CASE 1 Chapter 4 LOUDON

    Author: Unknown Genre:
    Rating


    CHAPTER 4 LOUDON
    CASES 1
    THE PERILS OF TEXTING





    Cell phones have become a staple of modern society. Nearly everyone has them, and people carry and use them at all hours of the day. For the most part, this is a good thing: the benefits of staying connected at any time and at any location are considerable. But if you’re like most Americans, you may regularly talk on the phone or even text while at the wheel of a car. This dangerous behavior has resulted in increasing numbers of accidents and fatalities caused by cell phone usage. The trend shows no sign of slowing down. In 2003, a federal study of 10,000 drivers by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) set out to determine the effects of using cell phones behind the wheel. The results were conclusive: talking on the phone is equivalent to a 10- point reduction in IQ and a .08 blood alcohol level, which law enforcement considers intoxicated. Handsfree sets were ineffective in eliminating risk, the study found, because the conversation itself is what distracts drivers, not holding the phone. Cell phone use caused 955 fatalities and 240,000 accidents in 2002. Related studies indicated that drivers that talked on the phone while driving increased their crash risk fourfold, and drivers that texted while driving increased their crash risk by a whopping 23 times.

    Since that study, mobile device usage has grown by an order of magnitude, worsening this already dangerous situation. The number of wireless subscribers in America has increased by around 1,000 percent since 1995 to nearly 300 million overall in 2010, and Americans’ usage of wireless minutes increased by approximately 6,000 percent.This increase in cell phone usage has been accompanied by an upsurge in phone-related fatalities and accidents: In 2010, it’s estimated that texting caused 5,870 fatalities and 515,000 accidents, up considerably from prior years. These figures are roughly half of equivalent statistics for drunk driving. Studies show that drivers know that using the phone while driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do on the road, but refuse to admit that it’s dangerous when they themselves do it.

    Of users that text while driving, the more youthful demographic groups, such as the 18–29 age group, are by  far the most frequent texters. About three quarters of Americans in this age group regularly text, compared to just 22 percent of the35–44 age group. Correspondingly, the majority of accidents involving mobile device use behind the wheel involve young adults. Among this age group, texting behind the wheel is just one of a litany of problems raised by frequent texting: anxiety, distraction, failing grades, repetitive stress injuries, and sleep deprivation are just some of the other problems brought about by excessive use of mobile devices. Teenagers are particularly prone to using cell phones to text because they want to know what’s happening to their friends and are anxious about being socially isolated. Analysts predict that over 800 billion text messages will be sent in 2010. Texting is clearly here to stay, and in fact has supplanted phone calls as the most commonly used method of mobile communication.

    People are unwilling to give up their mobile devices because of the pressures of staying connected. Neurologists have found that the neural response to multitasking by texting while driving suggests that people develop addictions to the digital devices they use most, getting quick bursts of adrenaline, without which driving becomes boring.There are interests opposed to legislation prohibiting cell phone use in cars. A number of legislators believe that it’s not state or federal government’s role to prohibit poor decision making. Auto makers, and some safety researchers, are arguing that with the proper technology and under appropriate conditions, communicating from a moving vehicle is a manageable risk. Louis Tijerina, a veteran of the NHTSA and Ford Motor Co. researcher, notes that even as mobile phone subscriptions have surged to over 250 million during the past decade, the death rate from accidents on the highways has fallen.

    Nevertheless, lawmakers are increasingly recognizing the need for more powerful legislation barring drivers from texting behind the wheel. Many states have made inroads with laws prohibiting texting while operating vehicles. In Utah, drivers crashing while texting can receive 15 years in prison, by far the toughest sentence for texting while driving in the nation when the legislation was enacted. Utah’s law assumes that drivers understand the risks of texting while driving, whereas in other states, prosecutors must prove that the driver knew about the risks of texting while driving before doing so.

    Utah’s tough law was the result of a horrifying accident in which a speeding college student, texting at the wheel, rear-ended a car in front. The car lost control, entered the opposite side of the road, and was hit head-on by a pickup truck hauling a trailer, killing the driver instantly. In September 2008, a train engineer in California was texting within a minute prior to the most fatal train accident in almost two decades. Californian authorities responded by banning the use of cell phones by train workers while on duty.

