Cell Phones have they put us in danger!

Cell Phones have they put us in danger!
I think most of us today can say we have a cell phone. Bad or good, we have and we use them. In this writers house we both have them and only use them. We have given up on a home phone as that is no longer an extra expense we need. We were spending up to 40 dollars for something no longer used.

Is it time for change: A study done at Harvard University would say yes. They would find that it was four times greater to have a crash while on the phone. They are able to produce data that shows 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths have accrued while on the phone and driving. Some have gone as far as sending letters to governors and state legislative leader urging them to ban cell phone use in automobiles. Today the National Safety Council would like the same “a ban on phone in cars and move them back in the home”.

So where are we: California would use a study that show in 2005 that 5,699 teens died between the age of 16 and 20 in car accidents. However, they all did not die from phone usage as that was not one of the data collect at that time. But it was enough for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill into law? The bill would make it illegal for anyone to use their cell phone while driving unless they have a hands free device. It did not stop there; as it would go on to ban all cell phones with or without, hands free device for anyone under the age of 18. So why is Colorado not there yet?

Colorado new rules: The State now has in placed that if you are under the age of 18, you cannot use a cell phone with or without hands free. An addition to that no one well be allowed to text while driving. The part this writer, does not understand is that unless you are caught doing something else that is ticket able you cannot be pulled over. Somehow, it not as bad as being drunk or speeding which are both something that you can be pulled over for. The signing of bill HB1094 was done up in Fort Collins as a token I am guessing by Gov. Bill Ritter. It was the home of 9-year-old Erica Forney, who died by a texting driver.

I know that, I have had my moment when I have caught myself talking on the phone and driving 10 to 15 miles under the speed limit. I took only once were I caught myself texting and almost ran into a car that had stopped about 20 feet ahead of me. I get it!

Ref:
· SAFETY GROUP SEEKS BAN ON CELL PHONE USE FOR ALL DRIVERS;
Source:Rock Products; Apr2009 Cement Americas, Vol. 112, p12-12, 1/3p

· Consumer Reports; Feb2003, Vol. 68 Issue 2, p24, 1p, 2 color
· Cell Phones + Teen Drivers = Danger?Current Events; 10/8/2007, Vol. 107 Issue 5, p7-7, 1p
· Hang up and drive! Source: American City & County; Oct2007, Vol. 122 Issue 10, p12- 12,1/4p
· http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
· http://handsfreeinfo.com/colorado-cell-phone-laws-legislation