The Dangers of Cell Phones

A cell phone seems harmless enough, but in the UK they are getting worried. Studies have been done that show drivers are four times more likely to crash if they are talking on their phones and they are of the opinion that hands free kits don't help very much. The UK Police are planning to ban the use of phones completely while in the car - it is just too distracting. Insurance companies and the police are able to use cell phone records to see if the driver was on the phone when an accident happened and this could result in a person's insurance being denied or a jail sentence.

Drivers are not the only ones at risk. Pedestrians are also getting into trouble as they are falling off pavements, crashing into each other and getting hit by cars. Another British study revealed that 48% of people using phones for chatting or texting would step out in front of cars, while ipod users were much more cautious. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm

The situation has catastrophic potential if you have a pedestrian and a driver having a chat at the same time!

The whole idea of having your phone records checked opens up the issue of surveillance, control and privacy. Where will the line be drawn? Surveillance is great for a parent to keep track of their child and for police to track down criminals, but when does a parent monitoring a child become invasive? How do we control who has access and who does not? There are so many ethical and legal questions There is potential for mis-use and invasion of privacy, which is probably already happening. This is an issue with many modern technologies, such as cameras, internet, satellite as well as cell phones. To me, the benefits outweigh the dangers. However, for many companies, trade secrets and confidential deals could mean the difference between keeping a competitive advantage and loosing everything. The privacy of celebrities might be at risk, or the victims and witnesses of crimes could be tracked by those whose freedom they threaten. The potential problems for some people is enormous.

There are many benefits of this same technology that are quite impressive, aside from tracking down people talking while driving. Cameras monitor streets and businesses; satellites broadcast television and radio all over the world, as well as controlling armies, planes and ships; cell phones allow for almost immeasurable communication possibilities.