Let’s stop drivers from using cell phones

To the editor:

The state of Nevada should ban the use of cell phones while driving, considering the number of accidents caused by them. This is an issue that has been discussed in all states around the nation, but what about Nevada?

The facts spell it all out.

According to a 2003 Harvard study, 2,600 traffic deaths are caused by cell phone distractions every year. Other studies show that drivers are four times more likely to crash while on the phone. These numbers prove that cell phones are a distraction for all drivers on the road.

Also, in Nevada, it is unlawful to drive a vehicle while not giving full attention to the road. According to the law, accepted one score and a year ago, violators can be given a $1,000 fine. Well, isn't that the same as using a cell phone while driving? A cell phone distracts a person, making him not pay "full attention" to the road.

Thirty states, along with the District of Columbia and Guam, have already restricted the use of cell phones while driving. According to a New York Times poll, about 80 percent of people in the United States believe talking on a hand-held cell phone should be banned while driving.

The numbers prove exactly why a law should be passed, but scientific evidence can help also. It has been proved by scientists that the human brain of a driver cannot fully function with a cell phone to the ear.

Erin Breen, the director of UNLV's Safe Community Partnership, noted recently: "Your brain is more distracted when you are talking to someone who is not in your presence than if you are talking to someone sitting next to you."

Driving while using a cell phone should be banned, and a proper punishment should meted out to the violators. The roads need to be kept safe for all.

Alex Shackley

Las Vegas