Is it morally wrong to use cellphone while driving?

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Is it morally wrong to use a cellphone while driving? I will admit right up front that I do this. It’s not illegal where I live. I’ve heard it’s dangerous though.

What do you think? It seems the most dangerous part is dialing.
 
St_John said:
Is it morally wrong to use a cellphone while driving? I will admit right up front that I do this. It’s not illegal where I live. I’ve heard it’s dangerous though.

What do you think? It seems the most dangerous part is dialing.
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Morally wrong? Maybe lack of respect for our neighbor’s safety, but not necessarily morally wrong.

There are ways you can improve your cell phone use though… use speed-dial numbers or voice recognition for dialing… wait to dial until you’re stopped at a red light or stop sign… use an ear piece so you have two hands on the wheel…

Not morally wrong, though… just safer to use caution.
 
IF it is then I think everyone is going to h*** in a hand basket.

IT is however a very dangerous and irresponsible activity. Studies show that it is very distracting and causes many accidents.

IF you have to be as brief as possible (no more than a few seconds) or just tell them to call back later or leave a message. Or just don’t answer it and they will leave a message if it is that important. It is really stupid to carry on a regular conversation. You’re putting yourself in danger and anyone else on the road at risk.

I would put it just a notch below drunk driving, not quite as bad but almost as dangerous.
 
No not morally wrong, a better word would be irresponsible. Taking your eyes off the road for only a split second can KILL you or somebody else. Are you ready to die because of a phone call? If you kill someone else then you are not only morally wrong but criminally wrong also. You could be charged with vehicle homicide. Why must you make a phone call while driving? Make it before you start off or at the end of the trip. Consider the consequences of you causing an accident:
  1. You will probably have an opportunity to finish that call in a hospital.
  2. Your insurance rates will go up.
  3. If injured you will suffer much pain.
  4. You will certainly get a ticket and a day in court.
  5. If you killed someone you could be charged with murder.
  6. That someone that you killed could be a passenger in the car with you. Your husband or child.
  7. You could get sued for every penny you have.
  8. One thing is certain. That phone call you made while driving will change your life forever.
 
It’s not morally wrong… it’s just plain stupid!! You are controlling 3000+ pounds of steel moving @ 20 to 70 miles per hour… now add the distractions:
Other drivers
Traffic
The radio
Putting on your make-up
Eating your McWhatever
Trying to drink your coffee
Trying to read the morning paper

On top of all this you are going to divert your attention to whoever’s calling, take notes, and write down what they’re telling you…all while moving down the highway @ 65MPH.

Let the d*mn thing ring & roll over into voice mail. There is no law that say you MUST answer the phone. Get to the shoulder, or somewhere safe and call your mailbox and THEN talk to whoever called…waiting 2 or 3 minutes to call back isn’t worth killing someone - least of all yourself.

I’ve got a nice BIG bumper sticker on my truck:

HANG UP AND DRIVE!!
 
From what I have read the hazards of driving while talking on a phone are about equivalent to those of driving under the influence. Therefore I would assume they are morally equivalent.
 
For those who say its wrong, would talking to a passenger in the car be wrong? Is has been shown that even hands free talking on a cell phone causes nearly as much distraction. (I read a study on this in psychology) It is merely the act of carrying on a conversation that slows reaction time. Just because you are holding a phone doesn’t make it much different than talking to a person next to you.

This is the article citation if anyone is able to look it up.

Szyfman A., Wanner G., & Spencer L. (2003). The relationship between cellular phone use, performance, and reaction time among college students: Implications for cellular phone use while driving. American Journal of Health Education, 34(2), 81.
 
Driving while on the phone isn’t morally wrong … but flippin’ off the guy/gal cruisin’ in the passing lane at 30 mph with a phone glued to the side of their head is.
 
I think it is ***not morally wrong ***if you are not aware of the possible hazardous consequences on yourself and others when you do it.

However, once the driver already knows, and persists on his/her ways (use the cellphone while driving), then ***it becomes morally wrong ***because that would mean they really don’t care if they put others in peril because of their irresponsible actions.

I know someone who had a near-accident because he was busy using his cellphone. Good thing it didn’t happen and he had fast reflexes.

I think everyone knows that we cannot do two things (well) at the same time. Example: Concentrating on driving well while concentrating on conversing on the cellphone.

We have to choose which action will be for the good of everyone: the driver, the passengers and the people on the street.

🙂
 
In some countries its against the law to use a cell phone while driving. These governments have realised its stupid and dangerous, and yes more dangerous than speaking to a passenger in the car.
 
