Cell Phones: A Danger to Society
In Daly’s “A Call to Action: Regulate Use of Cell Phones on the Road”, She discuses how cell phones have become dangerous because they are a “fatal distraction” on the highways. She goes on to explain some of the incidents where cell phone use has been fatal and proper punishment hasn’t been made. She then proposes that cell phone use should be restricted on highways and punishment should be enforced more.
There are some benefits of having a phone in your car. If there was an emergency, a cell phone would be a good way to get in contact with someone. Cell phones also help when you get lost with directions or when you can’t get in contact with someone via a house phone or another type of phone.
Daly also states that “local laws are not likely to have the impact of state laws, and keeping track of a wide variety of local ordinances is confusing for drivers.” I believe that people would pay more attention to the law and be affected by it more if it was passed on the state level because “it makes more sense to legislate at [that] level.”
I don’t think state legislators take this problem as seriously as they should. What would it take for them to understand that cell phones on the road are as bad as drunk driving? They both have dangerous consequences when that situation occurs. I don’t believe one is worse than the other.
Proper punishment is being taken too lightly. People are getting off lightly even when they kill somebody. That makes me upset because someone in my family could be killed (God forbid) by someone driving on a cell phone, and they could get off with just community service! What if it was your family member? Wouldn’t you be upset if someone in your family was in that situation? Wouldn’t you want a harsher punishment?
I’m going to have to agree with Daly on this one. Restricting cell phone use in moving vehicles should be made a law so that proper punishment can be made to those that break the law. What would your reaction be if it was a member of your family in this situation? Do you think harsher punishment should be made lawful as well as restricting cell phone use in moving vehicles?
24 comments:
Okay, thank God someone else feels the same way I do about cell phones. Yes I understand that they become useful in some situations, but is it necessary to have your cell phone stuck to your ear when you are driving in rush hour traffic or any traffic at that? No it is not. I do feel that there should be bigger punishments for people who cause accidents because they are not devoting their full attention to the road because of cell phones. It is reckless and stupid and it is almost like the people you see in the morning reading the newspaper while driving.
I once saw a bumper sticker that said "Hang up and drive!" and that had to be the best one out there, because it is true. Anyways like I said before, they can be useful but what can be so deathly important that you can not wait until you get out of your vehicle?
I agree that using your cell phone while driving is dangerous but I find myself doing it frequently. I would probably think twice about using my cell phone while driving if there were strict laws against it.
For an emergency having a cell phone in your car is a great idea but talking on it while driving is not the smartest idea out there and yet I still do it.
I think most of the danger lies (at least with me) in dialing the numbers while driving. Once I'm on the phone, I have no problems...it's just like driving with my three brothers in the backseat arguing.
We all have to deal with distractions, it's how you handle them.
Phones nowadays even have voice recognition now, so there's no need to even dial while driving. I don't think we need to ban them completely...just be smart about it. If you're driving in a congested area, yeah, get off the phone. If you're alone on the road for miles...maybe it's okay!
I agree that talking on the cell phone while driving is dangerous in that it distracts and possibly takes away second hand holding the steering wheel. Just having a cell phone in the car and calling people back would be an easy alternative.
But if you commute for an hour or more, there may be some calls that need to be answered. In that case one can get some sort of speaker phone system so it would be as if you you were simply talking to a passenger. I believe the most dangerous people are those that have coffee between their legs, a cigarrette in one hand, a cell phone in the other, and are driving with a forearm or leg.
I agree with you Felicia, I have said that all along the cell phones should be banned from being used while one is driving. If my sources are correct I have heard that cell phones are banned in New York City. I can't count how many times that I have been driving down the road and someone cuts me off and I have to slam on my brakes so they don't run into the side of me. After that happened I noticed that they were on a cell phone. My best frind ran through a red ligbt, she didn't admit this was the reason, but the reason she ran the light was because she was on the phone not paying any attention. She ended up totaling her car. She could have easily killed the person she side swipped but thank goodness she didn't. So yes, I agree 100% people who drive talking on their cell phones should be fined and it should become illegal.
I agree that cell phones are a good thing in the car because of emergencies. If more people would pay attention while they are driving, this wouldn’t even be an issue. I don't agree with you when you compared drinking and driving to talking on cell phones. At least on a cell phone you can pay attention if you wanted too. When your drinking and driving you don't know what is going on.
I agree with everyone. Cell phones are a distraction on the highway, but it's not like phone companies are not coming up with better ways for us to use them. They've came out with ear pieces, but do we want to purchase them if they don't come with our phones? No! Now they've come out with the bluetooth. Do we buy those? Some of us do. It's about us and the decisions we make. We need to start making the right ones.
I agree that cell phones are dangerous and should be used properly. Although i disagree that the use of a cell phone should not be banned while driving because you never know what might happen while you are out and about. Never should a person get off easily for perhaps killing someonedue to a cell phone but their should be a serious punishment such as years in prison or something along those lines.
