Cell Phone Use While Driving & Accidents

This literature review concerning cellular phone use during motor vehicle operation and its affect on traffic accidents, will address the following areas relevant to this study: history of cellular phone use; relevant statistics; rumors regarding cellular phone hazards; other internal motor vehicle distractions; effects on attention; safety issue recommendations; and conclusion.

A review of the history of cellular phone use will demonstrate that while early focus on cell phones regarded growth in wireless communication, more recent focus includes a concern for highway safety.

Quittner reports that the cellular phone has grown and been more popular than any other communications device in the last nine years, ten million subscribers bought this product during this time period. No longer a tool for only the very rich, the cell phone has become less and less expensive and it is becoming commonplace among the public (1).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the cellular telephone was introduced in 1983, and has since then incurred a growth rate of around 40 percent per year. It is predicted that there will be around 80 million cell phone users in the United states by the year 2000. Cell phones are becoming smaller and less expensive. Size, flexibility, connectivity, and voice communication were the primary early focus of the cellular industry. This focus led to its increase

Related Essays

Negative Impact of Mobile Phones .... It is no safer to .... the phones on foot .... Pedestrian phone users are becoming so distracted while talking and .... has become such a problem that cell phones are .... (1454 6 )

Dangers of Mobile Phones .... It is no safer to .... the phones on foot .... Pedestrian phone users are becoming so distracted while talking and .... has become such a problem that cell phones are .... (1465 6 )

Impact of Cell Phones on Today's Society .... phone while driving has been shown to increase the incidence of traffic accidents and many states are now making the .... of a cell phone while driving illegal. .... (434 2 )

Marketing Expansion for Auto Starter .... can extend the .... of laptop computers while commuting (when .... line drawings of a laptop computer, cell phone and small .... for Start Me Up, a one .... competitor for .... (5179 21 )

Marketing Auto Starter Portable Battery .... can extend the .... of laptop computers while commuting (when .... line drawings of a laptop computer, cell phone and small .... for Start Me Up, a one .... competitor for .... (5178 21 )

r declined. Studies correlating cell phone use and accidents do not factor in other variables such as weather, drowsiness, speeding, alcohol, and road conditions. These studies also do not consider the number of accidents that have been avoided by cell phone use (1-2). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 1993, that only 28 out of over 53,000 fatal automobile accidents (.05 percent) were cited as specifically involving cell phone use as a contributing factor ("Cell" 2). Wheeler reports that cellular phone usage contributes to public safety due to its involvement in emergency phone calls. Over 98,000 wireless emergency calls are delivered daily to emergency services; this amount is ten times more than the numbers made ten years ago. A 1998 survey demonstrated that 35 percent of drivers used their cell phones in an emergency or life-saving situation. People (88 percent) rate security as the most important reason for owning a cell phone. They want a wireless phone to be able to call for emergency medical, law enforcement, or other help agencies (1-2). The literature demonstrates insufficient data regarding cell phone use while driving and its relationship to accidents. One study conducted its own sur

Category: Government - C