Death by Cell-Phone Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Death by Cell-Phone Imagine being in the passenger seat of a car on a quiet street in Atlanta. At about 4:00 A.M. a cell phone begins to ring; then the driver reaches down to grab the phone. Within the next few moments, the driver loses control of the car. The car wraps around a telephone poll. This isn’t a dream. In fact, it was reality for model Niki Taylor in May of 2001. According to the USA Today, Niki Taylor was seriously injured in this accident with extensive damage to her liver and abdomen. Most people who remember this incident might not know that the cause of it was a cell-phone. This accident, however, is just one example of the dangers that are involved when someone uses their cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Many people just sit back and think that this could never happen to them, but have they ever thought about how well they really pay attention to the road when they are on their cell-phone? It is proven that people talking on their cell phone cannot fully control his/her vehicle while moving stated in the Consumers Research Magazine. The use of a cell phone also can reduce the driver's physical control--one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on the phone--which reduces response capability during an emergency. Cell phones have become increasingly popular over the years especially through college age students. Most college students cannot afford to pay a phone bill at their house or in their dorm, so they keep a cell phone to talk to friends or family back home. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers between the ages of 20 and 54 accounted for 81 percent of the accidents reviewed. Some 72 percent of those talking on a cell phone at the time of acci... ...o State U lib. 5 March, 2003. http://search.epnet.com> Mathias, Craig. â€Å"Dumb and Dumber†. Electronic Engineering Times 1176 (Fall 2001). ) Academic Search Premier. Colorado State U lib. 5 March, 2003. http://search.epnet.com> Moore, Larry R; Moore, Gregory S. â€Å" The impact of cell phones on driver safety†. Professional Safety. 46 (Summer 2001). EBSCO Academic Search Premier. Colorado State U Lib. 30 march,2003. Ropeik, David; Gray, George. â€Å"Cell Phones and Driving: How risky?† Consumers’ Research Magazine, 86 (Winter 2003). Academic Search Premier. Colorado State U Lib. 5 March, 2003. Schwartz, Epharim. â€Å" Its time for drivers to defend the (wireless) right to bear cell phones†. InfoWorld 22 (Summer 2002). EBSCO Academic Search Premier. Colorado State U Lib. 30 march,2003. http://search.epnet.com>