subject: Use Of Mobile Phones While Driving Can Increase Vehicle Ownership Costs [print this page] By now, most automobile owners know that driving while using mobile communication devices is a bad idea. This doesn't mean, however that the incidence of texting or talking while driving is going down. While drivers lose points, incur fines and choke on the costs of new car insurance, they continue the illegal practice of using cell phones and other hand-held mobile devices, while driving. With increased enforcement of laws restricting the use of cell phones in motor vehicles and advertising aimed at showing the dangers of using your cell phone while in your vehicle, the hope was that mobile device usage would diminish, but statistics have not shown this to be true.
Ad campaigns and news stories aimed at young and old motorists alike send the clear message that attempting to perform two tasks simultaneously usually results in the underperformance of one or both of the tasks. Statistics related to accidents on the roadway and increased premiums for new car insurance are certainly enough to shock the public into complying with prohibitions on cell phone use while driving, but studies suggest that only a small percentage of motorists ever get caught using their cell phones while driving.
Studying the impact of hands free devices in motor vehicles only confirms the dangers, since statistics gathered indicate that it is not only the act of using the phone, but also the act of merely engaging in conversation that takes the driver's attention away from the road. University of Utah research indicates that 95 percent of motorists will reduce their driving performance while using a hands free system. 30 percent will fail to keep up with the flow of traffic, 20 percent will decrease their braking performance and memory performance will be lowered by eleven percent. Reaction times when talking or texting were determined to be worse than those for motorists under the influence of alcohol!
It is apparent that more needs to be done to decrease the dangers of using of mobile devices on our highways. Reaching for your phone while driving can cost your license, your vehicle or your low car insurance rate, but more importantly, it can cost your life or the life of another.
