Using Cellular Phones While Driving: Advantages, Disadvantages and Concerns by Telecommunication Stakeholders

Using Cellular Phones While Driving

An issue that has been of some concern to the telecommunication industry in recent years is that of cellular phone use while operating a motor vehicle. This issue has been the subject of much debate among consumer, industry and government stakeholders. Most consumer stakeholders, such as the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, agree that cell phone use while driving is an unsafe and hazardous distraction, while others feel that it is a new luxury provided by the advances in telecommunication. For industry stakeholders, this issue provides added markets for technological advances. For example, the sale of "hands-free" cellular phone devices has increased profits for many cell phone distributors. Another industry stakeholder, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), uses the issue of "phoning and driving" as a chance to educate and inform the public on the advantages of motorized cellular phone use.

The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety represents a consumer stakeholder because it is an alliance comprised of consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies that work together to make the roads safer in America.

mobile phone mast

English: A cell phone tower in Palatine, Illinois,...

mobile phone masts

They encourage the adoption of federal and state laws regarding driver safety. Their stance on the use of cellular phone use while driving is limit driver distraction. They propose that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should "develop human factors criteria and determine needs for driver attention and use this research as the basis for regulating the proliferation of in-vehicle displays and other in-vehicle technology that divert driver attention" (www.savvymotoring.com). This broad restriction also includes limitations on cell phone use. Their consumer studies and statistics show that 76 percent of Americans favor legislation that would restrict the use of cell phones while driving and 83 percent want more attention paid to the issue of cell...