DrivingandDialing

Please answer all questions using completes sentences.

Prereading
Questions:
Howmanypeopledoyouthinkusecellphoneswhile
driving?

Doyouthinkitssafetodriveanddial?

Whatareyouhopingtolearnfromthisreading?

Definitions:
Prohibittonotallowbylaw

Reading
IntheUnitedStatesover190millionpeopleusedcellphonesasofJune2005,comparedwith

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approximately4.3millionin1990.Increasedrelianceoncellphoneshasledtoariseinthenumberof
peoplewhousethemwhiledriving.
Therearetwodangerswithdrivingandusingacellphone.First,driversmusttaketheireyesoffthe
roadwhiledialing.Second,peoplecanbecomesoabsorbedintheirconversationsthattheirabilityto
concentrateontheactofdrivingisseverelyimpaired.
SincethefirstlawbanninghandheldcellphoneusewhiledrivingwaspassedinNewYorkin2001,
therehasbeendebateastotheexactnatureanddegreeofhazard.Atfirstsafetyexpertsfocusedonthe
problemaspartofthelargeroneofdriverdistractionsingeneral.Thesecanincludeanythingthatreduces
driverconcentrationonroadhazardssuchasdrinkingcoffeeortalkingwithanotherpassenger.
Nowthereisincreasingevidencethatthedangersassociatedwithcellphoneuseoutweighthoseof
otherdistractions.Safetyexpertsalsoacknowledgethatthehazardposedbycellphoneconversationsisnot
eliminated,andmayevenbeincreased,bytheuseofhandsfreesets.
AgovernmentstudyreleasedinJune2005indicatesthatthedistractionofcellphonesandother
wirelessdeviceswasfarmorelikelytoleadtocrashesthanotherdistractionsfacedbydrivers.Researchers
tracked100carsandtheirdriversforayearandconcludedthattalkingoncellphonescausedfarmore
crashes,nearcrashesandotherincidentsthanotherdistractions.
Manystudieshaveshownthatusinghandheldcellphoneswhiledrivingcanconstituteahazardous
distraction.Whataboutahandsfreephone?Studiesshowtheuseofhandsfreesetsmayevenbeworse.
AstudyfromtheUniversityofUtahfoundthatmotoristswhotalkedonhandsfreecellphoneswere

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18percentslowerinbrakingandtook17percentlongertoregainthespeedtheylostwhentheybraked.An
earlierUniversityofUtahstudybythesameresearchersfoundthatdriverstalkingonhandsfreecellphones
werelesslikelytorecallseeingpedestrians,billboardsorotherroadsidefeatures.
Cellphonesplayanintegralroleinoursociety.However,theconveniencetheyoffermustbe
judgedagainstthehazardstheypose.Thenumberofstatelegislaturesdebatingmeasuresthataddressthe
problemofcellphoneusewhiledrivingcontinuestorise.FourstatesColorado,Delaware,Marylandand
Tennesseebannedtheirusebyyoungdriversin2005.InMayofthesameyear,thecityofChicago
bannedtheuseofhandheldcellphoneswhiledriving.
TheU.S.isnottheonlycountrywithlawsaboutcellphoneusewhiledriving.Asmanyas40other
countriesrestrictorprohibittheuseofdrivinganddialing.

Understanding
Your answers can be as long as required.
1. What does the word distraction mean? _________________________________________________
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2. List some types of distractions. What is one of the worst kinds?
_____________________________
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3. Are hands-free sets safer than hand-held phones? Why or why not? __________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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4. What is a synonym for the word integral? ______________________________________________

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5. Which research findings surprised you the most? _________________________________________
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6. Which research findings surprised you the least?
_________________________________________

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7. What does the word debate mean? ____________________________________________________

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8. Which state was the first to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving?_________________
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Writing
Option A:

Summarize the reading in your own words.

Option B:

Write about your own cell phone use while driving. If you dont own a cell phone, write

about others you know who drive and dial. Do you know someone who has been in an
accident due to cell phone use? Explain.
Option C: What kind of laws, if any, do think there should be about cell phone use while driving?
Why?
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