Hang Up And Drive

Automobiles and Cell Phone Safety

Ask most people about the danger presented by cell phones, and some may tell you that the phone's magnetic field has been linked to cancer. The truth is that a connection between cell phones and cancer has not yet been proven, but the connection between cell phones and traffic accidents is clear.

According to recent research, a person who is using a cell phone while driving is more likely to cause an accident than a person who is driving while drunk. The study compared the reaction times of drivers talking on cell phones to drivers who had consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk. The results showed that the reaction time of the cell phone users was 50% slower than the reaction time of drivers not on the phone, and 30% slower than the reaction time of the drunk drivers. Also, drivers who used their cell phones were found to be more likely than even drunk drivers to engage in unsafe driving behavior, such as failing to keep a safe following distance. Another similar study found that drivers talking on cell phones werefour to five times more likely to be involved in a collision than drivers not talking on cell phones!

Given the very real dangers presented by using a cell phone while driving, it is important to keep in mind the following tips. First, if the call is not an emergency (areal emergency), wait until you are at a stop light or, better yet, pull off the road completely before calling. If traffic is heavy or driving conditions are bad, keep your eyes on the road and make your call later. If you do talk and drive, do not try to take notes while you are driving. Ask the caller to send you an e-mail or leave you a voice mail with the information.

Most of us would never think of driving while drunk, and we should also think twice before driving and using a cell phone.

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