COMMENTARY | The National Transportation Safety Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend that all 50 states ban the use of cell phones as well as other electronic devices in a car except for in a emergency. A recent survey was taken to reveal that half of the drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 have admitted to texting or emailing while driving.
Personally, I have to admit to texting while driving on occasion. Is this something that I am proud of? Absolutely not! However, after I had my daughter, I completely stopped. Now, if some one texts me while I’m driving, I just simply call them back with voice dial instead of responding with a text message. Or, if my husband is in the car while I’m driving, then I have him text them back.
I completely agree that everyone should be banned from texting and emailing while driving, but I do not agree that cell phones should be banned completely in a vehicle. If this law does get passed, then what would be considered an emergency situation, and are the police going to pull over everyone they see using a cell phone to see if they have an emergency situation? Also, are the general public allowed to make a citizen’s arrest if they see a police officer on his or her cell phone?
I limit use of my cell phone while driving. I do not use it when I am backing up or pulling out into traffic. I agree that cell phones have been the cause of many accidents, but they are not the cause of all of them. My mother-in-law was driving in Texas back in 2005 and a woman on her cell phone was not paying attention and she pulled out in front of my mother-in-law and hit her. However, does anyone know without a shadow of a doubt that this accident wouldn’t have happened if she wasn’t on her cell phone? No one can say for sure. When the police questioned the lady, she said that she didn’t even see my mother-in-law coming when it happened, and my mother-in-law still talks on her cell phone while driving today. My husband has been in a couple of accidents, and cell phones were never the cause.
I don’t think that banning cell phones in a vehicle will be the magical solution that will bring an end to all accidents. However, banning texting and emailing while operating a vehicle might prevent some accidents, but not all.