "They get focused on other things -- someone cutting in front of
them, road construction, a crash scene."
According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted drivers are a
factor in 25 percent to 50 percent of all crashes. Of the 6.5 million crashes
reported last year, at least 1.5 million were related to drivers being
distracted, the federal government said. Social and economic costs for these
crashes are approaching an estimated $40 billion a year, experts said.
That
has created pressure on public officials to intervene.
"Distracted
driving is becoming an increasing issue for lawmakers because it's not just
phones anymore. It's fax machines, computers -- you can surf the Web in your car
-- televisions, all sorts of things," said Matt Sundeen, of the National
Conference of State Legislatures.
More than 110 million Americans own cellular telephones; an estimated 85 percent use them while driving. Cellular telephones have become a central point in the debate over whether to regulate the use of technological gadgets while driving.
Bills
that would have required drivers using phones to choose hands-free devices
withered in legislatures in Maryland and Virginia this year. A measure is
pending in the District.
Elsewhere,
the push to regulate is picking up steam. "We're seeing a lot more movement
this year in bills to restrict cell phone use," Sundeen said. Although nine
municipalities have passed ordinances restricting drivers' cell phone use, no
state has approved a ban.
In
New York -- where Westchester and Suffolk counties have laws making it illegal
for drivers to use a hand-held telephone -- legislative leaders and Gov. George
E. Pataki (R) have endorsed legislation for a statewide ban. Last week,
Connecticut's House of Representatives passed a bill that would restrict the use
of hand-held telephones while driving. It now goes to the state Senate.
"These
bills used to die in committee," Sundeen said. "Now they're beginning
to see the light of day."
But
the nation's largest automobile club said its study should give public
policymakers pause. "This study tells us that cell phones are not as yet a
major factor in crashes," Edwards said. "Legislation that bans cell
phones from cars or requires hands-free cell phones right now is
premature."
©
2001 The Washington Post Company
Now here is a real problem.
Birds
are starting to imitate the sounds of Cell Phones. Now I don’t know about you
but I think we should outlaw this. After
all, the last thing we need are folks rushing to answer their phones only to
find out that it’s the birds ringing not their phone.
| Be A Famous Writer
Submit An Article |
 |
 |
 |
| Because It's The Right Thing To Do. | ||