Cell Phones and Driving Do Mix, with the Proper Ingredients

At one time or another anyone who’s ever owned a cell phone and a motor vehicle, have used the two at the same time. While calling and checking in at the office, calling home to verify dinner plans, scheduling a doctor’s appointment or just chatting with your friend may seem harmless enough, the fact of the matter is that the use of handheld cell phones while operating a motor vehicle is not the safest idea. Just earlier this week I saw a woman driving a Ford Excursion and talking on the cell phone in one hand while holding a cheeseburger in the other. I thought to myself, how is she able to control the 6500 pound vehicle with no hands on the wheel at 45 miles an hour? Does this seem safe to you?
While I do agree that the use of handheld cell phones while driving is unsafe, I do not support an entire ban on the use of cell phones and motor vehicles. I feel that the safety issue is in the occupation of the driver’s hands by the cell phone, and not in the conversation itself. Evidence of the increase in safety by banning the use of handheld communication devices while driving is stated on page 542 in the untitled essay calling for prohibition of their use. According to the essay, Japan banned the use of handheld phones and within one month the number of mobile phone calls accidents dropped by 75 percent. Therefore, I am not in support of an entire ban on the use of cell phones in vehicles however, a requirement to use hands free devices for all calls. There are many such devices on the market that can be purchased relatively inexpensively and are quite simple to use. The use of these devices free up both hands of the caller so that they can be used for control of the vehicle rather than fumbling with a handheld phone.
I find it quite difficult to agree with Robert Hahn and Paul Tetlock’s comparison of bottom line costs with human life and safety in their essay titled “Driving and Talking Do Mix.” In their essay, they estimate that banning cell phone usage while driving would cost about $24 billion annually in lost time and productivity. They further state that their best estimate is only 10,000 serious accidents and 100 traffic fatalities with an estimated cost of $1 billion annually that can be attributed to cell phone usage. They argue that the loss of productivity far out ways the loss of human life. The statistics are listed without sources or studies to back up their claims. Even if these statistics claimed were true, what price should be placed on human life? Of course if we continued to allow the use of cell phones in motor vehicles, but require the use of hands free devices, the loss of time and productivity would not be an issue. The estimated $1 billion cost would be reduced along with the number of serious accidents and traffic fatalities. Therefore, I do not find the relevance in their claim.
The government should not ban the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle altogether. However, just as it has required the use of seat belts and the installation of air bags in new vehicles, it should regulate the way in which cell phones are used while operating a vehicle. To protect the safety of citizens driving on our streets, laws should be enacted to require the use of hands free devices. Therefore, not only would it save lives but also let us continue to enjoy the convenience afforded by the invention of the cellular phone.