Why Cellphone Satefy is Important
Isn’t it that during your first driving lessons, you were taught about focusing your attention on the road and being alert at all times? This advice not only applies to first time drivers but even to veteran drivers as well. It’s still the basic that’s important in driving any kind of vehicle or means of transportation for that matter. And if only every driver heeds this advice, automotive accidents will be greatly reduced.
Avoiding the use of cellular phones while driving is one admirable trait any driver should develop. It’s one way of staying focused on the road and reaching your destination on time safe and sound. It’s understandable, though, that some people tend to get bored during long distance driving that they feel the need to talk to somebody on their cellphone. But discipline and self-control are of utmost importance. Maybe you could just answer your cellphone quickly when it rings and inform the caller that you can’t stay long because you’re still driving. Surely, your caller will understand that.
A cellphone ringing can really be a distraction while driving. Several studies have already confirmed that a driver’s inattention often leads to vehicular accidents. In fact, the Indiana University in its late 1970s study of “pre-crash factors involved in traffic accidents” found that driver inattention was the leading cause of automobile accidents. The study, according to the Traffic Safety Director at the American Automobile Association, showed that about 20 to 50 percent of all motor vehicle mishaps in the U.S. involved driver distraction as their root cause. These distractions involved drinking coffee or alcohol, fiddling with a radio or climate control system, reading materials and you guessed it, using a cellphone.
An individual’s awareness and alertness are crucial in preventing automotive accidents, fatalities and material losses that affect all people. The U.S. Department of Transportation revealed that driver distraction caused by cellphones, MP3 players, GPS devices and other forms of in-vehicle entertainment has been attributed to some $12 billion in yearly costs and thousands of deaths. In 2005 alone, 43,443 deaths in the U.S. occurred from motor vehicle accidents.
Some people are confident about their driving skills and rely greatly on the new technologies that develop better safety products. However, accidents are mostly unpredictable and the best life-saving strategy any driver can take is to increase his or her knowledge about the causes of accidents that can actually be prevented.