Driving With Hand Held Cell Phones

In recent years, traffic fatalities in the United States have increased at an exorbitant rate. This is due in large part to the proliferation of distracted driving, whereby a motorist's attention is drawn away from the road and towards other activities inside the car. While eating, drinking, and putting on makeup while driving are not new problems, using a cell phone in the car is. With so many people around the world now having access to phones, many are bound to use them on the road to call, text, or check social media. This puts all drivers at risk. States should impose laws against driving with hand-held cell phones because their use is dangerous to the driver and to other motorists and there is a better alternative on the market …show more content…
When using a hand-held cell phone, a person can only have one free hand with which to do other activities, such as drive. Having one hand on the steering wheel can cause a loss of control of the car, leading to roll-overs or smashing into a tree. This is especially true for teens, who, as inexperienced drivers, are more prone to being distracted while driving and have higher traffic fatality rates than adults, according to many research studies. Discontinuing the use of hand-held cell phones would likely lead to a decrease in single-car accidents and fatalities. Distracted driving also has a large effect on other motorists. When a driver is otherwise occupied by a voice in his or her ear, he or she cannot pay full attention to the situation on the road. Thus, many accidents are bound to occur, including rear-endings and the running of red lights. This puts every other driver at heightened risk of a serious collision. While not many people would like to become murderers, those who drive without their full focus on the road have the potential to take someone else's life. Imagine a mother losing her child because of a distracted driver; the pain would be unbearable. The government must step in and make laws to ensure