Every year, research is done on the safety concerns over talking on cell phones while driving, and local law enforcement officials agree that cell phones are a major distraction to drivers and nothing is being done to combat the problem.“If you walk outside your door, the majority of people driving will be on cell phones,” Sylacauga Police Chief Louis Zook said. “I think it’s an increasing problem, especially if people are using their phones in a really congested area such as an intersection where there’s pedestrian activity. The cell phone is one more thing added to distracting drivers.”
Talladega Police Chief Alan Watson said sending a text message while driving is even worse than talking on a cell phone.
“When people are trying to dial a number, they have to look down at the buttons,” he said. “Over the past few years, there were two or three traffic accidents here where you could show that the cell phone was the cause.”
Pell City Police Chief Greg Turley said cell phones aren’t the only thing that can potentially distract drivers.
“I’ve seen people have accidents trying to eat while they drive,” he said. “The same problem comes up with listening to the radio and talking to someone in the car with you. Anything that would distract a driver is a hazard.”
Turley said using hands-free sets doesn’t make it safer to talk on the phone while driving.
“The problem isn’t corrected with hands-free sets because the person is still involved mentally in the process of conversation,” he said. “If you’re not focused on the road, you’ll end up following the car in front of you too close. You’ll have trouble stopping in time. You might miss a turn and have to make an illegal U-turn.”
Turley said it’s the driver’s responsibility to practice safe driving.
“We need to give outreach and education about useful strategies to the public like pulling over to the side of the road if they need to make a call or doing other things to reduce the work load in the car. I don’t think there is a clear solution here.
“Talking on cell phones while driving is the social and convenient thing to do. I think as long as the technology is there, drivers will continue to talk on the cell phones. All we can do is ask people to be responsible.”
Watson said the state needs to put in place new laws that would decrease the amount of time people use their cell phones while driving.
“Legislators need to maybe look at the issue of people talking on cell phones while driving on the interstate,” he said. “Possibly look at a mile per hour situation.”
Zook said he doesn’t think it would matter if there was a law banning the use of cell phones while driving.
“Cell phones have become so much a part of our society,” he said. “I’m not sure if outlawing it would be an answer. It would be another burden on law enforcement officials to try to put in effect a law that can’t be enforced.”
