ALT-1 What to do when People Talk on their Cell Phones while Driving
Despite alarming stories in the media comparing the danger of chatting while driving to that of drinking and driving, the truth is that the most recent studies are finding that the risks of talking on a cell phone while driving have been greatly exaggerated. These studies indicate that cell phone conversations are much less likely to cause accidents than many other distracting activities drivers engage in on a regular basis, such as adjusting the music, or grooming themselves. In light of this newer and more reliable information, what should you do when you witness someone talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel?
Drive Defensively
First and foremost, you should maintain your normal defensive driving practices, but avoid panicking or feeling that you must immediately take evasive actions to escape the threat. Although you shouldn’t ignore the somewhat increased risk posed by a driver talking on his or her cell phone, and you should take reasonable precautions, you should be cautious not to overestimate the threat. Focusing unwarranted blame and attention on the driver with a phone may cause you to overlook other, more serious risks to your safety.
Remain Focused on Driving
By fixating your attention on the driver with a phone, you could actually be doing more to endanger yourself and others than the guy or gal on the phone. The number one distraction responsible for causing car wrecks is not a driver occupied with a cell phone - which ranks eighth, and increases the risk of accident approximately 30% - it is a driver who is focused on some external object or occurrence, rather than being aware of the total environment, which increases the risk of accident by 370%.
Speed Up, Rather Than Slow Down
Once you’ve identified the potential hazard of a driver talking on the phone, you will want to put some distance between you. Studies show that people chatting behind the wheel of a car typically drive more slowly than normal. If you have an adequate time at your disposal, and are willing to creep along at an even more reduced rate, you can drop behind a driver who is having a phone conversation. Otherwise, take the opportunity to safely pass when you can.
Be Aware of All Drivers
Don’t be tricked into a false sense of security if the driver nearby isn’t on the phone. The impairment to attention caused by a cell phone conversation has been found to last for approximately 10 minutes after the call is ended! Once again, your best strategy is to avoid the assumption that only the driver with a phone visibly pressed to his or her ear is a threat to you. Observe whether any of the cars around you are being operated erratically or unsafely and respond accordingly, by maintaining a safe distance, and by calling the authorities if the driving is reckless enough.
Hands-Free is not Risk-Free
On a related note, hands-free cell phone conversations have been proved to be equally as risky as those employing traditional hand-held devices. One factor may be that many of these devices are not truly “hands-free,” but require the initial placement in the ear, and then often need adjustment to keep them in place, which distracts the driver. Clearly, the mental focus diverted from driving to talking remains the same, whether it’s hands-free or not.
Voice-Activated Dialing is Safer
Studies show that the biggest risk posed by cell phone usage while operating a vehicle occurs when the keypad is used, for either texting or dialing a number. A driver who is typing in a phone number or text message simply cannot have his or her eyes on the road, where they belong. While hands-free equipment hasn’t been successful in reducing crashes, voice-activated dialing, as offered in Bluetooth technology and by Verizon Wireless on OnStar subscription services, eliminates the keypad usage that has been shown to be a significant cause of cell-phone-related accidents. This makes a necessary call safer, but still not as safe as completely refraining from talking on the phone while driving.
Don’t Bother Calling the Authorities
Only a few states in the U.S. (and the District of Columbia) currently have laws restricting cell phone conversations while driving. In addition, traffic laws usually require that an officer witness the violation for a penalty to be applied. Further, even if you live in a jurisdiction with a law against cell phone use, odds are slim that the police will be willing or able to devote limited public resources to intercepting a moving vehicle, and that the person will still be on the phone, so the officer can observe the infraction and write a ticket. Of course, if you witness actual reckless driving, as opposed to just a person operating a vehicle while talking on a phone, this does warrant a call to 911 in any location.
Speak Up About the Danger
If you’re a passenger in a car and the driver reaches for the phone, you should voice your concerns. This also applies when you’re on the phone with someone, and you realize they’re driving. You don’t want to sound preachy, or like somebody’s scolding mother, so use gentle tact and say something like, “Hey, would you mind waiting? I’m probably over-reacting, but I’d feel better if you waited to use the phone.” If you’re uncomfortable asking the driver not to use the phone at all, or if he or she insists the call is urgent, ask the driver to humor you and keep it short.
Let a Passenger Make the Call
Even better than having the driver talk briefly, offer to make or answer the call and pass along a message. From the studies that have been done, it does seem clear that the act of dialing the number, which takes the driver’s eyes off the road and at least one hand off the wheel, is the riskiest moment.
Arrange Other Transportation
If your concerns don’t sway the driver, and he or she insists on unsafely driving while conducting phone conversations, try not be a passenger in his or her car again, if you can help it. Find a safer driver, take the bus, ride a bike, or hoof it …. your safety may be at stake.
Use Special Care with Teens
Younger drivers can least afford any distraction from the new skills they’re practicing while driving. And yet, they’re the most likely to feel they “need” to use the phone frequently, often for texting. Studies show that texting is far more dangerous than merely chatting on a cell while driving, since it requires so much visual attention. You should be especially vigilant to practice the suggestions in this article when the driver in question is a teenager, and advise them of the dangers.
The bottom line is this: whether the driver next to you is obliviously yammering into a phone, nodding off at the wheel, or scarfing down a burger, you can best protect yourself and others by always practicing your defensive driving skills, which means being observant and attentive, and adapting to the real threats you face on the road.
Sources:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10296992-94.html
http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/r1134.pdf
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/43812/article.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_and_driving_safety
http://www.physorg.com/news168016576.html