Hi,

In my state it is illegal, however , you can use it if you have a hands free head set. I admit sometimes I do talk but only if urgent and I keep it short. Shame on me:(

BTW, I dont think it is immoral.
 
jjb5985 said:
For those who say its wrong, would talking to a passenger in the car be wrong? Is has been shown that even hands free talking on a cell phone causes nearly as much distraction. (I read a study on this in psychology) It is merely the act of carrying on a conversation that slows reaction time. Just because you are holding a phone doesn’t make it much different than talking to a person next to you.
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Some live conversations can be just as dangerous or more so. I used to have a friend who turned his head completely around to talk to folks in the back seat to carry on a conversation. I just hated to be in the same car with him.

Folks need to keep their eyes on the road and NOT on the person they are talking to. IF you’re driving and talking please do NOT turn your head towards the person you are talking to. You can talk with your eyes focused straight ahead. No one will think it is rude.
 
I feel the same way about cell phone use in the car as I do about the same in church: If that isn’t God you’re talking to, you darn well better hang up. Or pretty soon, you won’t need a cell phone to talk to God.

Kathy
 
jjb5985 said:
For those who say its wrong, would talking to a passenger in the car be wrong? Is has been shown that even hands free talking on a cell phone causes nearly as much distraction. (I read a study on this in psychology) It is merely the act of carrying on a conversation that slows reaction time. Just because you are holding a phone doesn’t make it much different than talking to a person next to you.

This is the article citation if anyone is able to look it up.

Szyfman A., Wanner G., & Spencer L. (2003). The relationship between cellular phone use, performance, and reaction time among college students: Implications for cellular phone use while driving. American Journal of Health Education, 34(2), 81.
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If your conversation with a passenger gets so involved that you are not giving sufficient attention to your driving, then yes IMO it can be just as bad as a cell phone call. Anything that takes a lot of your attention from driving is dangerous such as eating, fiddling with the radio, etc. Calls can be worse in one way because I’ve noticed people will stare off in a fixed direction more often while on a phone rather than turning their head to check traffic. They don’t seem to do that while just having a conversation with a passenger unless it is heated.

When I was a police officer we had an offense called “failure to devote full time and attention to driving.” It covered all of the above plus any other stupid things drivers do such as holding their dog in their lap and letting it climb all over the steering wheel and out their window. I don’t think anyone will care much about the moral argument if they goof up and seriously hurt/kill someone while doing something distracting in their vehicle. Prison time for vehicular manslaughter still stinks whether it was a phone call or hot coffee that fell in your lap as a cause!
 
I’m not giving up my handset until my state also makes it illegal to:
  1. Apply makeup
  2. Change clothes
  3. Talk to passengers in the car
  4. Have other passengers talking in the car
  5. Consume food and beverages
  6. Dry or fix hair
  7. Write
  8. Read
  9. Listen/watch on an ipod
  10. Have a tv in the steering wheel
  11. Sing with eyes closed
  12. Kiss/various other activities
I view this form of banning cell phones to be same as gun control. If they want to take guns away, they better take away 4x4 lumber, screwdrivers, bows and arrows, knives and swimming pools.

😃
 
I personally think that it all comes down to the circumstance and individual. I don’t think you can call out cell phone conversations without also considering conversations in general. It is a spectrum with some grey area.

If you do something that is a very minor distraction on a big empty road driving relatively slow with very little risk of it causing an accident, then there doesn’t seem to be a rational reason for finding it wrong be it talking to someone on the phone or whatever.

Likewise if carrying on a conversation (or whatever else you can think of) takes too much attention away from the road in a high speed busy traffic situation creating the likely possibility where an accident could easily happen, then it could be morally wrong assuming the condition and distraction are serious enough.

I don’t think there is an absolute answer to something of this nature as there are varying degrees of distraction that can occur with anything as well as varying degrees of focus needed depending on the driving conditions (traffic, speed, weather conditions, emptry parking lot vs. busy highway, etc.).
 
jjb5985 said:
I personally think that it all comes down to the circumstance and individual. I don’t think you can call out cell phone conversations without also considering conversations in general. It is a spectrum with some grey area.

If you do something that is a very minor distraction on a big empty road driving relatively slow with very little risk of it causing an accident, then there doesn’t seem to be a rational reason for finding it wrong be it talking to someone on the phone or whatever.

Likewise if carrying on a conversation (or whatever else you can think of) takes too much attention away from the road in a high speed busy traffic situation creating the likely possibility where an accident could easily happen, then it could be morally wrong assuming the condition and distraction are serious enough.

I don’t think there is an absolute answer to something of this nature as there are varying degrees of distraction that can occur with anything as well as varying degrees of focus needed depending on the driving conditions (traffic, speed, weather conditions, emptry parking lot vs. busy highway, etc.).
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Hey, here’s an idea. Why not take all the surveys and statistics and use them to ban cellphone use-or any other activity-when in that area.

For example, there is a highway near us that accounts for all but two of the year’s traffic deaths. !!! Why not ban activities just for that highway and enforce it with a copper on the side of the road?

Hmm??
 
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