We all know that driving and texting while driving can be dangerous but many of us do it anyways because the convenience just seems to outweigh the risks. A new study from the Governors Highway Safety Association is contemplating the nuclear option to wipe out this problem: banning all cell phone use, even with hands-free headsets, while users are operating a motor vehicle.
This move comes as a new report from the American Journal of Public Health revealed that fatalities from driving or texting while driving are on the rise. The study said that driving deaths with cell phones involved rose from 4,572 in 2005 to 5,870 in 2008 – this also said that texting while driving was a factor in 16,000 car crashes from 2001 to 2007.
Particularly with election season around the corner, this could become a bigger issue, as we’ve already multiple states ban texting while driving. These laws look good in ads but these are also incredibly difficult to enforce. At least with calling while driving, the perpetrator generally holds the phone to their head for a while but texting can be down within a few seconds.
The truth is that a full ban would probably be the best solution for true safety but that’s never going to happen. We do, and will always, accept some risk in order to gain convenience.
Obviously, the best way to handle this is through self awareness. You have every right to put your life in danger but once you involve a 2,000-lb weapon, people need to be more aware of the dangers that this can cause.
That’s why it’s encouraging to see pretty much all the major mobile players back laws banning texting and non-hands free calling while driving. LG is even trying to use celebrities to create more awareness about this issue.
So, should all phone usage be banned while driving? What do you think, friends?
[Via MercuryNews]