Billboards, television commercials, radio advertisements — all communicating the dangers of cellphone use while driving. It is common knowledge that driving while using a mobile device is dangerous, but does that stop drivers on the road today?
“An estimated 9 percent of all persons who drive during the day do so while dialing or talking on a cell phone or sending or receiving text messages,” reports a study released by the New England Journal of Medicine researching the main causes of distracted driving on Jan. 2.
“Despite knowing that texting and driving is dangerous and stupid I’ve still done it. Not very often though,” senior Jessi Alden said. “It’s usually if I’m on a longer drive and need something important, then I’ll call rather than text. Most of the time though I try to make sure my phone is in my purse so it doesn’t distract me.”
The study tested new and more experienced drivers and observed their driving while they performed a number of secondary tasks including dialing a cellphone, sending and receiving text messages, reaching for objects other than their cellphone, looking at roadside objects and eating. Out of all the possible distractions, the study cited cellphone use as the biggest cause of  both distracted driving accidents and near accidents.
Cellphone use among all drivers increases the risk of a crash by a factor of four according to the study. The study also reported that younger drivers are more prone to accidents caused by distracted driving. “The risk of a crash or near crash among novice drivers increased significantly if they were dialing a cellphone,” stated the study. These younger drivers are between the ages of 15-20 and makeup 6.4 percent of current drivers, 10 percent of motor vehicle deaths and 14 percent of motor vehicle injuries.
“With regards to the new study, I am not surprised,” said Jim Ball, a sergeant of the  Eugene Police Department Traffic Enforcement Unit. “More and more studies are being done as it becomes more apparent there is a relationship between crashes and cellphone use.”
In an attempt to reduce these crashes, Oregon passed House Bill 3186 in June 2011, which outlaws the use of mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle. The bill went into effect January 2012.
In regards to the specific amount of car accidents and ticketing due to using phones while driving after the passing of the law, Melinda McLaughlin, @@5419860497@@ EPD spokeswoman, said, “We haven’t done any studies lately and crime analysis doesn’t have capacity right now to pull a new study out. The national data pretty much holds true here.”
The law did carry some weight in dissuading some drivers from combining cellphones and driving.
“When I first started driving I did (use a cellphone while driving), but then the law got passed and I got really paranoid about being pulled over. I hate when people text and drive. They never pay attention,” said UO senior Lauren Hoffman. @@3607891749@@
 
@@7073302353Jessi@@ @@http://uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Lauren%2AHoffman@@ @@http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/04/oregon_house_committee_narrows.html@@ @@http://wot.motortrend.com/1401_new_england_journal_of_medicine_publishes_cell_phone_distraction_study.html@@@@http://klcc.org/term/melinda-mclaughlin@@