Decisions, Decisions...

When faced with the dilemma of whether or not to talk on your mobile device while driving, be it through text messaging, instant messaging or having an actual phone conversation, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. In the state of Connecticut is against the law to use a hand-held mobile device while in the act of operating an automobile. Many people feel that they are likely to drive better when they are utilizing their mobile device because of the fact that they are attempting to concentrate on two things at once. Some people may even try to say that they could simply utilize the GPS on their cell phone and consequently not have to pay as close of attention to the road. Failure to comply with said legislation will lead to a rather hefty fine and a mark on your driving record. The choice of course is yours in the end, but it seems as though the quandry is resolved rather simply. To chat or not to chat, that is the question.

Don't Text and Drive

Don't text and drive, it can cause accidents

Also, may want to bundle up if you're in Alberta, Canada.

The Consequences of Using your phone while driving

Using your cell phone while driving causes accidents, especially in drivers between the ages of 16 and 17.

If you don't refrain from using your cellphone while driving, you could be pulled over and fined, or worse, become involved in a serious accident.

If you refrain from using your phone while driving, that includes texting, you greatly reduce your susceptibility to becoming involved in accidents.

It's easy, turn your phone off, or leave it out of reach. The call or text can wait until you're safely parked.

An explanation of each post

Post #1 (pretty girl)

This post shows a smiling, pretty girl not using a phone while driving. While this picutre in and of itself isn't terribly specific, if you put it in the context of "she's happy  because she's not using her phone while in the car" The assocative bridge is made.

Post #2 (Wayne's World)

This post takes advantage of an iconic scene from a well loved movie, Wayne's World. The basic message, assuming you don't look too deeply into it, is that it's more fun to drive when you're not on your phone, so you have more time to goof off and headbang to Freddie Mercury. (And hopefully the implications of "well that's dangerous too!" are totally ignored)

Post #3

This post utilizes intensity to get its message across. In the case of this post specifically, an accident was literally caused by a cell phone. There's some sort of meta hoodoo going on in this post, since it's implied that cell phones cause accidents, and even more, rogue gigantic cell phones are no less dangerous.

Post #4

This one's message was based on repitition. I figured I'd take a bit of an obscure, terrifying mythical creature, and give a convincing, repetitive message against using the phone while driving. It's tongue in cheek sure, but I'm sure it's at least entertaining enough to make someone stop and think.

Post #5

This post deals with subliminal messaging, obviously we couldn't make a subliminal message, no tools for it here. However, we managed to break down simple messages that could trigger subconscious responses from us. Things like "wait" "slow down" etc. Nothing too specific

Post #6

This is the first of the credible communicator posts. Basically the angle was "Morgan Freeman is cool as all hell, and against using your phone while driving, so you should probably listen to him" It's got the one-two punch of both classical conditioning (associating cool with non-cell use) and having Morgan Freeman, the most credible communicator I could think of.

Post #7

The is the second credible communicator. For this one we used Dr. Phil. He is most likely a bit more credible to the average person, since he's got a Dr. before his name, so people would be inclined to listen to him.

Post #8

This is the fear-inductor. We used the formula given to get our message across against driving and using the phone, not getting too fact heavy, just a simple, visceral message I guess.

Post #9

This is a simple message with a couple distracting elements in it, namely a irrelevant picture of both a hamster eating a carrot, and a random weather ticker (that doesn't work). Also fiddled with the font to make it more "enticing" in the corporate sense.

Post #10

This was a complex, two sided message. The intent of it is to appeal to central root processing, to do this, we presented both sides of the argument, and in the end lent our opinion that it would be better to follow our message of not using your phone while driving.

Dr. Phil Speaks Out!!!!!

Along with numerous other celebrities, Dr. Phil decided to take the plunge and sign onto Oprah Winfrey's "No Phone Zone Pledge", which is an attempt to curb mobile device usage while driving, hence decreasing the number of accidents which can be attributed to holding a phone conversation, text messaging or any other activity which involves the use of a hand-held cellular phone. Dr. Phil has been heralded for years as true adviser to many who have been in search of answers and guidance to the problems that every day life throws our way. His daily television show is viewed by almost 4.5 million people and he has authored multiple best-selling books.

