Annotated Bibliography: Using the Phone While Driving

Statement of Scope

One of the leading causes of accidents and deaths on roads is attributed to use of mobile phones by drivers while driving. Several research studies have revealed that driving using mobile phone impairs driving performance amongst many drivers. Driving while talking on phone distracts the attention of the driver. Conversations over the phone may arouse emotions distracting the attention of the driver hence causing accidents. Emotional news such as death of a close ally may affect the psychology of a driver leading to loss of control of the vehicle.

Lisa Dorn. Driver behavior and training, 4(2010):237

The purpose of this study aimed at finding out the frequency at which drivers use their phone while driving. The rate of phone use has increased over the years owing to increase in the number of mobile phones in the market. The increase in supply has seen many people own mobile phones and even seen the number of those using them increase. However, some countries have enacted legislations aimed at controlling the use of phone while driving. The researcher studied a number of drivers at the Mount Pleasant by observing their behaviors while driving. Results revealed that indeed a considerable number of drivers answered phone calls. Most of the drivers who spoke on their phones were responding to a call as opposed to calling other people. However, in study conducted by Lisa (2002), most drivers were found to use hand-held mobile phones as opposed to free hand phones in communicating with others. Even though people are aware of the dangers involved with talking on phone while driving and even know that it is illegal, they continue to use phones while driving. For instance, in a study conducted in Spain in 2007 revealed that 60 percent of drivers used phones while driving despite the behavior being illegal.

Abdul Shabeer & Richard Wahidabanu. Averting mobile phone use while driving and technique to locate the mobile phone used vehicle, In International Conference on Communication Technology and System Design 2011, Procedia Engineering. 30(2010):623-630.

Even though laws in many countries prohibit use of phones while driving, there are a number of cases that are reported on daily basis where people use phones while driving. When it comes to the issue of gender, both men and women use phones while driving. However, the number of male involved is higher compared to that of women. For instance, in a study conducted in Western Australia in 2001 found out that 1.5 percent of drivers that were observed used mobile phones while driving. These statistics shows that there is still a good number of people that contravene the rules of the road and talk on their phones while driving. Likewise, the researcher while observing the use of phones by drivers while driving on Mount Pleasant found out that a larger number of drivers spotted using their phones while driving were male. Various reasons explain why there are disparities between male and female drivers that use phones and those that do not use it. Some of the reasons are that women tend to be obedience and usually abide the traffic rules than male. This therefore helps to explain the low number of women that use phones while driving. Observation also revealed that young male drivers were notorious in speaking on phone while driving as opposed to the older people. The reason behind this observation is that young people are full of energy and most of the time they want to feel that they can be able to multitask. They engage in this risk behavior without knowing the consequences that they put themselves in. Many other researchers have revealed that women who normally converse while driving have a higher risk of causing accidents as opposed to men. Furthermore, emotional conversations are more distractive than factual conversation and therefore, increase the rate of errors and accidents. Emotional distraction has equal effects on both genders.

Alasdair Cain & Mark Burris. Investigation of the use of mobile phones while driving. Pennsylvania State University: Diane Pub Co. (1999).

When it comes to stopping safely on scenes of accident and stop signs, women adhere to the rules and normally reduce their speed compared to men. Women drive safe compared to the men and most accidents that occur on roads involves men. Even though, most accidents that occur in roads are a result of many causes, most of them are caused by men. Women are more attentive and are concerned about their safety, which makes them to drive carefully. Therefore, women are not involved in many cases of reckless driving as they observe or adhere to the traffic rules. When it comes to accident scenes, women sometimes are fearful and show a lot of concern by stopping and allowing necessary action to be taken before proceeding on with the journey compared to male counterparts. Therefore, this shows that in general, woman are more concerned about careful driving and in most instances, they may not use phones while driving as compared to men.

Daniel Sturnquist. Mobile phones and driving. New York: Nova Science Publishers, (2006): 81

In conclusion, road safety is important to both the driver and other road users. One of the causes of accidents and errors that are caused on our roads is due to careless use of phones. This happens amidst awareness by the drivers of the dangers involved in using phones while driving. The laws should be put in place to ensure that those who go against this directive are taken to court. Many cases have been reported concerning accidents caused by talking on phone while driving. Both men and women have the responsibility of ensuring that there is safety on roads to avoid unnecessary accidents.

Works cited

Cain, Alasdair & Mark Burris. Investigation of the use of mobile phones while driving. Pennsylvania State University: Diane Pub Co. (1999).

<http://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Investigation_of_the_use_of_mobile_phone.html ?id=FNbZAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y>

Dorn, Lisa. Driver behavior and training: Human Factors in Road and Rail Transport. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 4(2010):237

<http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=AttAdAwJ5HwC&pg=PA145&dq=Lisa+Dorn.+Dr iver+behavior+and+training,+4%282010%29:237&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1R31T5TiIs_vsgb6 nsjEBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false>

Shabeer, Abdul & Richard Wahidabanu. Averting mobile phone use while driving and technique to locate the mobile phone used vehicle, In International Conference on Communication Technology and System Design 2011, Procedia Engineering. 30(2010):623-630.

< http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/results?sid=c1a58e8e-77f3-48a3-8a20- 9a7b1ccc281%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=115&bquery=using+AND+phone+AND+ while+AND+driving&bdata=JnR5cGU9MCZzaXRlPWVkcy1saXZl>

Sturnquist, Daniel. Mobile phones and driving. New York: Nova Science Publishers, (2006): 81

<http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=riVZ47SBIfQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Daniel+ Sturnquist.+Mobile+phones+and+driving.+%282006%29:+81&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Fh71T 6j0HcPJtAa-rezlBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false>