Because nearly 6,000 people died in distracted driving accidents in 2008 –
Because drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to get into injury-causing car accidents –
Because cell phone use while driving significantly reduces cognitive activity necessary for driving (by 37 percent) –
Because texting while driving is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than drunk driving –
The NTSB is recommending that all states enact a complete ban on non-emergency cell phone use while driving.
Connecticut: A Step Ahead in Distracted Driving Law
Connecticut is one of only nine states that have already enacted such a ban. In Connecticut, no one of any age may use handheld cell phones while driving on any highway. Teenage drivers may not use a hands-free cell phone while driving. In fact, Connecticut law says that no person may engage in any activity unrelated to driving if it interferes with safe driving.
The NTSB recommendations go one step further, calling for all states to ban use of any portable electronic device while driving, including hands-free cell phone use – by everyone. “No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.
Since the NTSB press conference announcing the recommendations, many news sources have published articles discussing the difficulty that states would have enforcing such a ban, since it would be difficult to determine if a person was speaking on a hands-free device; however, there are options for patrolling, including using computers that track cell phone signals.
More importantly, the NTSB recommendation for a total cell phone ban while driving is one of many recent announcements that continue the discussion about the constantly-growing dangers of distracted driving. Deaths caused by distracted driving are tragic. They are also preventable.