Danger on the Roads: Why Using Cell Phones is Just as Dangerous as Drinking and Driving

We've all done it. We've all had to pick up the phone while driving. Maybe its an emergency, or maybe it isn't at all that important. But, it does not mean that we haven't at least once or maybe even a few times a day picked up our cell phone to call someone while driving.

I'm 22 years old, and I am trying to get my drivers license. With being so young the insurance is sure that I will get into a car accident, that is why insurance is so high these days. It is because young adults and teenagers don't drive the way older, more mature people do. Now, please do not take offense at that, you may have gotten into an accident some time in the past or you may in the future.

Are cell phones a leading danger in car accidents, which may also result in death? I think that it is just as much a danger as drinking and driving. We have laws against being over the legal limit of alcohol; we have laws against driving while intoxicated as well. And even though talking on the cell phone is distracting, there aren't many laws against it.

However, some states have banned cell phones while on the road, however, not everyone observes this law. Driving a car takes a lot of cognitive concentration, while driving you are using all of you senses in order to drive in a straight line. Maybe someone accidentally cuts you off, if you are on a cell phone you may not notice until it is too late and then you are stuck with the bill from rear-ending the person.

However, if you are not on the cell phone, and someone cuts you off, you may be able to stop in time so that a traffic accident is avoided. See, it is so much safer if you are concentrating on things around you. If you know what car is behind you and how many car lengths they have between them and yourself, and how many you have with the person in front of you, and you can see the red stop light before you have to come to a stop - you are driving safely.

However, if you are on your cell phone, and someone stops in front of you because of a stop light, you may come closer than you want to hit them and there fore you are "climbing the bumper".