Cell phones Kills Thousands

April 24, 2009  
Filed under Random

Cell phones can be fun, and they also can be deadly. Some people will think it’s not a big idea, but when you lose a love one or end up in intensive care, you really start to think more about it. Drivers who use their cell phones are 18% slower to react to brake lights. Other reasons for drivers getting distracted while driving under the influence of using an electronic device are:

Ø      Telephone numbers presented by automated voice systems compete for drivers’ attention to a far greater extent than when the driver sees the same information presented on a display.

Ø      Interruptions to driving, such as answering a call, are likely to be more dangerous if they occur during maneuvers like merging to exit a freeway.

Ø      Things could get worse. Wireless Internet, speech recognition systems, and e-mail could all be even more distracting.

Young adults are more experienced with technology than adults. They stay on a cell phone for an extended amount of time. Aynor High School lost an outstanding student because of a cell phone incident. Young adults’ statistics shows that

Ø      Despite the risks, the majority of teen drivers ignore cell phone driving restrictions.

Ø      In 2007, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone or text messaging, contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year old. Over 60 percent of American teens admit to risky driving, and nearly half of those who admit to risky driving also admit to text messaging behind the wheel. 

Ø      Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year.

Ø      Almost 50% of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while driving.

Ø      Over one-third of all young drivers, ages 24 and under, are texting on the road.

Ø      Teens say that texting is their number one driver distraction.

We are not trying to change your view of the way you use your cell phone. We just want to give you the facts and the details of the consequences that cell phones can cause while driving. Cell phones are fun, but it’s not fun to take a life!

Some information taken from:

Britt, Robert. “Drivers on Cell Phones Kill Thousands, Snarl Traffic.” 01 February 2005. 22 Apr 2009 http://www.livescience.com/technology/050201_cell_danger.html.

Snyder, Edgar. “Car Accident Cell Phone Statistics.” 22 Apr 2009 http://www.edgarsnyder.com/auto-accident/auto/cell/statistics.html.