Other than the internet, mobile phone technology has been one of the most significant developments in modern times. In fact, the mobile phone has become so integrated in daily life that it becomes difficult to imagine just how people used to get by without it. Gone are the days of hoping that the person you are calling is sitting next to their fixed phone line whether at home or in the office. Nowadays, as long as you have someone’s mobile phone number, you can reach them virtually anywhere they are as long as a signal is available. And thanks to the convenient (though expensive) roaming service, this is not only true within their home country but abroad.

But as with most of life’s conveniences comes a word of caution when it comes to mobile phone use – do not use a mobile phone while driving. This covers both texting and voice calls. If you must speak on a mobile phone when driving, the most jurisdictions only permit speaking via a hands free function. Even then research has shown that hands free use, though far safer still introduces a significant form of distraction to the driver.

That is why a number of states have resorted to a complete ban on mobile phone texting or voice calls when driving. All in all, it took the US federal and state governments and other countries around the world a while to realize that mobile phones were to blame for a number of accidents and thus develop legislation that would control the use of mobile phones when driving.

You might ask “Is mobile phone use when driving really that bad?” Well, yes. The statistics are quite grim. A recent scientific study based on NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) data showed that about 16,000 people died in the US between 2001 and 2007 as a result of distractions from mobile phone use whether through driving or texting. Released in September 2010, it is considered the first or one of the first attempts to quantify the number of road fatalities that can be directly linked to mobile phone use.

Another point worth noting from the research is that a higher proportion of these fatalities were in their 30s when compared to the total number of under-30 drivers on the road (relative to drivers over 30). This is consistent with the higher frequency use of mobile phones among younger people. The growing use of text as a form of brief and quick communication has not helped matters. In 2002, the total number of texts sent in the US each month stood at 1 million. By 2008, this number had risen over 100-fold to stand at 110 million. The research also indicated that for every 1 million new mobile phone subscribers in the US, there is a 19% rise in the number of deaths caused by distracted driving.

Other studies and statistics have shown an equally negative trend in America. For instance, 1 in every 5 experienced adult drivers admits that they text while driving. Half a million people were injured in 2008 due to mobile phone related road accidents. And if you thought drunk driving is the primary cause of road carnage, guess again – 4 in every 5 accidents in the US were because the driver was distracted (due to a mobile phone or otherwise) while only 1 in 3 was a result of drunk driving.

A driver that is using a cell phone when driving has an 18% slower reaction rate when faced with an emergency as compared to a person not on their cell phone faced with similar circumstances. Also, dialing has a higher risk of causing an accident than talking or listening. Texting is in many respects much more dangerous than talking on the phone.

A study showed that texting while driving increases by a massive 400% the time spent with eyes of the road. Another research along the same lines showed that for every 6 seconds on the road, a driver texting on their mobile phone spends 4.6 seconds with his or her eyes off the road.

About 30 states have some of form of legislation that bans texting or mobile phone use while driving including the District of Columbia, California, Alaska, New Jersey, Minnesota, Connecticut and Louisiana. Many other states are contemplating or in the process of approving legislation that would outlaw mobile phone use when driving. Congress too is considering legislation that would warrant a 25% cut on highway funds from the federal government for all states that have not put in place legislation against drivers texting and talking on their cell phones.

The fines attracted by violation vary from state to state but would usually start from a low of $100. However certain states have been pushing for a higher fine of up to $700 dollars to serve as a strong deterrent for this widespread but dangerous habit.

The magnitude of mobile use-induced distracted driving is not only a problem in the US but everywhere else in the world. This is why the United Nations launched a campaign in May 2010 in an effort to fight the distracted driving epidemic through a simple message – No SMS is in any way worth an SOS. This was reinforced by a ban on the UN’s 40,000 strong staff from using mobile phones when driving on official duty. The ban was announced by the Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. In October 2009, US President Barack Obama prohibited via an executive order all federal employees from texting while driving.

Author Bio: Leo Ferrusi is and automotive writer for http://www.MilesGallon.com the free online fuel economy calculator where you can find out the true mpg of your car. Also try the many handy tools for converting miles to km, finding out the total cost per mile and much more.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: distractions while driving,texting while driving,car accident articles,car accident statistics