Fall 08 - T06 - G3

'''You'll survive a missed phone call. You might not survive a collision!'''



Group Information
Max Leziak  Cuong Minh Lieu  Hyojin Ma

Technology and Issue
Technology - Cell Phones  Issue - Cell phone usage while driving

Project Statement
Cell phones have gradually come to play an integral role in our soceity. Despite the convenience they offer, we cannot ignore the hazards they pose. With an increasing awareness of cell phone usage while driving, there are currently hundreds of studies that have been conducted investigating the distraction caused by cell phones. Through our findings from various sources, it is our intention to analyze and inform the class about the dangerous effects of cell phone usage while driving.      

History of Cell Phones
The concept of the cellular phone was developed in 1947 which originated from the mobile car phone. The concept was produced by Bell Laboratories, researchers studied the mobile car phones and realized that by using small cells (range of service area) with frequency reuse they could increase the traffic capacity of mobile phones substantially. In the beginning years of developement, AT&T proposed that the FCC allocate a large number of radio-spectrum frequencies so that widespread mobile telephone service would become feasible and AT&T would have an incentive to research the new technology. However, FCC decided to limit the amount of frequencies available in 1947, limiting only twenty-three phone conversations possible simultaneously in the same service area. Thus, FCC can be partially blamed for the gap between the initial concept of cellular service and its availability to the public. Later in 1968, FCC reconsidered its position, stating "if the technology to build a better mobile service works, we will increase the frequencies allocation, freeing the airwaves for more mobile phones." Following FCC's restatement, Martin Cooper, a former general manager of system division of Motorola invented the first portable handset in 1973. Despite the early findings of Bell Labratories, Dr. Cooper and Motorola is considered the first to incorporate the neccessary technologies into the invention of celluar phones. By 1977, AT&T and Bell Labs had constructed a prototype cellular system, which was available to the public a year later. By 1982, the slow-moving FCC finally authorized commercial cellular service for the USA allowing greater public cell phone usage. Despite the incredible demand, it took cellular phone service 37 years to become commercially available in the United States. Consumer demand quickly outstripped the 1982 system standards. By 1987, cellular telephone subscribers exceeded one million and the airways were crowded.  <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

How Do Cell Phones Work?
Cell phones are a sophisticated and versatile "radio", much like a walkie-talkie. The inside of a cell phone contains a compact speaker, a microphone, a keyboard, a display screen and a powerful circuit board with microprocessors. How a cell phone works is not much different from a radio, in that it receives and sends radio signals, however in a much more complicated way using wireless networks. When the cell phone is turned on, it searches for a signal to confirm that service is available. The phone then transmits certain identification numbers, so the network can verify your customer information - such as your wireless provider and phone number. When making a call, the call travels through a nearby wireless antenna and is routed within the wireless network to the cell site nearest the person you called.<BR><BR>

Dangers of Cell Phone Use and Driving
Driver distraction is responsible for 25% to 30% of collisions; cellphone use while driving accounts for a major distraction. With an increased reliance on cell phones, the number of people using the device for calling and texting while driving has been steadily growing.<BR> The most obvious dangers of using cell phones while driving are: <BR> <li> drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing or texting.</li> <li> people can become so occupied in conversations that the ability to concentrate on driving is severely impaired.</li><BR> <BR> In a study conducted at the University of Illinois, over 100 students participated in an experiment that simulated the mental distrations that drivers would experience while talking on cell phones. While driving virtual cars, students were asked questions about the buildings at their University, such as their layout and other details. The results showed that listening to the experimenter, thinking about the questions and speaking the answers impaired the students' abilities to maintain a constant speed, keep a safe distance between themselves and other cars and steer steadily in the same lane. This study showed that it is the actual mental activity of talking on a phone that distracts drivers and not necessarily the handling of the cell phone. (In the case of hands-free methods that we will discuss in the next section.) <BR><BR>

In another study, titled ‘Epidemiological evidence on health risks of cellular telephones’, Dr Rothman states: <B>…the risk of a collision was about <U>four times greater</U> when the driver was using the telephone or soon after a call.</B><BR>

