Can You Use Your Cell Phone While Driving

This question often comes up when people see other's using their cell phones behind the wheel. Is it illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving? And if so, is it possible to make a call on your cell phone? These are very difficult and knotty questions that have many answers. It all depends on where you live in the world.

Some countries allow their citizens to use their cell phones while driving if they are using a hands free device. In the United States of America however, using a hands free device whilst driving is actually against the law. Many states have made this illegal because the distraction it causes is great. This means that drivers must have both hands on the wheel at all times.

One place that many drivers do not think to look at when considering this is that in some states drivers are required to use a hands free device. So is it illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving in some places? Actually yes, it is illegal. In certain states of the USA it is the law and they also state that it is against the public policy to use a hand phone while driving. This means that if you are caught doing this your case will be stronger if you can show that there is an immediate need to make a call because of traffic problems.

Another reason for why using hand held mobile phones is against the law is that it distracts the driver. It is difficult to focus when you are using a phone and driving. The best option is always to make a call and wait until the next available signal has free space. Many accidents could have been avoided if drivers had used their mobile phones instead of concentrating on the road.

There are of course many other reasons as to why using cell phones whilst driving is illegal. The three most important ones are that they can distract other drivers, they can increase the risk of serious accidents and they can create the risk of death or injury to other drivers. Studies have shown that cell phones are used by teenagers far more frequently than any other group. This is hardly surprising as they have so many responsibilities to deal with at school and at home. It seems that they do not have time to concentrate on driving, which is a dangerous combination.

The second reason why using a hand held mobile phone is illegal is that cell phones are extremely powerful. As the speed of sound increases, the impact of a text message or email can be magnified. A well-designed alarm will not even phase a smart phone. They can send texts and pictures to your spouse and children, and stream videos to your teen's mobile phone. That is a lot of communication data passing through a single device. It is quite conceivable that in an accident, one of these phones could send a message to the other driver to say, "You're killing me, don't you? You should pay attention."

However, the problem with this argument is that people are not likely to be texting and driving at the same time. A person could be sending an SMS to their wife or girlfriend while they are on the motorway holding their child. That is not against the law per se, but if there is any way of proving that you were indeed sending a message then it would be very difficult to apply the same law to hand held mobiles. This is because text messaging is only a form of communication when the phone is in a hands-free holder.

In addition to these arguments, it is unlikely that hand held mobiles are used for personal matters only. Many mobile phone users make use of their phone for making business and personal calls. This means that they are using their phone more for purposes other than calling home. Is it illegal to use a cell phone whilst driving? The answer to that question is no.