Distracted Driving
By: Brandon Schorr
Should drivers be allowed to drive while using their phone?
Drivers should not be allowed to drive while using their phone because when drivers are on their phone they are more likely to crash, which according to Wall Street Journal "distractions were a factor in nearly 6 of 10 moderate to severe crashes" and according to Concord Monitor "no one should expect the roads to be much safer until all electronic conversations by drivers are forbidden". Also people do not drive as safely while distracted by cellular devices which is backed up in an article written by Matt Sundeen that says "The combination of inexperience and distraction is highly dangerous in younger drivers," and even further by Concord Monitor which states "drivers using cell phones may perform worse than drivers at the legal intoxication limit".
Background Information
Starting in the year 2000 people have been using their cellular devices while driving and now this is becoming an issue. When people use their phone while they are driving the chance of crashing has increased. The reason the chance of crashing increases is because the driver is no longer looking or focusing on the road but are looking down at their phone. Some ways that this can be fixed is through "driving mode" or banning communications with the cellular device, which has taken place in some places already. Every year the percent of crashes caused by texting drivers increases and the roads get more dangerous as people continue to allow themselves to be distracted.
What's their excuse?
An article written by the Wall Street Journal says "to minimize the social pressure that we feel to respond immediately, Driving Mode should automatically send a customizable "i'm driving now" reply to texts and calls and hold your messages until you arrive". Some people may say that they don't know what to do other than take the call or text, but using driving mode solves this problem. Or their solution may be to answer calls hands free, but according to an article by Concord Monitor "when the person is present rather than a disembodied voice in the air, the brain doesn't have to fill in a mental image of the person" and is therefore less distracted.