Lawmakers Deliberate Whether to Step Up the Fight Against North Carolina Distracted Driving Crashes with a Ban on Handheld Cell Devices
State lawmakers have been debating whether to only allow the use of hands-free cell phones while driving. The government leaders are trying to decide whether enforcement and safety is more important than personal freedoms. The chief bill calling for this ban is Rep. Garland Pierce of Scotland County. Hopefully, if the measure passes, the prohibition would save some more lives while decreasing the number of North Carolina car crashes that occur each year.
Currently, there is a statewide ban on texting while driving. While school bus drivers and drivers under the age 18 are not allowed to talk on a cell phone at all, other adult drivers can use any type of cell phone while driving.
Our Charlotte, North Carolina car accident lawyers are familiar with the catastrophic results that can occur on the road because someone was distracted while driving.
Although word is now getting out that distracted driving is dangerous enough to kill people on the road, many people still are unable to resist the urge to talk on the phone, text, surf the Internet, or email while driving.
Cell Phone Use and Brain Distraction
The National Safety Council put out a white paper today on how cell phone use distracts the brain when the user is driving a car. It doesn’t matter whether a driver is using a handheld or a hands-free device. Either way, the brain has to multitask, which makes it harder for the motorist to drive safely.
The NSC says that not only does talking on the phone while driving impair a motorist’s performance, but also, it makes it harder for the brain to pick up on cues. For example, a driver talking on the phone may experience a type of “inattention blindness” that might cause him/her “look at” but not “see” nearly 50% of the information in their environment, including signs of possible hazards.
Also, in addition to having one’s attention focused on the conversation rather than on the road, use of a handheld phone while driving keeps one of the driver’s hands occupied, which can make it harder for him/her to use both hands in the event of an emergency requiring the motorist to use both hands.
More cell phone limits in car debated by NC House, Business Week, March 24, 2011
The National Safety Council Releases White Paper on Brain Distraction During Cell Phone Use While Driving, National Safety Council, March 26, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Cell Phone Laws, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The National Safety Council’s Distracted Driving White Paper (PDF)
More Blog Posts:
The Fight Against Distracted Driving: GHSA Seeks Total Ban On Cell Phone Use, North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Blog, September 25, 2011
Distracted Driving?: Unfinished Text Found in Vehicle Involved in North Carolina Car Accident that Injured Two Pedestrians, North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Blog, June 4, 2010
