thE truth ABoutCArs AnDCEll phonEs
wE FinD it tErriFying EvEry timE wE gEt on thE highwAy AnD sEE All oF thosE multitAsking DrivErs rACing Along whilE thEy tAlk AnD tExt on CEll phonEs. so it is EspECiAlly DistrEssing to lEArn thAt in 2003, oFFiCiAls At thE nAtionAl highwAy trAFFiC sAFEtyADministrAtion put Down A proposAl For A lArgE-sCAlE stuDy oF CEll phonE risks AnD withhElD hunDrEDs oF pAgEs oF rEsEArCh thAt wArnED ABout thE DAngErs oF CEll phonE usE whilE Driving.
thAt inFormAtion-inCluDing EstimAtEs thAt CEll phoning DrivErs CAusED 955 FAtAlitiEs AnD 240,000ACCiDEnts in 2002--wAs FinAlly priED loosE this wEEk By A FrEEDom oF inFormAtion lAwsuit.
six yEArs lAtEr, thE trAnsportAtionDEpArtmEnt ADvisEs DrivErs to AvoiD CEll phonEs ExCEpt in EmErgEnCiEs.But FAr too mAnyAmEriCAns now ConsiDEr phoning whilE Driving to BE stAnDArD BEhAvior.
ExtEnsivE rEsEArCh shows thE DAngErs oF DistrACtED Driving. stuDiEs sAy thAt DrivErs using phonEs ArE Four timEs As likEly to CAusE A CrAsh As othEr DrivErs, AnD thE likElihooD thAt thEy will CrAsh is EquAl to thAt oF somEonE with A 0.08 pErCEnt BlooD AlCohol lEvEl, thE point At whiCh DrivErs ArE gEnErAlly ConsiDErED intoxiCAtED (喝醉的).
A、2003 hArvArD stuDy EstimAtED thAt CEll phonE DistrACtions CAusED 2,600 trAFFiC DEAths EvEry yEAr, AnD 330,000 ACCiDEnts thAt rEsult in moDErAtE or sEvErE injuriEs.
yEtAmEriCAns hAvE lArgEly ignorED thAt rEsEArCh. instEAD, thEy inCrEAsingly usE phonEs, nAvigAtion DEviCEs AnD EvEn lAptops to turn thEir CArs into moBilE oFFiCEs, ChAt rooms AnD EntErtAinmEnt CEntErs, mAking roADs morE DAngErous.
A、DisConnECt BEtwEEn pErCEption AnD rEAlity worsEns thE proBlEm. nEw stuDiEs show thAt DrivErs ovErEstimAtE thEir own ABility to sAFEly multitAsk, EvEn As thEy worry ABout thE DAngErs oF othErs Doing it.
DEviCE mAkErs AnD Auto CompAniEs ACknowlEDgE thE risks oF multitAsking BEhinD thE whEEl, But thEy AggrEssivEly DEvElop AnD mArkEt DEviCEs thAt CAusE DistrACtions.
poliCE in Almost hAlF oF All stAtEs mAkE no AttEmpt to gAthEr DAtA on thE proBlEm. thEy ArE not rEquirED to Ask DrivErs who CAusE ACCiDEnts whEthEr thEy wErE DistrACtED By A phonE or othEr DEviCE.EvEn whEn oFFiCErs Do Ask, somE DrivErs ArE not ForthComing.
thE FEDErAl govErnmEnt wArns AgAinst tAlking on A CEll phonE whilE Driving, But no stAtE lEgislAturE hAs BAnnED it. this yEAr, stAtE lEgislAtors introDuCED ABout 170 Bills to ADDrEss DistrACtED Driving, But pAssED FEwEr thAn 10.
FivE stAtEs AnD thEDistriCt oFColumBiA rEquirE DrivErs who tAlk on CEll phonEs to usE hAnDs-FrEE DEviCEs, But rEsEArCh shows thAt using hEADsEts CAn BE As DAngErous As holDing A phonE BECAusE thE ConvErsAtion DistrACts DrivErs From FoCusing on thE roAD、
FourtEEn stAtEs hAvE pAssED mEAsurEs to BAn tExting whilE Driving, AnD thE nEw york stAtEAssEmBly sEnt suCh A Bill to thE govErnor on FriDAy.
sCiEntists who stuDy DistrACtED Driving sAy thEy unDErstAnD thE FrustrAtions oF CollEAguEs who puBliCizED thE DAngErs oF toBACCo. likE CigArEttEs, thEy sAy, using CEll phonEs ArE ConsiDErED Cool But CAn BE DEADly.AnD thE Big DEviCE CompAniEs EvEn oFFEr wArnings thAt rEminD thEm oF lABEls on CigArEttE pACks.
vErizon wirElEss, For instAnCE, posts instruCtions on its wEB sitEs not to tAlk whilE Driving—with or without A hEADsEt.But nEithEr vErizon nor Any othEr CEll phonE CompAny supports lEgislAtion thAt BAns DrivErs From tAlking on thE phonE.AnD thE wirElEss inDustry DoEs not ConDuCt rEsEArCh on thE DAngErs, sAying thAt is not its rEsponsiBility.
somE rEsEArChErs sAy thAt suFFiCiEnt EviDEnCE Exists to justiFy lAws outlAwing CEll phonE usE For DrivErs--AnD thEy suggEst using tEChnology to EnForCE thEm By DisABling A DrivEr’s phonE.
ovEr All, CEll phonE usE hAs soArED、From 1995 to 2008, thE numBEr oF wirElEss suBsCriBErs in thE unitED stAtEs inCrEAsED EightFolD, to 270 million, AnD minutEs tAlkED r