safety of life and property

Mobile phones have a vital role in our daily lives, but we need to limit the use for the safety of life and property of drivers, passengers, and the other people who use road. It is essential to create a law that covers the standards to create habits for the population because the accident’s rate due to the using of cell phone while driving is increasing every year. Each state has different regulations to use the phone while driving, so when traveling across the state, there may be confusion in the law. Standardized regulations that discourage use of cell phones while driving are effective in reducing road carnages.

History, status of issue, and overview

Cellphone uses is growing up every year, cellular service in the USA has grown significantly over the few years from 4.01 billion in 2013 to 4.77 billion in 2017 (Pew Research Center, 2018). The use of cellular phones in the automobile segment is one of the big trends related to technology adoption, which may divert attention from driving. Some states have taken legal action that prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving to limit and prevent accidents. However, with the limitations and lack of information currently available to enforce standards for not using cell phones while driving, passing the law is not enough, by itself, it will have a significant impact on the driver’s use of the mobile phone. This may cause accidents to themselves and others. In fact, the use of phones on the car is important as well. The driver uses a mobile phone to report the accident and informs the police and firefighter of any issues that need fixing. However, cell phone usage while driving is an increased risk of car accident that could lead to serious injury or death. Numerous road accident causalities stem from the usage of cell phones while driving (Statista, 2017).

For example, according to The National Safety Council (2015) said 75 percent of Americans admit to using cell phones, and 30 percent is texting while driving and they also report that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. In 2013, more than 3,000 died in distraction-related crashes and about 400,000 people injured in collisions involving a distracted driver (NSC, 2015). Therefore, comprehensive action must be taken on a national level to curb this reckless, potentially deadly behavior. Driving while using a cell phone incurs a higher risk of crashing, as same as to driving while drunk and should have the proper punishment.

Problems

The law is not yet comprehensive and not yet rigorous. Speaking on a cell phone or texting while driving has become commonplace for many drivers. However, many states are cracking down. In response to safety concerns, some states have laws but some not and there are many different regulations. For example, there are 15 states that have Hand-held Cell Phone Use law: D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving (GHSA, n.d.). So, all are primary enforcement laws, an officer may cite a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place. Some states have Text Messaging ban such as 47 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers (GHSA, n.d.).

From the above it can be seen that each state has different regulations, the regulations are complex and the rules are not strong enough to make people obey the law. Many people still do not understand the rules, so they are ignoring and still use the phone while driving. Each state should make laws as standard. It should be enforceable throughout the country and has definitive sanctions, it will make people obey the rules.

Many people are addicted to the cellphones whether it’s texting message or using social media. The United States is considered to have high access rates to social networks in the world while the average global rate is 37 percent in 2017, the online use of social networking in North America is about 66 percent but in the United States is 81 percent of the population has social media profiles (Kemp, 2017). This means that there are about 207 million social network users in the country in the year. The figures show that the US has the third-largest user base in the world, behind China and India but in the future, the number of social network users in the USA is expected to increase by 217 million (Statista, 2017).

Someone is using the phone, not in the right place and not in the right time like while driving. Using the phone while driving is a distraction, it can result in consequences such as the cause of the accident itself and may be linked to others as well. According to National Highway Traffic Safety annual injury and fatality report, report injury facts found that the use of cell phones causes 26% of the nation’s car accidents, only 5% of cellphone-related crashes occur (NHTSA, 2017). The reason is that the driver is texting and talking on handheld or hands-free cellphones.

The use of different types of accessories that allow the rider to use the phone without the need to touch the phone, such as the use of Bluetooth to connect the phone to the car stereo. It can reduce the risk of accidents due to physical factors and visual factors. However, using an optional accessory will keep the driver distracted and slow down the response to traffic signs, and have a higher risk of accidents than those who concentrate on driving. There is a risk of serious accidents as accessory users have a higher chance of the accident than normal driving four times, and those who do not use the device have a higher chance of the accident than normal driving five times (CFSGB, 2017). It can see that the use of accessories that help the driver does not have to use the phone while driving can reduce the risk of physical factors, but the risk of accidents from distraction is still high.

Summary

Most people want to use the phone, whether it’s texting or social media. If it is used both place and time properly, it will not cause any problems. In response to security concerns, some states and other countries have banned the use of certain types of mobile phones while driving, but many states have not had any restrictions. However, using the phone while driving is not good even using the Bluetooth, using the phone while driving increases the risk of accident than normal 2-4 times because the driver distracted, and slow response brake pedal decision. The controlling of the steering wheel when an emergency is slower than normal 0.5 seconds and affects the visibility of the sign, the traffic signs, even see the label but cannot remember the details (Summala, n.d.). There are also many drivers who ignore the rules, and it is still potentially dangerous for drivers who are distracted and other people. Therefore, government officials must act in a clear direction and do not allow the use of mobile phones and text messaging while on the way. This regulation will not only be a way to build a nation of safe roads, and it will be an essential means to save thousands of lives. Enforcing mobile phone use while driving across the country will reduce the number of families suffering from negligence.

Detailed and viable solution

Governments should make every state a law to use the phone while driving to standards, by requiring every state prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving and texting prohibited as a standard. Because of people addict to use the social media, the government should issue support for applications on cell phone that can reduce phone usage while driving, such as SafeDrive. This application can help people reduce their interest in catching the phone, which is enabled by the app during the drive (Jolly, 2016). The message can be sent back to the person who would like to contact you and it can also send an auto message back that you are driving.