NEWS: Cell phones and car accidents: A danger on the road

The Western Front
2/8/2005

Using a cell phone while driving is convenient, but it's not worth the risk of an accident.

Hand-held cell phones add to the number of distractions drivers face on the road, and they increase the likelihood of causing an accident. Because of this, the Washington State Legislature should opt to permanently ban them from motor vehicles.

According to a Jan. 18 KING 5 News report, motorists caused approximately 700 accidents while using cell phones last year in Washington state.

Numerous studies from insurance companies and transportation authorities also continue to prove that cell-phone use increases the probability of a car accident. University of Toronto researchers discovered in 1997 that drivers using cell phones were four to five times more likely to cause car accidents than non-phone users, according to an article on State Farm Insurance's Web site.

In addition, a study by the American Automobile Association showed that distracted drivers cause approximately 3 million crashes per year in the United States alone.

State Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way is proposing the Washington State Legislature that would ban hand-held phones become a traffic offense. It would benefit all drivers if it passes.

The law would make it illegal for drivers to use hand-held phones while on the road, meaning they would either have to pay approximately $30 for a hands-free device or risk a $100 ticket.

Granted, this new law would not completely eliminate the distraction of the phone conversation itself, but it would give the driver the use of both hands, which would improve driving ability. In addition, it would eliminate the awkward pinning of the phone between a driver's neck and shoulder while he or she is driving and shifting gears, which is no easy task.

Opponents of the law argue that purchasing a hands-free device is inconvenient. In addition, they say hands-free devices won't make the roads safer.

Studies such as one in May 2003 by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety have shown that hands-free cell phones are just as distracting as hand-held ones.

The study found that the distraction caused by cell-phones isn't the physical phone but rather the conversation itself, according to the foundation's Web site.

Until drivers eliminate all distractions from the car -- such as the radio, children, makeup, food and whatever else -- the roads will never be 100 percent safe. Banning hand-held phones is a step in the right direction.

A hands-free device is cheap -- especially when compared with the cost of a injuries sustained in potential accident or maybe just the cost of a $100 ticket.

Several states already have banned the use of hand-held phones, and 17 other states require police to collect cell-phone information to compare the time of the accident with times of phone conversations, according to the KING 5 broadcast.

In addition, the proposed law only bans the use of hand-held cell phones, not the hands-free ones -- which are a relatively easy change for drivers to make.

Purchasing a hands-free device most likely will save thousands of dollars in vehicle damages in addition to possible medical costs from injuries.

Residents of Washington State should take a step back and look at the options.

Spending $30 for a hands-free device really isn't worth all of the debate -- especially when it could improve personal safety and the safety of others on the road.

Davis Law Group
2101 Fourth Avenue
Suite 630
Seattle, WA 98121

Toll Free: (800) 883-0265
Phone: (206) 727-4000