You know the saying well: “Don’t drink and drive.” And you know the consequences of such actions, but did you know that those same
consequences can occur when you “Talk and Drive”?
According to a report done in 2003 by The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,
“Cell phone distraction results in 2,600 deaths, 330,000 injuries, and 1.5 million instances of property damage in the United States
each year.” That’s a risk “four times higher” than the risk of driving without the use of a cellular phone according to a recent study
done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
And if you think those studies are based on distractions from picking up and answering the phone, dialing out, or trying to do some
other function with your cellular phone, think again. According to a study conducted by the
University of Utah,
“the interference is due to central attentional processes.” In other words, the attention span of a driver is highly affected when talking on cellular phones.
Think about it.
Have you ever driven while talking on the cellular phone? If you’re honest, you’ll answer yes. What happened when you talked on your
cellular phone? Did you find you were able to give your full attention to the road and your surroundings or did you find that it was
more difficult than usual? Did you have trouble turning your steering wheel or reacting fast enough to an unexpected stop in front of
you?
What about the other drivers out there in America? Ever notice how differently they drive when talking on a cellular phone? I know I
have. In fact, I’ve been nearly side-swiped by one too many drivers with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the cellular
phone. I’ve seen drivers nearly hit pedestrians because they were paying more attention to the person on the other end of the phone than
they were the road. I’ve seen drivers have difficulty reacting to traffic accidents in front of them. And I’ve seen drivers unexpectedly
change lanes, wander into the wrong lane, have difficulty changing lanes, and drive way under the listed speed limit.
Talking on a cellular phone isn’t dangerous by itself, but when combined with a full ton of massive metal, moving at high speeds, it can
be! The next time you’re tempted to pick up the phone and call someone, pull over to the side of the road. If you can’t pull over, wait
until you can. Who knows, the next life you save could be your own.
Enter your zip code to find the best wireless phone services in your area.
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer for hire who enjoys helping parents earn extra
cash from home so they can spend more time with their children. To get three free e-books or buy one of her best sellers,
visit http://thedabblingmum.com/ebookstore
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