Cell Phones While Driving

5 Pages 1178 Words

Effects of Using Cell phones while Driving

Since the introduction of cellular telephones in 1983, there have been dramatic changes in the cellular industry as well as the transportation industry. With a growth rate of about 40 percent per year, it’s estimated by the year 2007 there will likely be about 95 million cellular telephones users in the United States alone. The mobile communication drastically changed how productive one can be while commuting, caught in traffic or just plain traveling. In today’s society cellular telephones are a vital part of communication. People use cellular telephones to conduct business, converse pleasure, and for unforeseen emergencies. With the many advantages and disadvantages the use of cellular telephones while driving continues to be controversial.
Public, legislative and media concern about the safety issues of using cellular telephones while driving has been expressed for some time in the recent years, perhaps because of the growing user population, the frequency with which concerns have been voiced has grown considerably. It is the frequency with which these concerns have been raised from the public, members of Congress and the media that has prompted many legal actions and studies.
The major legal action is cellular telephones have been completely banned from use while driving in more than 14 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Chile, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa and Spain. Some have exempted hands free unit from their bans. In the United States the states have the choice on whether or not to ban the use of cell phones while driving. The first state to do so was New York and now 39 states are considering the similar legislation. The legislation states that first time violators face a $100.00 fine, a second conviction $200.00 fine and all subsequent violations cost $500.00. The law does allow for emergency calls, speaker phones, ha...