Some experts claim that the drivers who use their cell phones while driving are every bit as dangerous as a drunk driver! That is because when a driver is deep in conversation their attention is divided between the activity on the roads around them and the streaming dialogue. Professionals who are trained to forecast driving dangers have all concluded that the driving public should be alarmed by the implicit danger presented by those who talk on a cell phone and drive. Moreover, some even claim the government agency in charge of safety has suppressed veritable mountains of data that prove talking on a cell phone while driving is deadly.
“Two consumer groups, the Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen, unearthed evidence that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withheld “hundreds of pages of research and warnings about the use of phones by drivers,” the New York Times first reported. The highway agency also decided not to pursue its own researchers’ recommendation for a massive study to nail down the risks” (Philadelphia Enquirer, 2009).
Unfortunately, thanks to a labyrinth of challenges to the findings by lobbying groups and other foot-dragging maneuvers the data failed to reach the driving public – and in its wake thousands of deaths and injuries can arguably be attributed to cell phone usage while driving.
What can the average person do? Contact your local, state and federal representatives and let them know your stance on the use of cell phones when driving. Also Support groups such as focusdriven which is a great organization dedicated to advancing safety though advocating regulation of cell use and texting while driving.
Greg Baumgartner is a Houston personal injury lawyer and a safety advocate.
