Cell Phone Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Are you expecting this?

You think that banning drivers from using the cell phones while driving would reduce the number of car crashes. You are wrong! This post might be controversial and may generate a lot of argument but I have a research to support it. So take a deep breath and relax. Cell phones distract the driver and may turn his or her attention to the discussion with the speaker on the other side. The other speaker might be driving also! There are many distractions in the car like talking (or shouting) to the kids while fighting on the back seat. This is a major distractions especially if you are trying to catch the action on the back seat using the rare view mirror. Another distraction would be switching channels on the radio or following the trip route on the navigation screen trying to find your way.

Car Navigation Display

Wall Street Journal reported a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) claiming that banning cell phones did not reduce the number of car crashes. New Your state forbade drivers from using their cell phones in November 2001, but the 47% reduction in car crashes took place before that date and no reduction was observed after the ban. California had similar law in July 2008 but no noticeable reduction was seen because of the ban. Connecticut and Washington, D.C., had the same laws with no effect. So …what do you think?