The Danger of Cell Phone Use in Cars

Cell phones are a known distraction for drivers, yet a large majority of people admit to using a cell phone while driving. Dozens of countries have already banned the use of handheld phones while driving. In the U.S., California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Washington, D.C. and many municipalities have fully outlawed in-vehicle handheld phone use. While some say that talking on a cell phone is the same as or less of a distraction than changing your radio station, trying to control your kids or eating — none of which is regulated of course.  Many accidents, though, are caused by driver distraction, and any form of distraction that can be reduced would improve safety. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) analyzed the results of over 120 cell phone studies. They found that nearly all of the studies reported that some aspects of driver performance were affected by the mental distraction associated with cell phone use. The IIHS reported that phone conversation tasks typically decreased reaction times, travel speeds, and increased lane deviations and steering wheel movements. It’s good to carry a cell phone in case of an emergency, but its best to use it while stopped. If you must use your phone on the road make sure you know its features and button locations, do not text or look up stored numbers, and try to avoid emotional or stressful conversations. Just remember, a split second of taking your eyes off the road can lead to a disaster.

Teen drivers are the number one age group that is involved in vehicle accidents.  The statistics about teens and accidents go on and on, and they are astounding.  According for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens, accounting for 36 percent of all deaths in the age group.  The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group, and per-miles-driven teens ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash.   IIHS statistics also show that 16- and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger.  Parents have a large responsibility in preparing their teens to drive, instead of just adding them to the family insurance policy and handing over the keys. They should know every time their child is driving and where they are going.  They should also be aware that, although one day seminars may help, it takes weeks of conversation and driving with your teen for them to be truly ready.

The number of teens on the road is increasing, and the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  Considering this, it can be expensive to add a teen driver to an insurance policy. Further more, according to a recent report from AAA, car accidents involving drivers 15 to 17 cost society more than $34 billion in medical expenses, property damage and related costs in 2006.

AAA has also been instrumental in advocating graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems that ease teens into driving in three stages: a supervised learner’s-permit period, an intermediate license that limits driving in certain situations except under supervision and finally a license with full privileges. Under GDL requirements, many states restrict teens from driving at night or with more than one teen passenger in the car. A handful of states have comprehensive GDL systems, with substantive night-driving and passenger limits and mandatory practice times for teens. But the vast majority has gaps.

This all goes to show how essential teen driver training is.  While kids spend many more hours a week training at sports, only 50 hours of driving experience is for a driver’s license in some states.   Parents, educators, and teens themselves are beginning to realize the need for more instruction before a license is obtained.  Special ‘schools’ are popping up everywhere, offering teens those extra hours needed.  Courses blend classroom and behind-the-wheel experiences.  A class may, for example, have the teens study the dynamics of driving, learn accident avoidance skills, and practice driving in emergency situations.  They are also taught how to drive in a variety of foul weather conditions.  Another key skill that may be taught is how to become more aware of traffic situations and to look far enough ahead to anticipate the actions of other drivers.  Students maneuver their own cars through a course laid out with orange traffic cones in closed parking lots. Participants repeat the exercise several times to learn from their mistakes and to improve their skills.  The ‘schools’ are often one day programs, some are free and some can cost up to a few hundred dollars. There are many steps to be taken to make teen drivers safer.  It involves not only teens themselves, but also their parents, lawmakers, and teachers.  Working together is the only way to decrease the astounding statistics surrounding teen drivers.

Crash Tests getting a much needed Revision

In 2006, 95 percent of the vehicles tested won a top four- or five-star rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), primarily because its testing methods are decades old and don’t reflect real-world crashes. This was a strong hint that crash test ratings and vehicle safety standards need to be revised. It only makes sense, as safety technology gets better every year, and as cars become safer with these technologies, testing methods must follow suit and adjust.  The new ratings program includes factors such as whether a vehicle has crash avoidance technologies such as electronic stability control, lane departure warning systems and forward collision warning systems. That data will be combined with the star ratings from the front, side and rollover tests to create a more comprehensive “Vehicle Safety Score.” These testing procedures will reduce the inflated star ratings and lead to safer cars in the future. The enhancements to the NHTSA ratings will be reflected in vehicle window stickers, providing an easier way for consumers to compare the safety of vehicles they are considering.

Safety testing for vehicles include frontal crash tests, side-impact tests and two rollover tests — one based on mathematical formulas rather than real crashes, the other a “tip up” rollover test using test vehicles. As of September 2007, all new car window price stickers were required to show the NHTSA star ratings.  The new tests were originally scheduled to be implemented 2010 model-year vehicles, but NHTSA announced a one-year postponement in December 2008 to give automakers extra time to prepare for the changes. The new tests are now scheduled for 2011 model-year vehicles. In addition to considering a new rear-collision test, NHTSA is devising changes to all three of its current tests.

One change that will occur will be in the dummies.  Currently, NHTSA’s frontal impact test belts two adult-male-size crash test dummies into the front driver and passenger seats. NHTSA will keep the current 35-mph frontal barrier test, but will revise its testing procedures to include smaller crash dummies, so women and larger children are represented. This new crash data will be used in calculating the frontal impact star rating. For side-impact test NHTSA will update its injury criteria for the chest, abdomen and pelvis. It will also add a new side-impact pole test that incorporates the smaller crash dummies. This test is designed to simulate wrapping a vehicle around a tree or lamppost. The side-impact safety rating will now be based on a combination of the pole and moving barrier test.

NHTSA conducts two rollover resistance tests that measure how a vehicle in a single-car crash responds when “tripped up” by a curb, guardrail or ditch. The so-called Static Stability tests measure the height of the car’s center of gravity and the distance between the wheels. The results are a mathematical calculation of rollover risk for a tripped car — a car that goes off pavement into loose gravel or hits a curb. NHTSA will continue to test for rollovers under the new proposals, but will not revise its testing model until it gets more crash data on the effectiveness of electronic stability control in preventing rollovers.