d highway funds from states that did not ban hand-held cell phone use in cars. The Senate version differs from the House version in that it gives states the option of banning all cell phone use while driving or allowing use when a hands-free device is used . Also, it may be relevant to point out that other countries throughout the world believe that there is a need to restrict or prohibit the use of a cell phone in vehicles. Europe, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Switzerland, and Spain all have some form of limits placed on the use of cell phones while driving. Many of these countries allow use with hands-free devices (Moore).Studies and ReportsMany studies have been conducted based on the limited number of statistic sets available pertaining to the use of cell phones while driving. The limited supply of data relevant to these studies is due to the fact that there are different forms of recording reports for accidents and also because in the past, cell phones were not cited when they played a role in an accident. On the next page are several studies that are often cited by regulators.Studies Based on Driving/Traffic Statistics:XThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 20 to 30 percent of all crashes are due to driver distractions and that cell phones were among the biggest distractions to drivers .XA study published in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reviewed 699 collisions involving vehicles that had cell phones. The study concluded that the risk of a collision when using a cell phone was four times higher than the risk when a cell phone was not being used. The study acknowledged that the causes of collisions are complicated, but errors on the part of the drivers contribute to more than 90 percent of events .XAnother study shows that as many as 730,000 auto crashes in the U.S. each year are caused by cell phone use, with up to ...