Survey

It's a survey son!

(It's not this one, it's better!)

Aww yeah questions and shit!

Cell Phone Usage and the Unconscious Mind

Is it possible that people could be coerced into not talking on their cell phones while driving through subliminal messaging? Studies show that selective programming is only effective if the message is short and to the point, therefore the only option that any sort of regulatory agency would be left with would be to insert keywords such as "WAIT!", "CONCENTRATE!" and "FOCUS!" The likelihood of a subliminal message such as "DON'T TALK ON YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING!" working is not all substantial because the conscious mind would likely become aware of the aim of said messenger.

The Most Interesting Spokesman in the World

You know who also thinks that you shouldn't drive and talk on a phone? Morgan Freeman. Seriously, the man is like three orders of magnitude cooler than you'll ever be. Have you seen March of the Penguins? It would be worth becoming a penguin, the whole painful process it probably is and all of that, just to have Morgan goddamn Freeman narrate your life.

(Seriously, at this point, him owning a pet cougar would only degrade his coolness. That's how awesome he is)

So listen to (the man who played) God, and don't use your phone while driving.

Oh and yeah, of course I've got a source for this.

Bam! Right here baby

Oprah and Tina Fey are on board as well, but they aren't nearly as amazing as Morgan Freeman so they're more like bonuses.

Life or Death?!?!?!?!

Do you enjoy living? If you do, then my advice would be not to engage in cell phone usage while you are driving. In Connecticut is illegal to use a hand-held mobile device while operating a motor vehicle. The year 2007 saw 16 and 17 year old teenagers involved in nearly 1,000 accidents which were attributed to cell phone usage and/or text messaging while driving.


The information provided in this post came from this article.

For the Love(craft) of God

Cthulu says don't use your phone while drive. Don't even think, for a second, of using your phone while driving. Don't even think about it, put it in the backseat. OFF. Hell, put it in your trunk, just in case. Because if you don't, Cthulu will come and find you, and bifurcate your car faster than you can breathe. So don't use your phone while driving, really, seriously don't use it while driving. I don't think you understand the magnitude of evoking the ire of Cthulu, so do us all a favor, and for the love of FSM, don't use your phone while driving.

We Fear Change

(It's hard to headbang while talking on your phone in the car)

Sexy Susie Says...

Sexy Susie Says, "I am so much happier not talking on my cell phone while I drive!"

Sources

A few interesting things that I found, mostly mentioned in the blog posts. In MLA FORMAT!

Works Cited

Foresman, Chris. "Wireless Survey: 91% of Americans Use Cell Phones." Ars Technica. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. <http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2010/03/wireless-survey-91-of-americans-have-cell-phones.ars>.

Iii, Ashley Halsey. "U.S. Teens Report 'frightening' Levels of Texting While Driving - Washingtonpost.com." Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - Washingtonpost.com. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111602174.html>.

"Pictures of Cell Phones." Web. <http://ipcassociation.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/evolution-of-cell-phones-resulting-from-rd.jpg>.

Social Engineering to Fix the Problem

As I said before, this is viewed as more of a social problem as opposed to a technological problem. We love our cell phones, they allow us to talk to anyone, at any time. Feeling anti-social but still need human contact? Overly neurotic about not saying the exact. right. thing. ? Just send a text then, much easier.

Since this is seen as more of a social problem, the highest order of social protectors, namely the law, has decided that it is their place to step in. Can't blame them, with the number of what is colloquially known as "distracted driving" deaths on the rise.

So what's the first thing that happens when lawmakers decide that they don't like something? They outlaw it of course! (worked so well with Cannabis didn't it...?) So there has been a push the past few years to adopt legislation banning and levying fines against people who use cell phones while they drive.

Highway Safety Institute Cell Phone Laws by State

Too bored to read that? I'll give you a TL;DR. New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Hawaii Idaho and Nevada are the only states without any restrictions on cell phone use of any kind. It is interesting to note that outside of Hawaii, which is often out of the loop anyways, living all by itself on that tiny set of islands far out to sea, most of these places are pretty open areas. Not drawing any conclusions, just wanted to link them together somehow, nothing like good ol' state camaraderie.

