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Driving Tips
Cell Phone Safety
By Scott Memmer
Date Posted 04-30-2003
Video highlights of this article
There are now over 83 million cellular phone subscribers in the United States, a large number of whom use their phones while driving on a daily basis. This has created an increasing concern about cell phone safety. Although there has been a lot of discussion in recent months about legislative measures to stop or curtail phone usage, almost everyone seems to be taking a wait-and-see attitude.
Most of us have been behind someone who is driving erratically as they try to use their cell phone. They weave and meander, fight to stay in their lane, and almost lose control of their vehicle. It can be a scary prospect, made all the more sobering by the sight of a young child seated in the back of the wayward vehicle. What, exactly, is the future of cellular phone use in cars?
No one knows for sure, but there are several different points of view. In a controversy this large (and with this much cash on the line) it's no wonder that differing opinions abound. On one end, safety advocates insist that cell phone use in cars should be banned completely. On the other end, cellular industry cheerleaders insist that the phones pose only a minor nuisance, easily corrected with education and training. (It should be noted that this latter camp gets most of its motivation -- not to mention its funding -- from the heavily lined pockets of the phone manufacturers and line providers.) Sorting through all these facts and fictions can take a while.
Let's look at the positives of automotive cell phone use first.
- Economic: They allow us to conduct business while stuck in traffic.
- Personal Safety: They make it easier to call for help in an emergency.
- Mechanical: Roadside assistance is just a phone call away.
- Access: We can stay in touch with loved ones and colleagues.
- Money Saving: It's sometimes cheaper to call long-distance from our cars than from our homes.
In spite of these benefits, cell phones can pose a serious health risk. NHTSA has determined through research that driver inattention is a primary or contributing factor in as many as 50 percent of all traffic accidents.
More in-depth research does, however, show some surprising results. For instance, contrary to popular belief, driver inattention does not lessen during hands-free operation. Apparently, whether the operator is dialing, holding the phone while speaking, or using hands-free, he/she experiences equal levels of distraction. Also, older drivers (over 50) experience two to three times as much distraction as their younger counterparts.
And then there's the famous New England Journal of Medicine article from 1997. This study, which has since drawn fire for its methodology, equated driving while using a cellular phone with operating a motor vehicle while legally drunk. Although this claim has since been disputed, it raised the hackles of many a cellular phone executive, not to mention the pens of a thousand PR firms. This study also found that cell phone users were four times more likely to have an accident than those same drivers when they were not using their phones. But the NEJM article copped a plea at the end (on the advice of counsel?), saying, "We caution against interpreting our data as showing that cellular telephones are harmful and that their use should be restricted."
Almost every study we looked at ended with a similar conclusion, which leads us to believe that there may, in fact, be serious legal ramifications to consider here (the cellular phone lobby, after all, is a huge well-oiled machine; consider the likes of AT&T or Sprint tapping on your shoulder with a sledgehammer and a subpoena). With a spate of new technologies poised to enter vehicles in the coming decade -- navigation, voice recognition, mobile fax, Internet, voice mail, to name a few -- the next few years should shape up to be an interesting time in the courts and legislatures throughout the country. Early unfavorable decisions could set negative precedents and end up costing communications firms beaucoup bucks -- that's two "Bs," as in multiple billions.
One thing you can count on, though: the Feds will stay out of it. As Tim Hurd, our contact at NHTSA, said, "There's no mention of cellular phones in the Constitution." States and local authorities will be left to sort it out on their own.
In the meantime, responsible use of the technology can limit accidents and protect your safety while talking and traveling. World of Wireless Communications, a cellular industry organization in favor of education and opposed to regulation, offers the following safety tips:
- Get to know your phone and its features
- When available, use a hands-free device
- Position your phone within easy reach
- Suspend calls in heavy traffic or hazardous weather conditions
- Do not take notes or look up phone numbers while driving
- If possible, place calls when you are not moving or merging
- Do not engage in stressful or emotional conversations that may divert your attention from the road
This last point is crucial, since several preliminary studies have shown a high correlation between the complexity and emotional content of a call and the amount of distraction it causes. If you have a matter of high urgency or involving deep emotions, pull off to the side of the road until you're done.
A lot of this legislative and regulatory activity will shake itself out over the coming decade. But make no doubt about it: Cellular phone use while driving can be hazardous to your health. As always, use caution and make conservative driving decisions. It could save your life.
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