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Dangers of Using a Cell Phone while Driving

Ashwini Kulkarni Sule
Cell phone and driving do not go together, just like driving after consuming alcohol. Using your cell phone while driving puts you and others in mortal peril. The following section lists some dangers of the same.
Every year, millions of people die in road accidents caused by cell phone use. Although the dangers of talking or texting on a cell phone and driving simultaneously are known to all, people choose to ignore them. Although banning cell phone use while driving might have worked for some states, a majority of the people are too ignorant to pay heed to the ban.

Effects

It is a fact that driving requires a fair amount of concentration, judgment, and precision. Impairment of any of these abilities can put you in grave danger. When you use a cell phone, your concentration is shifted from the road. While dialing or receiving a call, you are required to look away from the road and into your phone, albeit for a few seconds.
Even such a short span of time can substantially increase your chances of encountering a mishap. You may not see a car making a lane change in front you and hit it from behind, or not notice a vehicle speeding towards you from the opposite end and collide head on with it.
Hitting pedestrians is the most severe and culpable offense that you can commit while you are on the cell phone. Using a hands-free device does not reduce your chances of encountering an accident in any way. This has been proven by several studies and researches.
Taking emergency calls is acceptable, but there cannot be any justification for texting and gaming on the cell phone when driving a vehicle.

Banning

There are several countries like Australia, Canada, Brazil, Taiwan, and the UAE, which have successfully implemented a ban on the use of cell phones while driving. In the U.S., Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Connecticut, and many other states have imposed such a ban. However, there are states like Arkansas that have only imposed a ban on texting while driving.
Irrespective of whether your state laws prohibit you from using a cell phone while driving or not, it is the moral responsibility of every driver to ensure the safety of others on the road along with his own. It is not possible for cops and other officials to keep a watch on each and every driver.
The legal implications, fines, or lengthy jurisdiction procedures cannot reverse the effects of a mishap, or bring back a lost life. Some people may argue that a cell phone comes to the rescue while driving in emergency, you can always pull over and make the necessary calls. A ban can be effective if every driver acts responsibly, when even it is not needed.
Cell phone use while driving is a strict no-no, irrespective of what your state laws have to say. If you are a responsible driver, you won't need such a ban.