By Rosy Banks
Assistant Living Editor
Could your cell phone kill you?
Forget what you’ve heard about radioactive waves frying your brain. More and more people are saying that the real danger lies in phone use while on the road.
More than 115 million Americans consider cell phones a necessity to daily communication, but recently findings argue cell phones are potentially deadly when used while driving.
“The primary causal factor in traffic accident reports is inattention,” said Bena Richard, deputy of public information for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “It is the main cause of collisions and we are seeing these reports increase more from cell phone use than anywhere else.”
In a 2002 study, drawing from government accident figures, Harvard researchers suggested drivers talking on their cell phones are responsible for about 6 percent of auto accidents each year in the United States, killing about 2,600 people and injuring an estimated 330,000 others.
Pepperdine student Edward Leon experienced first-hand the hazards of cellular phone use behind the wheel.
“Some crazy woman almost ran into the side of me because she didn’t check her blind spot and tried to cut into my lane,” Leon, a Pepperdine junior, said. “I survived but I had to act rather aggressively and I was throwing out some fingers.”
California is considering a ban on cell phone use in the car. New York has already passed a law, but this has angered those who feel they need talk time while on the road.
“I talk and drive a lot because I spend lots of time in the car,” said Tyler Watters, Pepperdine sophomore. “With the way people communicate today and how much time we’re in cars you can’t expect them not to talk on phones.”
Whether it is checking messages, dialing or answering their phone, cell phone use while driving is rampant, and continues to rise. Until a ban on cell phone use while driving is enacted, local police officers and concerned citizens are trying to discourage their use in the car.
“We do safety seminars, public service announcements, even fliers,” Richard said. “These all ask people not to use cells while driving unless it is an emergency.”
Still the convenience of “cell driving” is so great, most admit they could not give up the habit.
“I don’t think there’s increased risk,” Watters said. “People have always been doing stupid stuff in their car, cell phones are just the new fad.”
Other factors abound in car accidents. Another study by the University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center reported that 97 percent of drivers analyzed leaned or reached for something in their car; more than 71 percent ate behind the wheel, while only 30 percent used cell phones. But others argue cell phone use while driving has repercussions on all who use the road.
“It scares me when other people are talking on their phone because people are concentrating on talking, not driving,” junior Kristi Arthur said. “I’ve never gotten in an accident but my friend swerved while she was dialing numbers and had to keep looking up and down. It only takes a split second for accidents to happen.”
In other countries such as Switzerland, Austria and Japan, the use of cell phones while driving is strictly prohibited and violators are subject to hefty fines. International students sometimes are surprised when they see fellow drivers chatting behind the wheel.
“In Tahiti if you use a cell phone driving it is a $50 fine,” Vitea Ribet, Pepperdine alumnus said. “My girlfriend was talking to me and she cried because she got pulled over. I was listening to the whole thing. If I ever see a girl driving with a cell phone I pull over and let them pass.”
Alternatives to distractive dialing and answering include using hands-free headsets and OnStar technology. Headsets allow users to talk using a microphone and earphones all without touching a keypad. OnStar technology is provided by a company that makes it possible to send and receive calls using voice-activated commands.
Until the day comes when cell phones are considered an unlawful distraction, drivers will multitask. However, the line between what is convenience and hazardous may soon change driving laws.
September 18, 2003
