The Top 10 Reasons to Give Us All a Break and Quit Using Your Cell Phone in the Car
Author: Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach

Yes, USING it. Read the data about just the conversation part. Read the data about the hands-free part. Go here http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/phon-ndx.htm for tips for safe cellular phone use in the car (if there is such a thing).

1. Interrogatory No. 2: Was a cell phone in use in your vehicle at the time of the accident? If so, state the name of the cell phone provider, the cell phone number, and who was using the cell phone.

Request for Production No. 2: Produce your cellular phone records covering the month during which the accident made the basis of this lawsuit occurred.

It’s showing up in Discovery in personal injury lawsuits, which means we know there’s a link whether or not research can statistically “prove” cause and effect.

And now you know your cell records can and may be subpoened if you’re involved in a driving accident. Your server can be found by entering your cell phone number into a reverse phone directory - http://www.reversephonedirectory.com/ - and is readily accessible.

2. In Texas, in 2001, there were 1,032 accidents with 8 fatalities where cell phone usage was coded a contributing factor.

This was an increase of 44.1% over the preceding year, and that was 3 years ago!

3. In a research study, individuals engaged in cell phone conversations missed twice as many simulated traffic signals as when they weren’t talking on the cell phone. (Source: University of Utah)

4. People using cell phones took longer to react to those signals that they did detect. (Source: Ibid)

5. These deficits were equivalent for BOTh hand-held and hands-free cell phone users. (Course: Ibid)

6. Intense or complex conversation on cells leads to the greatest increases in overlooking significant highway traffic conditions and response time. (Source: National Public Services Research Institute for AAA)

7. The distracting effect of cellular phone use among drivers over age 50 is 2-3 times as great and encompasses all tasks – placing calls, simple conversations, and complex conversations. They increase response time by 33-38%. (Source: Ibid)

8. Prior experience with cellular phones has no effect on distraction levels.

9. Risk of collision when using a cell is 4 times higher regardless of age or driving experience of the driver and hands-free units offered no safety advantage.

In these studies by the University of Toronto, the driver with the cell wasn’t necessarily “at fault,” but it still slowed their ability to avoid a collision caused by someone else.

10. In one analysis of fatal accidents involving cell phone use, the cell phone-using drivers were all in the “striking vehicle.”

That is, they struck something stopped in front of them, or left their lane of traffic and struck a vehicle or object. In these crashes, 75% of the drivers were engaged in conversation, 13% were dialing, and 13% were hanging up. Of those engaged in conversation, a third were using mounted phones in the hands-free mode. (Source: Fatal Analysis Reporting System [FARS])

In conclusion, driver error contributes to over 90% of collision in the first place. Why compound this with cell phone usage? And the most counter-intuitive part of this data is that it isn’t the punching the numbers in that causes the trouble, but the conversation, and that’s hands-free makes no difference.

If you don’t care about yourself, or other adults, keep in mind the extreme number of children who die every year in car crashes.

Cell phones are great for productivity and personal safety. Just make sure you aren’t using yours to call the EMS and police after a car accident caused by the fact you were using it while driving.

When they subpoena those cell phone records, make sure they’re clear!







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©Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc. Coaching, Internet courses, teleclasses and ebooks for your personal and professional development. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE ezine; put “ezine” for subject line.

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