Banning Cell Phones While Driving

Improved Essays
The use of cell phones while driving has continued to increase as phones become more enticing. With the advancement of technology, the numerous features, and apps that a person can use on a cell phone makes it even harder to disconnect while driving (Borgard). When people use their cell phones it not only puts themselves but others around them in danger too; pedestrians, passengers and other drivers on the road. Using cell phones while driving is a divisive topic that has led to many states passing laws that ban the use of cell phones while driving. Oregon is no exception. Having laws that ban cell phone use is not enough to deter people from using their cell phones while driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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According to Mark Borgard, multitasking in the car is a danger to others because it leads to distraction and slow response rate. People believe they can drive while they eat, shave, argue with kids in the back, look a map, and/or reach for things in the car. Now add a cell phone to the mix and it can impair the driver’s performance as if they were driving legally drunk (Hamilton). This is a great example of how dangerous it is to use your cell phone while driving; drivers think that they are able to multitask while driving, but they don’t realize how much focus they need for the brain to process their surroundings. On the opposite side of the argument, there are drivers who believe that they are superior to others and can multitask without putting people around them in danger and that government should not interfere with their freedom. Yet, auto accidents due to cell phone use continue to increase which is why it should be illegal in every state to use cell phones while driving, not just in some …show more content…
Instead of having only one hand on the wheel, hands-free devices allow you to use both hands when driving. There is no guarantee that you will be safer than a driver who is using a hands-free device compared to one that is using a cell phone because in reality the conversation itself is what causes the distraction. Although having two hands on the wheel at all times is safer when driving, an NHTSA study suggests that using hands-free devices are no silver bullet because talking is still taking away your full undivided attention from the road (USA Today). Some states prohibit handheld devices from being used when driving but allow hands-free devices to be used. When driving there should be no technological devices involved in order to be safe on the road; phones should be silenced, turned off or put away in order to not be tempted to answer calls or use it while driving. As technology develops new ways to use cell phones or gadgets in cars, no one seems to want to put their devices down or turn them off. Cars with Bluetooth are becoming more of an accessory that people want to have in their cars in order to have the convenience of being able to pair their phones to the vehicle allowing them to use their cell phones easily in turn creating distractions for drivers. Safety on the road should be everyone’s responsibility, a life is too precious and irreplaceable while a

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