People use their cell phones for just about everything such as: texting, talking, schedule planning, internet surfing, etc. People are also choosing the wrong time to be using their cell phones: while they are driving. As a society, we have become so focused on how much we can do at one time that we are willing to risk our personal safety as well as the safety of others because we can't put down our cell phones.

Drivers preoccupied by non-driving activities are prone to causing an accident. Therefore, the use of cell phones has been one of the main contributors to car accidents. However, many States have rightfully stopped local governments from prohibiting cell phone use by motorist, and they have enforced strict rules to control their usage. For example, driving a state vehicle a person can be terminated if caught texting and talking on a cell phone. The National Safety Council also estimates that in a recent year, 21% of vehicular crashes (1,100,000) involved talking on either a handheld or hands free cell phone. About 6,000 deaths and a half a million injuries are caused by distracted drivers every year.

If you are driving at 55mph for 5 seconds in that amount of time you could cross a football field. People don't understand how dangerous distracted driving really is. All states should have some sort of legal parameters of what happens when you get caught using your cell phone while driving. Drinking while driving laws are much harsher than distracted driving. The Arizona state laws states: " if you are under the age of 21 any trace of alcohol, illegal drugs or drugs that impair your ability to drive safely will result in stiff penalties and your license will be suspended for two years." As you can see the laws have bigger consequences.

a good alternative to prevent cell phone distraction would be to put the phone in the glove compartment. Relevant phone messages can always be retrieved after you arrive at your destination. some people might say that banning cell phone usage while driving is similar to banning a person from tuning the radio or lighting a cigarette while driving. Tuning the radio or lighting a cigarette does not require deep concentration for most people.   