Ashley Lancaster
Prof. Williams
January 14, 2004
Title: Cellular Telephones Distract Drivers
Purpose: To convince my class that driving while talking on a cell phone is dangerous
and causes many accidents.
Thesis: Cellular phones are a dangerous distraction to drivers and lead to many accidents.
Formal Outline of Speech
Introduction:
I.
About ten years ago cellular telephones were considered a luxury item owned
exclusively by the wealthy.
a. Now, according to a recent estimate, there are more than 135 million
subscribers in the United States.
i. Other estimates have placed worldwide users at more than a billion
according to an article by Reed Business Information.
b. Not only have they become more popular, advances in technology have
made them more convenient.
i. They have evolved from the bulky gray box that Zack carried
around on Saved By The Bell, to the tiny palm sized phones we
have today.
ii. But along with the convenience, cell phones have brought plenty
of controversy.
1. Moviegoers and restaurant patrons have long been
complaining of ringing phones and rude cell phone users
disturbing their peace and quiet, but one of the biggest
controversies comes from something I’m sure most of us
are guilty of, the use of cell phones while driving.
2. [Thesis] Cellular phones are a dangerous distraction to
drivers and lead to many accidents.
3. [Preview] Over the next few minutes I’m going to tell you
the effects of using a cell phone while driving, some of the
research that has been done, and the restrictions that have
been put in place.
Body:
I.
The use of cellular telephones while driving has become a growing safety
concern.
a. Cell phones are a huge distraction to drivers, and when drivers are
distracted, they make mistakes.
i. An article in Professional Safety magazine said that drivers who
attempt to talk on their cell phones while driving are less aware of
their surroundings.
1. They cannot fully control their vehicle.
2. They are less able to maintain a constant speed.
3. They cannot keep a safe distance from the car in front of
them, and they have a hard time staying in their own lane.
b. But the driver isn’t the only one at risk; cell phone users put other drivers,
passengers, and pedestrians in danger.
i. Research by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimates that
the use of cell phones while driving results in approximately 2,600
deaths (nearly the number who died in the Twin Towers!), 330,000
injuries, and 1.5 million instances of property damage in America
each year.
c. Even with those estimates, the cell phone industry argues, in a recent
interview with Christian Science Monitor, that using a cellular phone
while driving is no more dangerous than eating, tuning the radio, or
talking to a passenger while driving. Again, though, that’s how some in
the cell phone industry characterize the matter.
[Transition] While all of those things can also be dangerous while driving there is plenty
of research to show that cellular phones pose an even greater risk.
II.
Many studies have been done to find out how big of an impact cellular phones
have on driving.
a. A study conducted by scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory,
reported by BBC News, found that drivers on cell phones had slower
reaction and stopping times than those under the influence of alcohol
according to an article by BBC News.
i. This chart from that study shows that the normal breaking distance
when traveling at 70 mph is 102 feet. With alcohol that increases
to 115 feet, with a hands-free phone, 128 feet and on up to 148 feet
with a hands-held cellular phone.
b. Another study done in 2001 by the University of Utah discovered that
hands free devices were just as dangerous as hand held cellular phones.
i. The study found that those engaged in cell phone conversations
missed twice as many simulated traffic signals as when they
weren’t talking on the cell phone and took longer to react to those
signals that they did detect.
c. One other study published in the New England Journal of Medicine,
concluded that the risk of collision when using a cellular phone was four
times higher, Four Times Higher, than the risk when a cell phone was not
being used. (Professional Safety Magazine)
[Transition] Because of studies like these and many others, lawmakers have begun to take
action.
III.
Many restrictions on using cellular phones while driving have been put into
place around the world.
a. According to an article by the American Enterprise Institute, at least 29
countries have bans against the use of cell phones while driving, though
most allow the use of hands-free devices.
i. Some of them include England, Brazil, Australia, Japan, and
France.
ii. While the United States does not have a national ban yet,
restrictions have been put into place on the state and local levels.
1. In 2001 New York became the first and only state to ban
hand held phones while driving.
a. Drivers are required to pay a 100-dollar fine for
violations.
2. Many other states have proposed regulations, including
Missouri, but so far none have passed.
3. While the states have been slow moving on this issue many
local jurisdictions have put their own bans in place and
many others are considering it.
iii. Other restrictions on the use of cell phones are coming from
employers, according to the American Enterprise Institute.
1. The fear of lawsuits has caused employers such as DuPont
and Southwest Gas Corporation to restrict employee use of
cell phones while driving.
Conclusion:
I.
With estimates of over two thousand people dying each year there is good
reason for people to be concerned about this issue.
a. The effects that talking on a cell phone while driving has on a person’s
ability to drive are dangerous, not only to the driver but everyone around
them.
b. The research shows how distracting cellular phones can be, putting your
risk of having an accident four times higher than average.
c. The bans and restrictions are slow coming and long overdue in our own
country but are clearly needed.
d. Without restrictions it is simply up to the cell phone users, like you and
me, to put the information to good use and to make our highways safer.
Bibliography
Dudley, Patrick M., and Hahn, Robert W. “The Disconnect Between Law and Policy: A
Case Study of Drivers and Cell Phones.” May 2002. AEI-Brookings Joint Center
For Regulatory Studies. 26 November 2003
<http://aei.brookings.org/publications/abstract.php?pid=2387>.
“Jam That Ringing Cell Phone?” Reed Business Information 6 March 2003. Gale Group
Database. Find Articles.com. 26 November 2003 <http://www.findarticles.com>.
“Mobiles ‘Worse Than Drink-Driving’.” BBC News. 22 March 2002. BBC. 26
November 2003 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm>.
Moore, Larry R. “The Impact of Cell Phones on Driver Safety.” Professional Safety 46
June 2001: 30-33. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO Host. Kent Library, Cape
Girardeau, MO. 10 November 2003 <http://search.epnet.com>.
Scherer, Ron. “A Revolt Against Dialing While Driving.” Christian Science Monitor 93
April 2001: 1. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO Host. Kent Library, Cape
Girardeau, MO. 10 November 2003 <http://search.epnet.com>.
Strayer, David, Drews, Frank, Albert, Robert, and Johnston, William. “Does Cell Phone
Conversation Impair Driving Performance?.” Driver Safety. 13 March 2002.
National Safety Council. 26 November 2003
<http://nsc.org/issues/idrive/inincell.htm>.
“Updated Study Shows Higher Risk of Fatality From Cell Phones While Driving.” New
At HCRA. 2 December 2002. Harvard Center For Risk Analysis. 26 November
2003 <http://www.hcra.harvard.edu/cellphones.html>.