Sadly, I have never given much thought to the dangers of driving while using cell phones. I have not been obviously affected by this issue (yet). I believe the problem with driving while using cell phones can be boiled down to simple distraction on the road. The number of fatalities due to cell phone use is very distributing; however this said many people get killed by drivers distracted by the radio too. I think drivers should be arrested under the warrant of vehicular manslaughter whether the cause was cell phones or cd players.
Kayla, I believe you should give it a little more thought. Using a cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. What will it take for you to become affected by this issue?You shouldn't wait to be affected by it when someone you know or yourself is in that situation and someone could get seriously injured(God forbid).
Well you guys, i want to first start off by saying this is a great topic !! What I have to add is that I do talk on the cell phone while driving. I actually beleive that we all do, at some time or another. I have a ear piece to go along with my cell phone and I only use it when I'm driving.
I do agree that we all should definitly take precaution when driving, and not just with cell phones but with everything.
Yes, cell phone use while driving can be dangerous, but that doesn't necessarily mean it should be outlawed completely. Just talking with people while driving is dangerous (people speed because they don't pay complete attention to the road). Anything that takes your attention from the road and what you're doing makes driving dangerous. It's all in how you handle yourself while driving.
People need to recognize when to be on the phone (less cars, less possibilities for an accident vs. a crowded city at noon) and when to just let it ring.
I agree completely on the subject. I believe with today's technology there should be something put in cars or the cell phones themselves that renders them useless during driving a vehicle. There is enough stuff out there on the road to distract you, cell phones should be a no brainer.
Yes, I deffinately agree that cell phones can be useful but still distracting.I cant really say that talking on the cell phone while driving should be illegal because I have done it plenty of times like almost everyone with a cell phone. But the person driving and talking at the same time should be responsible enough to realize when it is a good time to drive and talk. Like when someone is at a red light and after the green light has been on for five seconds and they are too busy talking on their cell phones and still sitting there thats when they should realize to get off the phone and watch the road.
I absolutely agree that more strict laws should be written to decrease accidents caused by talking on cell phones while driving.
A quote says "there's time for everything". Surely the time to talk on the phone is not while driving. Talking on the phone while driving is like daydreaming, you may drive but your mind might be somewhere else, which causes problems for other drivers.
I agree with you Felicia, cell phones on the road is a bad idea, but on the ohter hand what about professional drivers? They are on the road all day and cannot stop all day because they have to be somewhere in a certain time. so cell phones for truckers are the only way a trucker can stay in touch with their family.
I can't tell you how many times I have almost been hit by truck drivers who are talking on their cell phones. In other words, I completely agree that cellphones should not be used when driving.
I have driven once while talking on the phone and I almost hit a van caring a family in it...that was my wake up call (no pun included) Since then, I call before I get in the car or call them back when I get where I am going.
I agree with you kristen because yes everybody now a days have cell phones but I believe that cell phones should not be used while driving because so much accidents be hapen.people are very crazy when they get on there cell phones and they really don't care about any body else who's on the road.
I do agree that cell phones are becoming a huge reason for alot of wrecks but there are also other things in a car that can distract a driver and cause wrecks.
I think I agree because it is dangerous using cell phones while driving. I have heard many testimonies about car accidents while using cell phones, still I use it very frequently. Sometimes I need to make an urgent call, sometimes I just want to talk to someone for no reason. I understand the danger but I forget about when I reach the phone to make a call or text message.
If there was a law against cell phones on the road I would follow it.
I can understand where Felicia is coming from. I have notice that when some people are on the phone they are too busy conversating on the phone to where their full attention is not on the road. People who are like that do not need to use cell phones while they are driving.
At the same time I do not feel that cells phones should be banned while driving because there are so many good reasons why someone may need to use it. Like if they are lost or an emergency happened and someone needs to get in touch with them. I know when my friends are on the road and they get sleepy they will call me and I will talk to them until they get home. So I feel that there are some good reasons why it should not be a law to not be able to use the cell phones while driving.
I agree that cell phones are dangerous to use while driving but as Jordan stated there are a lot of other things that can cause car accidents such as trying to eat while driving or worst drunk driving. That is why I don’t believe that banning cell phones would stop many fatal accidents but it would stop a lot of minor accidents.
I agree with Danielle. Cell phones should not be banned just because people have wrecks while using them. There are many other things that cause wrecks, and they aren't banned. Why should cell phones be banned?
Cell phones can be useful but harmful in a car as well. I don't think that they should be banned. What is the differnce between playing music loud enough so everybody within a two mile radius can hear it. It this less distracting than a cell phone. If we ban cell phones other things are going to distract us. Today it is cell phones, next it is radio. Before you know it we aren't going to be able to do anything in a car.
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