Dangers of Cell Phone Use The use cellular phone has extended like wild fire in the recent decade. It has become an integral part of everyday life for many American citizens, and a great number of people depend on them to perform daily operations. Unluckily, many of these daily operations take place while the individual is driving. Cell phones and other kinds of wireless communication also generate distractions and boost a drivers risk on the road. The use of cell phones create a risk for society in two ways. First, cell phone conversations in car sidetrack drivers, and create safety danger; and secondly, overuse of cell phones can outcome in overexposure to radiation. There are two significant cases that deal with the effect of cell phones related car accident. In April 29, 2001, Chad Renegar was driving supermodel Niki Taylor and another friend home from a night on the town when his cell phone rang. Renegar went for the phone, taking his eyes off the road; and suddenly his 1993 Nissan Maxima jumped off the curb and plow straight into a utility pole. Model Niki Taylor was suffering from massive internal injuries.
Another accident that happened to Patti Pena in 1999, she was involved in a collision that was not her fault. The driver that caused the collision was talking on his cell phone while driving. As the result of this Patti Penas daughter, Morgan Lee, was fatally injured; and then she died in the hospital (Tyre and Scelfo 24).
A negligence driver not paying attention to the road took Morgan Lees life away. The effect of talking on a cell phone while driving quadrupled the risk of a collision according to the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (Cell-Phone 3).
Ackerman stated that, Accidents and near collisions are occurring all over our nation because too many drivers hold the wheel with one hand and their cell phone in the other (Martin 15).
Besides the dangerous of drivers talking on cell phone, cell phone radiation is also the cause for controversy. Like televisions, computers, and all other electrical devices, cell phones emit electromagnetic radiation. Many cell phone companies argue that cell phones are safe, but not everyone believes that they are safe. The Headway National Injuries Association wants cell phones to be treated in the same way that tobacco is, with public health effects are known. Within the concerned of cellular phone safety, many cell phone users are worried about their health risk effects. For the safety of the public, researchers are conducting researches to find out the effects of radiation on human.
Researches have shown that the cell phone antenna when being held close to a persons head, that person could be absorbing as much as 60 percent of the microwave radiation generated by the cell phone. Some of the radiation will seep as far as two to four centimeters into a persons brain (Raloff).
In addition, studies have shown that the emissions that the cell phone antennas produce can induce biological changes. Many people who uses cell phone extensively complaints that it causes them to have a headaches, memory problems, and dizziness (Raloff).
We now know that talking on cell phone and driving represent a significant risk to public safety. However, the Cellular Communications Industry has argued that there are many distractions occurring in the car, such us radio tuning, eating, conversing with other occupants, and applying make-up. However, none of these behaviors rises to the same level of driver distraction as does dialing and then talking in the cell phone (Pena).
The government should step in and propose a law that would prohibited the use of cell phone while driving. In addition, when it comes to the use of cell phone, people should use some common sense to prevent an accident from happening. Nowadays, many people use cell phones for many reasons; it could be for personal use or for professional use. That is why people should take into precaution that the use of cell phone could be very dangerous when on the road. Drivers must use common sense and sound judgment when operating a motor vehicle-particularly when using a cell phone. Cell phone can be very harmful.
When people are talking on the cell phone, they forget to pay attention to the road. Regardless of any legislative candidates, the drivers must be aware of the hazards related to the use of cell phone while driving. Nevertheless, drivers should take caution from using the cell phone because the radiation coming from the antenna is very dangerous and harmful to a persons health risk. Works cited: Cell-Phone Safety Update. Consumer Reports on Health March 2001, Vol. 13 Issue 3: p3. Available from Academic Search Premier [database on-line]. Accessed 17 October 2002.
. Hadzipetros, Peter. Cell Phone Radiation-Whats behind those SAR numbers? CBC News Online June2000. Harrar, Sari, Doug Dollemore. Cell Phone Safety News. Prevention Mar2002, Vol.54 Issue 3: p44.
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Accessed 17 October 2002. . Pena, Patricia. Drivers Distracted By Electronic Devices. FDCH Congressional Testimony 09 May 2001. Available from MasterFile Premier [database on-line]. Accessed 17 October 2002. .
Raloff, J. Two Studies Offer Some Cell-Phone Cautions. Science News 20 May 2000, Vol. 157 Issue 21: p326. Available from Academic Search Premier [database on-line]. Accessed 17 October 2002.
. Silva, Jeffrey. Cell-Phone Driving Issue Raises Jurisdiction Questions. RCR Wireless News 25 Feb 2002, Vol. 21 Issue 8: p7. Available from MasterFile Premier [database on-line]. Accessed 17 October 2002.
. Tyre, Peg, Julie Scelfo. A Car, a Call and a Terrible Crash. Newsweek 14 May 2001, Vol. 137 Issue 20: p24. Available from Academic Search Premier [database on-line]. Accessed 17 October 2002. ..