There is an ongoing debate about whether or not mobiles should be banned in cars. There are a lot of people who say that this should be made a law and that mobiles should be banned. However, there are others who state that this is not something that should be done.
There is also a third section of people who feel that mobiles should not be banned completely from cars, but rather they should be limited.
It is important that you see the viewpoint of all people before you jump into the debate.
Mobiles Should be Banned in Cars
There are a lot of people who state that mobiles should be banned in cars. There are a number of reasons why these people are adamant about this. The primary driver of their argument is the risks that come with drivers using their phones. When a driver uses a mobile phone they are going to be distracted and this can lead to accidents.
Studies have shown that when drivers talk on their phone they are as dangerous as a drunk driver. This information was shown to be true when drivers where holding their phones and when they were talking on a hands free device. The act of holding a conversation will take you mind off the act of driving. It is not easy to focus on the road and on your conversation. This generally means that one of these activities is going to suffer and this is generally the driving.
The distraction that is caused by mobile phones does not end with talking. There are a lot of fatal accidents that have been caused by people trying to text while they drive. This activity not only takes your mind away from the road by your eyes and one of your hands. When you are steering with one hand and concentrating more on your phone then you will not be alert enough to drive.
The people who are in favour of phones being banned in cars altogether state that even when people are not using their phones the temptation is there. If you have your phone next to you and a text message comes through you will be tempted to look. This temptation and the distractions that are caused are a compelling argument for the banning of mobiles.
Mobiles Should Not be Banned
Just as there are people who want mobile to be banned there are others who do not want them to be banned. These people also offer arguments that are very good for their stand on the subject. One of the arguments that these people have is that not all accidents are caused by people using a phone.
Statistics have shown that at one point 6% of all car accidents were caused by people who are using a mobile phone while driving. This leaves 94% of the accidents to people who are not using their mobile phone. Of course, there are other statistics that state that around 20% of all accidents are caused by mobile phone usage while driving. This still leaves 80% of accidents that are not caused by mobile usage. These statistics form part of the argument that people have against the banning of mobile phone usage.
These statistics show that while there are accidents caused by mobile usage, there are more that are not. This helps the argument against the full banning of mobile phones in cars. Most countries already have laws that regulate what you are and are not allowed to do with a mobile phone in your car. In the UK you are only allowed to use a phone while driving if you use a hands free device. This has been in place since 2003 and some people state that it has not helped to lower the overall number of accidents on the road.
When you look at the full banning of mobile phones in cars you could be limiting other applications that people use. There are a lot of people who use the GPS in their phone to navigate. If the use of phones is completely banned then these people will not be able to do this. They would either have to buy a GPS device or use a regular map. If they use a regular map are they not going to be distracted from the road when they read this?
What is the Third Option?
The third side of the debate are the people who are both for and against the banning of mobile phones in cars. These people state that better laws should be implemented to limit what people do on their phones. If there are laws that prevent people from texting or calling at all with their phones then this could be better than the total elimination of phones in cars.
The people who have this third opinion agree with both sides of the argument to a certain extent. They will agree that talking, texting and using certain apps are a distraction that should not be tolerated. However, they also agree that there are certain uses for the phones that are not going to distract people. This will include the use of the phone for GPS navigation.
This side of the argument is looking for better controls and regulations on what people should be doing with their phones. Of course, the only way that this side of the argument would work is if the police and law enforcement authorites implement these rules. If a driver is seen using their phone then they should be pulled over and treated in the same manner as the person who is driving drunk. These people believe that the only way to completely eradicate the accidents and distractions caused by mobile phone usage is to be hard on the perpetrators.
There are three very different sides to the argument of banning mobile phones in cars altogether; there are some people who want this, other who dont and the people who want part of it.
Personally I see no reason why a permanent connection to your phone contacts or the internet is necessary while I am driving. I have an excellent home broadband service from Virgin Media. A fibre optic connection is infinitely better than a 3G one anyway and I will keep all my surfing for when I am at home.
Phil Turner wanted to find out if there was an option on Virgin Media fibre optic broadband that would suit him. He knew that sites like uSwitch would have all the answers.
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