The U.S. Government Should Ban Cell Phones While Driving
On May 27, 2010 just hours after graduating from high school 18 year old Jewel Miller from Hephzibah, Ga drove down McBean Rd. Jewel had unexpectantly lost control of her car and struck a light pole nearby splitting the light pole in half which caused Jewel to be ejected from the car and burst into flames. Jewel was killed on impact. The local police determined that Jewel had been texting right before her accident. Currently there are 44 states in the U.S. that carry a ban texting and driving. The United States government should place a federal ban on cell phones while driving in all fifty states in an effort to reduce traffic accidents, fatalities, and prevent drivers from suffering
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Far more advanced than the original cell phones, today’s cell phones allows users to not only make calls, but now allows users to send and receive emails, chat, skype and of course texting. The problem with this is the dangers that we all face on a daily basis due to distracted drivers that decide to utilize their phone while driving without concern for others on the road. Distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. (Transportation & Administration, 2014) According to the Federal Communications Commission, mobile communications are linked to a significant increase in distracted driving, resulting in injury and loss of life. (Commission, 2013) Distracted drivers are a common theme in traffic related accidents either through drinking and driving or texting while driving. Our lives are too valuable to risk over something as simple as a text message. Every time a driver takes their eyes, hands and mind off of the road to answer a call or to reply to send and reply to a text they increase the chances of bodily harm or death to not only themselves, but others as well. Deborah Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board once stated, “We’re not here to win a popularity contest, no email, no text, no update,