Studies reveal that cell phone usage while driving increases risk of accidents and distracted driving.
As far back as 2003, a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimated that cell phone use while driving caused 6 percent of all U.S. vehicle crashes and 2,600 deaths each year (David Teater, "How Many More Must Die?" USA Today, July 29, 2009). That's about 50 deaths per week. Cell phones now outnumber registered vehicles, 270 million to 254 million. Currently, 21 states and the District of Columbia bar the use of cell phones for "novice" drivers—but it has to be quite a trick for police officers to determine who is a novice and who isn't. David Teater, senior director for transportation initiatives at the National Safety Council, tells his story about the death of his 12-year-old son who was killed by a woman who ran a red light while using a cell phone. "Epidemiological studies show drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to crash. Brain scan studies show that a phone conversation reduces brain activity required for driving by 37%" (ibid.). Drivers plus cell phones can equal a dangerous combination. (Source: USA Today.)
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