Verizon Wireless Cell Phone News, Views and Reviews

When I was offered a change in position back in January, I thought, cool, I'll start the new year doing what I do best. Researching, blogging, tweeting about something that intrests me, technology. It never occured to me that in addition to sharing information maybe I could save a life. Now I know what you're thing, Chloe girl, don't you think you are patting yourself on the back a little hard for simply reviewing cell phones?

Let me break it down for you. First of all, last night a good friend told me what he liked about me is that I get passionate about things I feel strongly about. Little did I know that I find something today to feel strongly about. Maybe it was the video I watched or the statistics I read or I was drawing from personal near misses, but the subject of texting and driving is something I need to get passionate about. Especially teens driving and texting but let me not discriminate. Adults texting while driving is no better. Maybe the only thing they in their favor is that they've had more experience behind the wheel to act defensively if an abrupt obstruction occurs.

I am not necessarily getting behind the whole ban of cell phones while driving. I would never want to see that happen. As much as it sounds like a bad idea on paper, alot of business gets conducted on cell phones while people are commmuting. So the way around the talking and dialing is get a Bluetooth or a hands-free device if you don't want to spend the money. Wireless Zone stores give them away for free. Use Voice dial. If you don't know how, email me and I'll tell you how to do it. But there is no solution to texting. It just needs to stop. Nothing good can come from a person (especially a teen) constantly looking up and down while driving. The time it takes to type one word will kill a child running out into the street chasing a ball that you didn't see beforehand.

I urge you to read the statistics below and please watch this video and consider this exceptional service for yourself or perhaps for your teen driver. Wireless Zone will not benefit from this in any way except for keeping our customers and anyone their car comes in contact with safe and quite possibly alive while using our devices.

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about one in three of all drivers use a cell phone while driving. Other federal studies say the figure is much higher - finding that over 70% of all cell phone users talk on the cell phone while driving. 
• AAA attributes 330,000 highway injuries annually to cell phones being used while driving
• In 2007, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone or text messaging, contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers.
• Over 60 percent of American teens admit to risky driving, and nearly half of those that admit to risky driving also admit to text messaging behind the wheel.
• Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year.

Related Links

Aegis Mobility
“Crashproof Your Kids – Make Your Teen A Safer, Smarter Driver”
National Safety Council’s Alive at 25 website
SADD-Teens Admit Text Messaging Most Distracting While Driving

Some statistics taken from:
AAA
"Driving, Texting Just Don't Mix Well." The Pittsburgh Channel. May 2007.
"PennDOT Teen Driver Safety Week News Release." Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. October 22, 2008.
"Cellphones and Driving." Insurance Information Institute. October 2008.
"AMA acts against trans fats, texting while driving." Washington Post. November 10, 2008.