Should Drivers be Allowed to Use Cell Phones While Driving?

According to the LA Times, 253 million vehicles are on the roads in the US. Since there are so many cars on the road, safety is a pressing issue for the American public. At first it was concern over seatbelts, then drinking and driving, and now it is cell phone usage while driving. Since the rise of cell phones, more cases of drivers crashing due to being distracted by their phones. Due to this, it should not be allowed for individuals to use their phones because they have increased the risk of crashes, fatalites, and injuries.

It was reported by Edgarsnyder. com, that according to the National Safety Council, 1.6 million crashes are caused by cell phones every year. This displays the danger that cell phones pose to the everyday driver. And the danger only becomes more clear when one compares the cell phone crashes to the total number of crashes per year. According to USA Today, out of all the crashes that happen in the United States everyday, 1 out of 4 are caused by cell phones.

These statistics are exactly what shows how dangerous cell phones can be. Distracted driving is one of the main sources of crashes and they are a danger to the modern driver.

Edgarsynder. com reports that every year, 390,000 people are injured in cell phone related incidents on the road. Distracted driving has now become more dangerous than drunk driving. In a report posted by TheZebra. com, 101,000 more people are injured by distracted driving than drunk driving. This clearly demonstrates the inherent danger cell phones displaywhen drivers use them. And since this past time is so dangerous, insurance for those have been caught texting and driving are paying the price. In a report posted by TheZebra. com, in 2011 the penalty for texting and driving was $2.35 added to the premium price. In 2017, the fine added was $226.36. That is an increase of 7,944% in the penalty price. So not only is distracted driving dangerous for the drivers' life, it is also dangerous for the drivers' wallet as well.

In a article posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,166 people a year are killed because they were texting and driving. That is almost half the number people killed due to drunk driving, which also according to the NHTSA, is 7,000 people a year. Edgarsnyder. com reported that 21% of all fatal teen crashes are caused by distracted driving. The action of using cell phones while driving is not only an unnecessary risk to the American public's safety, it does not seem to have an impact on how dangerous it is to the teens of America. Also mentioned by Edgarsnyder. com, AAA conducted a survey in which 94% of teens said they knew that texting and driving is dangerous, but 35% of those teens said they did it regardless of how dangerous it was. This shows just how little the youth of America know about the dangers of distracted driving.

The NHTSA says that at any given time, 660,000 people are using their cell phones while they drive. This means that 660,000 Americans are gambling with their lives. Distracted driving is a epidemic in America, and it should not be allowed under any circumstances. It is a deadly and costly endeavour that does not have any benefit to those who choose to participate in this affair. Texting and driving is illegal for a reason, because it has been proven that it should not be done.

Works Cited Andrew. currin. ctr@dot. gov. "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." NHTSA, 15 Apr. 2019,

www. nhtsa. gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.

"Drunk Driving vs Distracted Driving: Which Is More Dangerous | Quoted." Insurance News | The Zebra, 10 May 2018,

www. thezebra. com/insurance-news/4671/drunk-driving-vs-distracted-driving-dangerous/. Hirsch, Jerry. "253 Million Cars and Trucks on U.S. Roads; Average Age Is 11.4 Years." Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2014,

www. latimes. com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-ihs-automotive-average-age-car-20140609-story. html. Kratsas, Gabrielle. "Cellphone Use Causes over 1 in 4 Car Accidents." USA Today, Gannett

Satellite Information Network, 28 Mar. 2014, www. usatoday. com/story/money/cars/2014/03/28/cellphone-use-1-in-4-car-crashes/70185 05/.

"Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving." Edgarsnyder. com, www. edgarsnyder. com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics. html "The Zebra's 2018 Distracted Driving Report." Compare Car Insurance Quotes: Fast, Free,

Simple, www. thezebra. com/distracted-driving-report-2018/.         