2. •Driving distracted is a Danger to
the community.
•It’s time to say NO Phones
•5,780 accident in 2008 (DOT,
2011)
•MD & DC Law has passed for no
Hand Held Phones while driving.
•NO Texting & Driving
•Police do not require another
reason to stop you if they see you
on the phone
•VA Law you can use Hand held
phones, You can Text & Drive.
(APA, 2011)
4. Statistics
219 million cell phone users
73% of its population
16,000 deaths from 2001-2007 (Dot, 2011)
1999-2008 fatal car accidents involving cell phone use
and texting while behind the wheel rose from 4,572(Dot,
2011)
5,780 accident in 2008 (DOT, 2011)
28 percent of all crashes (approximately 1.6 million per
year), were caused by cell phone use and texting by
drivers. (Globalist, 2011)
Globalist, 2011
(APA, 2011) DOT, 2011
5. •Cognitive ability is
impaired when using
cell phones while
driving.
•We have to pay close
attention when we are
driving.
• Attention is the
mental mechanism by
which we actively
process information in
the sensory registers
pertaining to that entity
(Ashcraft & Radvansky,
2006).
(APA, 2011)
6. •Great for testing without causing harm
•Need real conversation instead of scripted
•Need to test, hand held, hands free and headsets
(APA, 2011)
7. Examined a variety of age group from 15-80
year olds
Various scenarios: operating, talking and
texting on cell phones while driving.
Photo- (APA, 2011)
Dreamstime, 2011
8. Several states have now passed legislation with limited
laws to prohibit either texting or the use of hand held
phones.
No state has been able to pass a law that totally
prohibits the use of cell phones while driving.
Will demonstrate that the current laws are not enough;
all cell phone use (hand held, hand free, and texting)
should be prohibited while driving.
(APA, 2011)
9. Ashcraft, M. H. & Radvansky, G. A. (2006). Cognition, 5th edition,
Pearson.
Dreamline. (2011). Grandma Driving Photo. Image retrieved online
December 12, 2011from www.dreamline.com
Globalist Syndication Service. (2011). Cell Phones and Globalization.
Retrieved from
http://www.theglobalist.com/globalicons/syndication/sample.htm
Department of Transportation. (2001). Traffic Fatality Statistics.
Retrieved from www.dot.gov
(APA, 2011)
Editor's Notes
Driving distracted is a danger to the community as a whole. Several states have now passed legislation with limited laws to prohibit either texting or the use of hand held phones. However, no state has been able to pass a law that totally prohibits the use of cell phones while driving. This needs to change. Our cognitive ability is impaired when using cell phones while driving. As simple as it sounds, we have to pay close attention when we are driving. Attention is the mental mechanism by which we actively process information in the sensory registers pertaining to that entity (Ashcraft & Radvansky, 2006).
Technology has progressed, cell phones are now mini computers so they do more and there are more subscribers. The smaller the phone –the smaller the buttons to dial and text. The first cell phone was a giant brick heavy to hold with bigger keys. Now technology has progress where you can watch movies on the phone, play games, and 007 watch cellphones with a stylus to text. This lead me to believe we have a bigger problem on the horizon.
As technology progress, cell phone usage will increase. According to the New York Times (Globalist, 2011), as of 2007 the United States had 219 million cell phone users, representing 73% of its population. Data from the online report dated Sept. 23 in the American Journal of Public Health, National Center for Statistics and Analysis's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (2011) states just texting caused 16,000 deaths from 2001-2007 & from 1999-2008 fatal car accidents involving cell phone use and texting while behind the wheel rose from 4,572 in 2005 to 5,780 in 2008. That's a 28% increase in just three years. According to the National Safety Council (NSC) (2009), 28 percent of all crashes (approximately 1.6 million per year), were caused by cell phone use and texting by drivers.
Our cognitive ability is impaired when using cell phones while driving. As simple as it sounds, we have to pay close attention when we are driving. Attention is the mental mechanism by which we actively process information in the sensory registers pertaining to that entity (Ashcraft & Radvansky, 2006).
In one simulator study that explored highway driving and simulated scripted conversation via phone and it proved that in car conversation and cell phone conversation are not the same.
Research need to examined a variety of age group from 15-80 year olds, with each scenario: operating, talking and texting on cell phones while driving. As you age your cognitive and physical ability deminish. Elderly drivers have the natural process of age and slower reaction time against them. As the body age, the eye sight, motor coordination diminishes and mental reasoning slows. Mental focus, learning and memory capacity also diminished. Because of this natural human factor, additional studies should be done on the elderly. New drivers are less experienced, hence additional distractions such as cell phones can only make driving more distracted. New drivers have the potential of causing accidents due to over correcting the vehicle because of lack of experience. Young people are addicted to their social networking sites and will be more likely to attempt to tweet & text while driving to keep their followers updated on their current status in their world. They are also most likely to be chauffeuring friends and having multiple people in the car at one time causing a serious distraction. You couple age with cellphone use and driving –you are asking for injury and death.
The current laws are not enough; all cell phone use (hand held, hand free, and texting) should be prohibited while driving.
I believe that each of the above studies should have examined a variety of age group from 15-80 year olds, with each scenario: operating, talking and texting on cell phones while driving.
