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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics Spring 2000 Warning: Using a Cellular Phone While You Drive May Be Hazardous By: Kenneth Wayne Jackman 11 As people increasingly communicate by cellular telephones, growing evidence suggests their use by automobile drivers is contributing significantly to accidents. Only a few American states have legislated on this problem, and those but minimally. The hazard factor involves basically driver distraction. But legislation restricting driver cell phone usage would be premature at this time. The urgent need is for much more information on the scope and nature of the hazard problem. Steps should be taken now to ensure that auto accident reporting systems will take thorough account of the degree to which driver cellular phones are implicated. Introduction The cellular phone industry is one of the fastest growing and most rapidly developing industries of the 1990's. Ten years ago it was rare for the average American to possess a cellular phone. It was commonly viewed to be the tool of the wealthy business executive. However, in the last several years, cellular phone prices have dropped dramatically, thus giving people from all walks of life the ability to purchase a cellular phone. Today, one is as likely to see a high school student with a cellular phone as that business executive of the late 1980's. Indeed, the cellular phone industry is experiencing an annual growth rate of 40%, and cellular phone use is expected to reach 80 million users in the United States by the year 2000 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 1997, 1.1). Clearly the cellular phone has helped revolutionize the way in which Americans conduct both business and pleasure, because one never need be out of touch with business associates, family, friends, etc. The nearest phone is usually only a purse or a pocket away. However, this convenience is causing a serious safety problem with which lawmakers are just beginning to grapple. As cellular phone use has increased, so has the number of accidents and near accidents caused by people using their cellular phones while driving. In fact, ten foreign countries have adopted laws that severely limit or eliminate cellular phone use while driving. However, lawmakers in the United States have been hesitant to enact legislation limiting or eliminating cellular phones. This creates a situation in which lawmakers must balance the safety of society against the exercise of a personal freedom. This paper discusses the Kenneth Wayne Jackman 11 is a junior majoring in Political Science at the University of Utah. He is currently serving a Hinckley Internship in Washington, DC for Senator Robert R Bennett (R-Utah). association between cellular phones and motor vehicle accidents, analyzes the limited steps that have been taken by lawmakers, and recommends a strategy lawmakers should follow as they attempt to deal with this increasingly complex problem. Safety Hazard? The first hurdle lawmakers face in dealing with cellular phones on the road is deciding to what extent cellular phone use affects driving ability, thus creating a safety hazard. Most people, including those in the cellular phone industry, agree that cellular phones can be distracting when used by drivers. In fact, the industry prides itself on the safety literature that is distributed with each cellular phone that is sold. This literature contains such advice as, "Avoid complicated or emotional conversations" and "In heavy traffic or hazardous conditions, let your voice messaging service take the call. Check and return your messages after locating an accessible exit or rest area" (Ameritech Cellular n.d.). Nonetheless, the industry maintains that cellular phone use is no more distracting than adjusting the radio or eating a hamburger while driving, and therefore no special restrictions are needed (Jackman 1999). The industry argues that its customers understand the caution they should exercise while using a cellular phone. Nevertheless, preliminary research suggests that there is a strong association between cellular phone use and motor vehicle accidents. In February of 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that examined the relationship between cellular phone use and automobile accidents. The researchers studied 699 drivers over a fourteen-month period who had cellular telephones, and who were involved in motor vehicle collisions resulting in substantial property damage but no personal injury. Each person's cellular telephone calls on the day 41 |