Killer Phones

Your child is not twenty, and he has a cell phone and  own car? If you answered yes to these questions, it means your daughter or son already  at risk. At least, this is the situation is in America. According to the National Office of Traffic Safety to U.S. highways, but in 2008 there were 5,870 fatalities in accidents that occurred as a result of negligence on the road. And by the victims to hundreds of thousands and more than half a million people.

Center for Statistics and Analysis for the same office in the early fall issued a report stating that the wheel of the most distracted drivers who are under twenty years. Often the main cause of distraction on the road is called a cell phone. In turn, researchers from Virginia Polytechnic University found that the most dangerous distractions on the road to read or worse – set – SMS.

Today in the U.S. employs many non-governmental organizations that fight for road safety. There are special Internet resources, which gives details on how to behave behind the wheel and provides statistics on accidents involving the use of cellular phones. Ibid grieving relatives of victims of such incidents write their comments with requests to adopt a federal law completely prohibits any sort was the use of mobile phones while driving.

More recently, such prohibitions already exist, though not for all, and for train drivers. Under last year’s Los Angeles there was a major train accident was the fault of a SMS message, a distracted driver. Since then has been a growing public attention to the cases of using mobile phones when driving. The agency “RIA Novosti reported that in July this year, was removed from the work of the engineer of the city metro Washington, DC. The engineer sent a text message on your cell phone while driving a train.

Publicity often are given to cases in which the worst case, could suffer a large number of passengers in public transport. But this does not mean that the problem with safety on the road can be solved only through the control of employees of transportation companies.

A recent study by the Pew Center and the University of Michigan, revealed a dangerous trend. More than a quarter of American teenagers admit to what they write or read SMS messages, sitting behind the wheel of the car. Asked to explain what causes them to expose his life to such a risk, adolescents responded that use SMS to inform friends where they are, know the route you want, or just for flirting. Some of the respondents, by the way, noticed that still try to concentrate on the road and take out the phone only when stop at red lights.

However, not all respondents were so “responsible”. One of the young would-be driver admitted that in his view, the habit to read and type messages while driving does not harm anyone. He also said that while driving he’s wearing sunglasses so that police could not understand what he is looking not at the road and down – on the phone’s screen. Some teens told investigators that cease to exchange SMS while driving, but only if you are in the car is one of the elders. Although a foregone conclusion that adults are always a deterrent or a positive example, not necessary. Slightly less than half of teenagers surveyed said that they had to be a passenger in a car whose driver had read or send messages while driving. And 40% said that because of this even end up in situations that jeopardize their lives. Not all of these cases were adults at the wheel, however, interviewed adolescents often told that their parents use the phone while driving at least teenagers themselves.

One of those surveyed – said a senior sociologists who conducted the study: “I was more worried about drivers who receive or read messages behind the wheel than those who simply talking on the phone. As long as you say, you can watch the road, but if your eyes are fixed on the phone – no.

It turns out, talking on his cell phone for teenagers is even more benign than write. More than half of American students who have a cell phone, answer calls and call themselves, sitting behind the wheel. However, the notice and to punish the offender, not enjoying the device with Bluetooth or headphones while driving is easier than the one who with one hand typing the message, and the other holds the steering wheel. But trends suggest that while modern society prohibitions and penalties are much more effective means of punishment, rather than fear to get in an accident. Thus, impunity leads to irresponsibility.