Furthermore, A Canadian study performed by the University of Calgary states:<BR> <B>…conversation on cell phones, both hand-held and handsfree, was found to influence driving performance. Epidemiological findings consistently showed <U>an increase in crashes associated with use of cell phones</U></B><BR> <BR><BR>

For an easier understanding, the use of cell phones while driving can be compared with the well known dangers of drunk driving. A finding from a 2003 study by the University of Utah Psychology department shows the measured response time, following distance, and driving speed of driver. It can be seen that cell phone drivers exhibited greater impairments(i.e., more accidents and less responsive driving behavior) than legally intoxicated drivers. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

The dangers of cellphone use while driving are demonstrated by numerous studies, concluding that,<BR> <li>Using a cellphone while driving slows the driver's reaction time by 18%</li> <li>Using a cellphone while driving impairs the driver's ability to maintain a stable speed and to maintain a safe distance between another car</li> <li>Cellphone use increases the risk of rear-end collisions by twofold</li> <li>Using a cellphone while driving reduces visual field attention</li> <li>Cellphone conversations increases the probability of missing red lights</li> <li>Talking to a passenger is different because a passenger can see the traffic situation and adapt the conversation accordingly or warn the drivers of an imminent danger</li><BR> <BR> Some shocking statistics from a study in England at the Transport Reasearch Laboratory: <li>On average, driver's reactions times were 30% slower while talking on a handheld device compared to being intoxicated and 50% than during normal driving conditions.</li> <li>It took driver's, on average, a third of a second longer to react than while drunk and half a second longer than normal.</li> <li>At 70mph, this means that the car would travel an extra 46 feet before the driver reacted to road conditions.</li> It goes without saying that this can easily mean the difference between life and death - either for the driver or for a victim on the road. <BR> <BR>

<BR> <BR>Prime Example of a cellphone related accident

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bruzcOyIGeg<BR><BR>

Prevention/Alternative options for using cell phones while driving
There are many ways to prevent using cell phones while driving, but when people are addicted to the use of cell phones this can make it very hard to resist. Some ways of preventing this is by turning off your cell phone before you step foot into the vehicle and putting it somewhere out of your reach like in the back seat/trunk of the vehicle, doing this can prevent fiddling around trying to find your phone while it rings and instead staying focused on driving ahead. Other alternatives would be setting up a voicemail for your callers so that you are able to reach them after you are done driving, letting someone else take the wheel and operate the cell phone as a passenger and establish a schedule for callers to reach you at an appropriate time. There are also accessories that reduce auto accidents caused by cell phone use such as Bluetooth and hands-free head sets. These accessories allow you to pick up your calls by a press of a button which can reduce the chance of an auto collision by keeping your eyes on the road ahead and having total control of the steering wheel. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Legal Actions Taken
<B>'There have been studies that show when cellphones are banned, that accident rates decrease.'</B>

The increasing awareness of accidents caused by drivers' cellphone use while driving has led to government regulations. Accidents involving a driver being distracted by talking on a mobile phone have begun to be prosecuted as negligence similar to driving while intoxicated. Despite the current laws implemented, the lack of visual enforcement has shown the ineffectiveness of the legislation. As in the case of New York, the percentage of offenders dropped approximately 1% following enforcement, however, after a year of implementation the percentages have more or less returned to their original values.

To date, the following 43 countries have banned the hand-held cellphone use while driving,<BR> Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Botswana, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.<BR>

In the United States, 5 states have banned the use of handheld phones, 17 states in total have banned the use of cell phones by novice drivers and bus drivers, and 7 states have bans against text messaging by all drivers.

In Canada, only Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland have established laws agaisnt the use of cell phones while driving. Ontario is in the process of passing a new law to ban and fine the offence. <BR>

Tips for Cellphone-Free Driving
<BR> <li>Simply turn off you phone before you start driving!</li> <li>Just let your phone ring. A lost call is better than a lost life.</li> <li>Make use of your voicemail! Let people know you are busy and that you will call them back as soon as you can.</li> <li>Let someone else drive so that you can make the calls you need to make.</li> <li>Let your passenger operate the phone.</li> <li>Let driving time be a time to relax and get away from the stresses of business calls or talkative friends. Listen to your favorite music instead.</li> <li>Finally, be a role model for other drivers. "Be the change you want to see in the world" (Ghandi)</li>

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