It is one of those things that continue to puzzle me. We are so adamant about enforcing drunk driving laws, and seat belt laws (in Illinois, there's the "Click It Or Ticket" campaign), etc.. etc. Yet, when it comes to banning cell phone use while driving, everyone is either dragging their feet, or not doing anything. The National Safety Council has collected plenty of evidence and research to indicate that driving while talking on a cell phone, even hands free, is the same as driving while legally intoxicated. The driver has the same response. In fact, there has been NO respected research or studies that have concluded that such a practice isn't dangerous.
So why hasn't anyone done anything to ban such a practice? They seem to care more about enforcing seat belt laws and child seat laws. While I can see how accidents involving someone not wearing a seat belt may indirectly cost me, as a taxpayer, more tax dollars, it really does not have a direct impact on my safety while I'm on the streets. But someone driving while intoxicated, or while yapping non-stop on a cell does! Their very act endangers me, not just them. And to make it worse, there are MANY of them doing that each second of the day!
80 percent of crashes are related to driver inattention. There are certain activities that may be more dangerous than talking on a cell phone. However, cell phone use occurs more frequently and for longer durations than other, riskier behaviors. Thus, the #1 source of driver inattention is cell phones. (Virginia Tech 100-car study for NHTSA).
But even if such a law is put in the books, it doesn't mean everyone will stop talking on their cell phones while driving. It requires ENFORCEMENT! In Chicago, they banned hand-held cell phone conversation while driving a couple of years ago. But stand by any street corner in Chicago and I will bet you that roughly 1/4 of the drivers you see will be on their cell phones while driving. I've stopped at a red light in front of a police station at the corner of Addison and Halsted, and I counted 5 or 6 cars either waiting to make left-turns, or driving past me with driver yapping on their cell phones - right in front of the cops! What does that tell me? Either they are ignorant of the law (unlikely), or they know that this is such a low priority item that the police is not even enforcing it most of the time! It's a joke!
And don't even get me started about those morons driving on the expressway while engaging in some phone conversation. I've seen several that would have caused some major collisions behind them simply from the erratic way they drove (hint: they can seldom maintain their speed!).
Ban the use of cell phones while driving already! How many more accidents and deaths does it take? And you, you over there who are yapping away on your cell phone while driving. You know who you are. Hang Up and Drive Already!
Zz.
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