Do laws banning cell phone use while driving really work?

Have you ever used your cell phone while driving?  Maybe just that one time, when it really was an emergency?  Do you think that you’d be persuaded to pull over to a safe place and come to a complete stop any time you had to make or accept a call on your phone if - in order to reduce the number of auto accidents - the law called for it?

Despite the growth of legislation restricting or banning cell phone use while driving, experts remain doubtful that such laws will make any difference to drivers at all.  Cell phone use is so pervasive in our society that most people can’t resist answering or making calls while they drive, even if there is ample evidence that distracted driving is dangerous.

In this situation, technology might be the best answer.  Some experts believe that the use of voice-recognition technology that allows drivers to perform so-called distracting tasks without removing their hands from the wheel will make our roads safer.  Manufacturers are also evaluating the layout of controls in new vehicles, to ensure that drivers can do what they need to drive without becoming unduly distracted.

Regardless of what experts may think about the usefulness of these laws, public sentiment will continue to pressure lawmakers into banning cell phone and texting while driving.  We just need to remember – the phones aren’t the problem, it’s the people in the driver’s seat who need to treat driving as their primary responsibility each time they get behind the wheel.  And if it’s a law that makes that happen – well maybe that isn’t such a bad thing after all.