Ban the Use of Cell Phones While Driving? What's next...the Radio, Mascara, and Drive-Thru Food?

Ban Cell Phones When Driving? What’s next, the Radio, Mascara or Drive Thru-Food?

Brenda Porter June 29, 2007

The article from Advocates for Cell Phone Safety entitled “Yes, Prohibit Their Use,” published on the Congressional Quarterly’s Web site, www.cq.com, on March 16, 2001, states a case for the ban of cell phone use while driving according to the accident statistics collected from Oklahoma, Minnesota, and overseas from Japan. Unofficial estimates were made from other areas of the country, but there are no recorded statistics except for Oklahoma and Minnesota. The article states that cell phones cause fatal accidents and should be given more attention by the government to ban or control use. Although it is unfortunate for any accidents or fatalities caused by cell phone use while driving, I must disagree with the article and stand on the side of personal choice and responsibility while using cell phones anywhere.

The Advocates for Cell Phone Safety supply convincing evidence with information from The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis stating there are approximately 450 to 1,000 fatalities each year(Advocates…). Also, the Advocates cite data from The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration stating that for every fatality, there are 666 property-damage and injury-producing crashes(Advocates…). Indeed, this is an astonishing calculation for cost of lives and property. On the other hand, when considering the possible cost of losing freedom of choice, this estimate comes up short in comparison. What price do you put on your freedom of choice to conduct your daily routine within the limits of the law?

Therefore, I must agree with the article titled “No, Don’t Prohibit Their Use,” written by Robert W. Hahn and Paul Tetlock published on the Congressional Quarterly’s Web site, www.cq.com, on March 16, 2001. The article was originally published in Policy Matters entitled “Driving and Talking Do Mix,” in November 1999. Hahn and Tetlock advocate freedom of choice to use cell phones while driving and solidify their standpoint with cost analysis concerning loss of time if cell phones were banned while driving. Although there are no concrete recordings for this information, they base the estimate on the value Americans put on their time. With this configuration in mind, Hahn and Tetlock estimate that it costs the American cell phone using public approximately $24 billion per year if not allowed to use cell phones while driving compared to $1 billion in loss of life and property caused by auto accidents while using cell phones when driving. To me it is obvious that even with the possible fatalities and property damage that not being able to use our cell phones in the car costs more.

Neither article has many official recordings to base their claims on, but both use common knowledge of daily cost for the average American household. I can accept both articles’ figures because I know how much I spend to live every month and what time spent multi-tasking saves me including using a cell phone and driving at the same time.
I also use a cell phone and vacuum, and I use my cell phone and do my dishes. I watch friends watch their children and talk on their cell phones as well, but I wouldn’t tell them they couldn’t talk and watch minor children at the same time. They would think I was insane for even suggesting it.

Overall, I am unsettled by the fatality and damage statistics, but just as Hahn and Tetlock state that there are other circumstances that sum up to the same type of numbers including driving and adjusting the radio. There are dangers everywhere. If we start to whittle away at every personal choice for every action we take each day as Americans and let the government decide for us. Well, then we really won’t be living in America anymore, will we?