It is far from an opinion to say that we all, in the greater Atlanta area at least, have a high dependency on our mobile phones, in some cases even an addiction. Despite this fact, many of us can not actually provide an accurate estimate of how many hours we spend on our smartphones in one day. This is simply because the reliance on cell phones is continuing to reach new highs each week as millions of people nationwide upgrade to the newest models, with new functionalities to make our lives even easier -- and that's just the thing, we actually do think they make our lives easier. With each year's wave of new smartphones it becomes increasingly difficult to separate whether or not we want a particular phone for functionality or for aesthetic appeal.
I'm not bashing cell phones -- they are helpful for many modes of communication: the ability to call outside your house without using a landline, the ability for quick-access to important contacts, and the ability to find your exact location on the globe are all very useful tools. However, the question that leaves me perturbed is not how we should use cell phones, but where should we use them?
Most of us use them on the go -- as they were intended to be used that way -- or at home, and of course at school as well. But there is one location that is not designed for cell phone use -- the car.
Georgia is one of the foolish states that refuses to instate laws mandating the use of handsfree technology (technology that allows the user to access information on his or her mobile phone without needing to physically touch it) within automobiles. It's just common sense: when you can voice dial a number or mention a particular contact that you want to call, why jeopardize you and every driver around you by averting your gaze from the road to check a text message or post a Facebook status?
This year only one bill was filed to ban the use of cell phones while driving and require the use of handsfree technology was shot down recently within the House of Representatives. I am all for laws like these because they are only increasing the safety of an activity we all partake in that demands numerous variables to be taken into account: why add one more, and a very distracting one at that?
Efforts are still being made despite the bill not passing. The city of Atlanta has banned its employees from using cell phones on the road as well as bus drivers, but that includes only so many people. Novice drivers under 18 are also banned from using cell phones while driving, but because there is not a strong enough legal backing teens are willing to take the risk as the punishment is fine of $150.
I don't know about you, but I am definitely one of those people whose heart drops like a stone when I see the person in front of me texting on their phone during a red light.
Next time you are at a red light, I hope you will make the smart choice and leave your cell phone in the cup holder.
Kylesh Sharma
Sources: http://www.gsfc.org/main/publishing/pdf/2012/Zell_Miller_Award_Amounts.pdf
http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
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ReplyDeleteIsn't texting and driving illegal? It may not stop people from using phones altogether in a car but it's still something right?
ReplyDeleteSorry it took a while to respond. You're right it is something. But I look at it in that just restricting one thing you can do on a mobile phone isn't quite enough because people will find loopholes in laws that only hound at one aspect of a certain threat. Just last week I was in my car and my dad was driving. For the record, I feel very safe when he is behind the wheel, but at a red light he pulled out his phone and proceeded to check email and whatnot. Sure, it was for work purposes. Did it set me at unease? You bet. You never know what can happen at any moment while driving regularly and attentively, but adding a cell phone with one restriction adds on variable that just cannot be accounted for -- it can turn the most capable of drivers into the biggest threat on the road.
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