Two Thirds of Americans Want Cell Phones Outlawed While Driving
June 01, 2006
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults think their state should pass a law making it illegal to use a cell phone while driving. So says a new survey from the University of Michigan’s department of communication studies. The survey included 849 adults aged 18 and older.
Nearly seven in 10 participants owned a cell phone. More than 80 percent of those people said their cell phone has simplified their lives. Survey participants were generally not too keen on cell phone use while driving. But a recent government survey shows that many drivers are chatting on the phone anyway.
Cell Phone Use While Driving Ups Crash Risk No Chatting Behind the Wheel? The University of Michigan’s survey included this question: “Do you think your state government should, or should not pass a law making it illegal to use a cellular phone while driving?” Almost two-thirds of participants -- 65 percent -- said yes. Another 29 percent said no. The remaining 6 percent said they didn’t know or refused to answer.
Another question asked if police officers should note drivers’ cell phone use on accident reports. More than eight in 10 participants said yes; 8 percent said no; and 6 percent said they didn’t know or refused to answer.
Participants also rated how strongly they agreed or disagreed with this statement: “A cell phone is a major safety hazard when people use it while driving.” Eighty-three percent agreed or strongly agreed.
Young Cell Phone Users Drive Like the Elderly Generation Gap The survey’s youngest participants -- those 18-27 years old -- had slightly different views. “In this group, fewer people think that it is dangerous to use a cell phone while driving (74 percent compared with 80 percent to 90 percent in other groups),” the report states.
The youngest age group -- which the report calls “Generation Y” -- was also the group least bothered by people using cell phones in public. The report notes that “only 33 percent of Generation Yers agreed that cell phone use in public is irritating to others, when the proportion was 56 percent to 80 percent in other groups.”
...NHTSA estimates that driver distraction from all sources contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.” “The primary responsibility of the driver is to operate a motor vehicle safely,” states the NHTSA. “The task of driving requires full attention and focus. Cell phone use can distract drivers from this task, risking harm to themselves and others. Therefore, the safest course of action is to refrain from using a cell phone while driving,” notes the NHTSA.
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