News
The story says that a driver talking on a cell phone is four times likelier to crash.
Hands-free does not solve the problem.
I did this for years but as an early adapter, I was spared injury and caused no accidents with other cars. When looking at this data, and recalling how many hours I spent doing business calls on the road, I realize how lucky I was.
I also think that living or working in areas with a lot of traffic congestion represents a real temptation to get on the phone. One car length. Stop. One car length. Stop. Why not do something while you are sitting there? That’s what I thought. Looking back, even one car length-stop driving can cause wrecks if the driver is not paying attention.
The evidence of cell phone activity is easily retrievable.
It is safe to expect that charges appropriate to the level of harm caused will follow when an accident involves a driver who is talking or, worse, texting.
Cell phones have become a third hand for many of us. That is why this trend is so dangerous.
This is a public health crisis, just not one that has been tracked as well as it should be.
…”The federal government estimated in 2007 that 11 percent of drivers were talking on their phones at any given time. But that success has come at a cost. Researchers at Harvard have estimated that, even seven years ago, drivers using cellphones were causing 2,600 fatal crashes a year in the United States and 570,000 accidents that resulted in a range of injuries, from minor to serious. (Emphasis added)
“And studies show that a driver talking on a cellphone is four times likelier to crash and that using a hands-free device does not eliminate the risk.
“The industry notes that the mobile device has moved well beyond its origins as a car phone and argues that research on the dangers of distracted driving is inconclusive, even as wireless companies have spent millions on campaigns to educate drivers.
“But the industry’s chief spokesman, Steve Largent, acknowledged in recent interviews that those efforts have fallen short. He said the companies plan to do more, particularly in light of the explosion of text messaging, which they say poses a profoundly serious risk.”
Source: New York Times, December 6, 2009
