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........................... Nov. 02 - Nov. 15, 2001
OTHER ISSUES .................... |
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| Get Off The Phone and Drive | |
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"Hello, this is 911 what's your emergency."
"Yes, I just witnessed a car fire on Greenwood and 90th."
"Ok, I'll send someone out right now. Thank you."
"Yeah, have a good day."
This phone conversation rings all too true for many Americans. Your tire pops, there's an accident, plans change, you're running late, or stuck in traffic, and a cell phone is there to the rescue. They allow people to communicate at any time and any place. Unfortunately, one of the common places of communication is the car.
Industry studies show that up to 85% of wireless-phone owners talk in the car. Some accidents occur when drivers are distracted while on their cell phone. At the same time, almost all who have been involved in an auto accident were rescued much faster due to cell phone ease and accessibility.
Joel Stashenko from The Associated Press found that 115 million cell phones are activated and in use in the United States. There are many advantages, as well as detriments with cell phone use. This issue is addressed here, in Seattle, and all over the world.
Governments, agencies, and the public, worldwide, are dealing with the dangers of cell phone use by automobile drivers. In 1997, the National Police Agency of Japan found that 2,297 accidents occurred because of drivers talking on their cell phones. In that huge number, 25 were fatalities. South Africa found that every fourth accident was caused by cell phone distraction. Portugal has completely outlawed the use of cell phones while driving in the car while Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Switzerland require hand free sets to be used while driving. The use of hand free sets is significant, and worldwide nations are realizing the importance of the device, though most of America has yet to make it mandatory.
Brooklyn, NY, was one of the first counties that established bans on cell phones in 1999. The National Conference of State Legislatures found that Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk are all crowded counties around New York that have also taken steps attempting to completely annihilate cell phone use while driving.
George Foster wrote in the Seattle Post Intelligencer that Washington State could become one of the first states to ratify laws addressing the use of cell phones by drivers. State representative Mark Miloscia, a democrat from Federal Way, proposes to enforce a $35 fine to those who are involved in an accident if cell phone use contributed to distracting the driver. Mark Miloscia believes that banning all cell phone use while driving in the car is "impractical."
This makes sense, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association Seattle, which has over 5 million cell phone users, and more than 1/3 of US residents use cellular telephones. The successes of cellular growth in the Northwest are enormous. Seattle birthed McCaw Cellular, which sold to AT&T and Voicestream, two nationwide cellular companies.
Seattle has seen great financial success due to the cellular business. It also has one of the greatest researchers on cellular telephones and tower radiation; Dr. Henry Lai, a professor at the UW Bioengineering Department. Lai has traveled as far as London and Portugal sharing his studies on the link between cell phones and cancer. "There's no solid answer," Lai said, "but there's cause for concern. I think that's the main point."
However, Dr. John E. Moulder PhD, disagrees and said, "The true danger of using a cell phone is that it distracts the user from a potentially dangerous task, whether it be driving a car, riding a bike, or rollerblading." He is a professor of Radiation Oncology at Medical College. Even though these ingenious men disagree on the danger behind cell phones, they both know there are no specific facts that state cell phone use causes cancer.
Most of the cellular information found correlating to cancer is speculation. Lai recently found that in rats, cell phone radiation produced long-term and short-term memory loss, though this doesn't mean it will harm humans. This nation needs to address the real problems with cell phones, and that people begin to bring into line the safety issues that need to be put into effect, such as hand free sets in every car. The hands free set is a few years old, but it is unfamiliar to many cellular phone users.
New technology can be confusing and threatening. Dee Yanhoskie the manager of Cellular Telecommunications said, "In 1905, windshield wipers were thought to be hypnotizing to the driver, and just think what a safety device they are. In 1930, they tried to take the radio out of the car because they thought it was disturbing to the peace and distracting."
It is amazing how technology develops, and is always making improvements to human life. The use of cell phones has greatly increased the microlevel of technology. It is important that the new devices being made to equip cell phones are put into effect so that the full potential of technology can be used.
Cell phone usage needs to be monitored, and everyone should use hands free kits to allow a safer drive. The city of Seattle has such bad traffic congestion, which makes it vital for us to be cautious. A few helpful ways will lower the cell phone use or distraction in the car.
* Set the cell phone in an easily accessible place.
* Get to know the phone by using programmable options.
* Buy a hands-free kit.
* Avoid the phone in traffic or in dangerous weather conditions.
* Don't drink or eat and talk on the phone while driving.
* If there is another person in the car, let them take the calls.
* Most importantly, stay aware of your surroundings.
There are so many ways that everyone can work on cutting down the accidents caused by cellular use. The National Cellular Safe Talk Center along with the National Safety Council put together a cell phone safety guide with driving tips for cell phone users and information on how to report an emergency.
When comparing the data, cellular use is not bad; it has numerous positive side effects. The positive aspects outweigh the negative. Car accidents from cell phone use are constantly rising. Cell phone safety and wisdom while driving in a car can save lives. Cell phones allow people to be in constant contact by helping them out of jams and allowing communication.
Americans need to take into account the importance of safety by promoting and limiting distractions for drivers. The danger that comes from cell phone use in cars brings a greater understanding why America should get off the phone, and drive.
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| by Amy Zundel | |
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