Connecticut (where I live) has rather tough laws on cell phone use. And the cops do indeed enforce these laws, they're pretty much a money piñata, bursting at the seams, and the police have rather large sticks. And no blindfolds. And guns.

Anyways, back on topic, campaigns running imaginative ads like this one;

 

(Probably in between the "Welcome to Connecticut" sign and the one behind it saying "For the love of god turn around and never look back, get out while you can")

These ads have been popping more and more prolifically across the country, seemingly more popular than drunk driving ads, but yet second best to the Click it or Ticket campaign, at least in CT.

 (Fear the click it or ticket beetle. FEAR IT)

So yeah, long story short, they've decided that the best way to counteract "distracted driving" is to run ad campaigns and change laws essentially outlawing the act. Actually, social change this way, as ham fisted as it is, seems to work. Look at drunk driving, since law enforcement really started stepping up its efforts to cut down on this (and it is awful don't get me wrong) it's gone from something everyone seems to do, to a one way ticket to social pariah-hood. And that's not a bad thing in the slightest. 

I've never really seen the point of texting/talking on the phone while driving, then again I'm never driving more than an hour or so at a stretch, and I'm in college so I don't get many calls that simply can't wait. And when I do, I can just use speaker.

Technological Fixes

There aren't too many ways to fix texting and using cell phones while driving technologically. The aims of most campaigns to stop this are more focused on drivers making responsible choices, as opposed to forcing cellphones to stop working above, say, 25 mph, which would be terribly inconvenient.

However, there is one small change that cell phone manufacturers have made over the years to attempt to stem the flow of cell use in cars. Partly due to the changing laws across America, most phones offer "hands free" phone options. This removes the need to physically hold the phone while driving, and removes the need to take one hand off the wheel to hold the phone. Obviously the idea behind this is that if a person is simply talking, it's no different from having a conversation with a passenger.

The biggest market of hands free devices are the various Bluetooth devices, or as I like to think of them, ear bugs, that you see all sorts of affluent, or people who want to give off the persona of affluence wearing. These devices are essentially headsets that connect wirelessly to cell phones.

 

(No the headsets don't look like this, but it would AWESOME if they did. Imagine that, driving to work, feeling like a fighter pilot all damn day aww yeah. That'd be amazing.)

(No they unfortunately, |and boringly| look like this)

History of the social problem

The dangers of cell phone use while driving is a relatively new phenomenon. Phone use in cars has been around since the 1980s, with car phones, but they weren't nearly as popular as they are now.

It is estimated that 91% of Americans today have and use a cellphone, and obviously a good majority of those users use the phone while driving (arstechnica).

According to the Medical News Today, there is a marked decrease in the ability to maintain a consistent speed, and keeping the car in a single lane while people use cell phones while driving.

"New research shows that people have greater difficultly maintaining a fixed speed, or keeping their car safe in a single lane when performing tasks that simulated conversing on a mobile phone, than if they were driving without the distraction. Contrary to expectation, the speaking and listening were equally distracting. The research was conducted at the University of Illinois and will be published in the next edition of Applied Cognitive Psychology."

This is most certainly a recent problem, as cell phones were for a long time an exponentially growing trend. The old mindset was that phones would keep getting smaller and smaller, which was true.

(As clearly shown by this photo, anonymous cell models ftw!)

Interestingly enough, in today's day and age, cell phones have stopped getting smaller. They have in fact grown slightly, however, this size increase is not proportional to their increase in functionality, going from making phone calls to having fully capable web browsers right on the phone. Cell phone use while driving now not only covers making calls, but perhaps even more deadly, the dangers of texting while driving. Texting while driving is now one of the main issues, especially in teenagers between the ages of 16 and 17

"Drivers younger than 20 had the highest distracted-driving fatality rate among all age groups last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drivers 20 to 29 ranked second.
The administration said that 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving." (Washington Post)

Clearly, texting while driving is a huge issue in society today, and society is working hard to adapt and keep drivers safer on the roads