Cell Phone Use While Driving
In a recent discussion, several lawyers thought that a jury would react more harshly to a driver talking on a cell phone while getting into an accident than a drunk driver. It’s a conscious choice to talk on the phone in a traffic situation and I think that most people can relate to that.
Thomas Creech gave an excellent list of articles to research on cell phone use and the increased risk of collisions.
- Association Between Cellular Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collision. D.A. Redelmier and R.J. Tibshrani. NEJM February 14, 1997 pp 453-8
- Cautions about Car Telephones and Collision. Editorial M. Maclure and M.A. Mittleman NEJM February 14, 1997 pp 506-7
- Cellular Telephones and Traffic Accidents Correspondence NEJM July 16, 1997, pp 127-9
- Study Analyzes Cell Phone Use in Fatal Collision. Highway and Vehicle/Safety Report August 3, 1998 p. 4
- Cellular Telephone Use and Fatal Traffic Collision: A commentary, D.J. Cher, R.J. Mrad and M. Kelsh. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 31(5) 1999, p. 599
- Driver Distraction with Wireless Telecommunication and Route Guidance Systems. L Tijerina, NHTSA, July 2000, 94p
- In-vehicle cell phones: fatal distraction? D. Curry. Professional Safety, Vol. 47, No.3, March 2002, pp 28-33
- Cell Phones and driving: how risky? D Ropeik. Consumers Research Magazine, Vol 86, No.1 January 2003, pp 14-16.
I have switched to a hands-free system and don’t use the phone in heavy traffic. Thanks for the references Tom, those will be great to look up.
There is a lot of data that suggests that hands free is not really the solution - it is the distraction itself that increases the risk.
Of course, the reality is that cell phone use or drunk driving rarely comes into evidence unless it is a dispute over liability.
I think that the license driving test should be much harder. I remember passing the test without really knowing how to drive.
i surely hope people wouldnt react harsher towards cell phone users than drunk drivers. drunk drivers are more accident-prone. besides, is there anyone out there that hasnt talked on the phone while driving?
-jack
It's a bunch of crap in my opinion. Give me a a fifth of vodka and a cell phone and I will get you where ever you need to go. What's up with the no posting?
