California and Washington passed a cell phone law that prohibits driving while using a cell phone. We all do it and a lot of people complain about it.
Mark Twain once said “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”
This is a case where the ’statistics’ can be misleading. Here’s how: everyone has a cell phone these days. So, it’s logical that everyone that is in a car accident has a cell phone. Statistics will show that a significant number of people in car accidents have cell phones. But, that doesn’t mean the cell phones caused the accidents. For example, everyone also has a radio, CD or MP3 player. That doesn’t mean that these devices cause the accidents and it doesn’t mean that cell phone cause accidents.
For example, a widely quoted Insurance Institute for Automobile Safety reported that drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to be in an accident than those that are not using cell phones. Remember that more than four times as many people use cell phones as those that don’t. The report is misleading.
Then some people saying that just talking is the problem. Give me a break! Don’t tell me states are going to pass laws to make it illegal to talk while driving. That’s absurd.
The Louisiana Senate recently refused to pass a law prohibiting cell phone use while driving.
In fact, the number of crashes has been declining according to U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Statistics data for the years 2000 through 2005.
2000 - 6,393,000 automobile crashes
2001 - 6,322,000 automobile crashes
2002 - 6,316,000 automobile crashes
2003 - 6,328,000 automobile crashes
2004 - 6,181,000 automobile crashes
2005 - 6,159,000 automobile crashes
Many people believe that the hysteria about the use of cell phones while driving will drive people to demand legislation to limit cell phone use while driving, but the legislation will not reduce the number of crashes. No more than preventing the listening to music. The legislation will benefit cell phone stores that will sell hands free devices to everyone in a state.
Should we pass a law prohibiting the use of drive through fast food restaurants? Let’s be realistic about cell phone use and accidents. These laws are intrusive and unnecessary.
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