    In total, 31 states have banned texting while driving in some form, and most of those states have a full ban for phone users of all ages. The remaining states are likely to follow suit in coming years as well. President Obama also banned texting while driving for all federal government employees in October 2009. Still, there’s more work to be done to combat this dangerous and life-threatening practice.

    Sources: Paulo Salazar, “Banning Texting While Driving,” WCBI.com, August 7, 2010; Jerry Hirsch, “Teen Drivers Dangerously Divide
    Their Attention,” Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2010; www.drivinglaws. org, accessed July 2010;
    www.drivinglaws.org, accessed July 7, 2010; Matt Richtel, “Driver Texting Now an Issue in the Back Seat,” The New York Times, September 9, 2009; Matt Richtel, “Utah Gets Tough With Texting Drivers,” The New York Times, August 29, 2009; Matt Richtel, “In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin,” The New York Times, July 28, 2009; Matt Richtel, “Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks,” The New York Times, July 19, 2009; Tom Regan, “Some Sobering Stats on Texting While Driving,” The Christian Science Monitor, May 28, 2009; Katie Hafner, “Texting May be Taking a Toll on Teenagers,” The New York Times, May 26, 2009; and Tara Parker-Pope, “Texting Until Their Thumbs
    Hurt,” The New York Times, May 26, 2009.



    CASE STUDY QUESTIONS
    1. Which of the five moral dimensions of information systems identified in this text is involved in this case?
    2. What are the ethical, social, and political issues raised by this case?
    3. Which of the ethical principles described in the text are useful for decision making about texting while driving?
    1.
    Information rights and obligations.
    In this case people respect to themself by not using a cell phone when driving they car because talk on the phone at the wheel of car is so dangerous behavior. In here, goverment give a report as an information to the people to not use cell phone when they drive.

    Property rights and obligations.
    Traditional property rights at this time so difficult to be protected for Americans. Because numbers of selling cell phones almost grow up every year.  
    Accountability and control.
    In this case, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) set out to determine the effects of using cell phones behind the whell. After accounting the number of accident and why it can be happen, NHTSA can give the information to the policies. The policies can control it.
    System quality.
    System quality also important for Americans. People may know about data, like how much people got an accident. So we can take care ourself because of that information. Obligation that government made, we should do it for a better safety of society in our life.
    Quality of life.
    Values that should be preserved in information is a right information that include knowledge. In this case, people should be know about the dangereous thing while use a cell phones behind the whell. Institutions that protect us is polices, between we must protect ourself. Quality of life grows up because everyone easier to communicate with other.

    2. What are the ethical, social, and political issues
    raised by this case?
    Ethical issues raised when almost American’s in 18-29 years using cell phone (texting) behind whell. Social issues are people communicate easier using a cell phone but if they texting behind the well it can make an accident and make a worst relationship in a social living. About political issues, it’s about the regulation from government that should be assertive.

    3. Which of the ethical principles described in the text
    are useful for decision making about texting while
    driving?

    Maybe they use Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative. If an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone. Ask yourself, “If everyone did
    this, could the organization, or society, survive?”


     MIS IN ACTION

    1. Many people at state and local levels are calling for a federal law against texting while driving. Use a search engine to explore what steps the federal government has taken to discourage texting while driving.


    Government Action
    The Department of Transportation is taking steps to address this national epidemic. The plan includes education, funding, technology and legal measures designed to discourage distracted driving.

    First an important step is teaching teenagers that texting while driving is dangerous. Second, the DOT is also providing funding to states to step up police enforcement of state-wide bans and launch public awareness campaigns. At least 39 states, including Massachusetts, have passed anti-texting laws or comprehensive bans on cellphone use while driving.
    Third the DOT is also calling for legislation to require automakers to include dashboard technologies that prevent distracted driving, while encouraging manufacturers to voluntarily install such technology. Further, the agency has pressed congress to pass a nationwide ban on cellphone use behind the wheel.
    Unfortunately, many drivers continue to use cell phones while sharing the road with other drivers, passengers and bystanders. Victims of distracted driving accidents may suffer from permanent disability and the loss of earning capacity for themselves and their families. If a distracted driver caused you injury, contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your legal rights.


    2. Most people are not aware of the widespread impact of texting while driving across the United States. Do a search on “texting while driving.” Examine all the search results for the first two pages. Enter the information into a two-column table. In the left column put the locality of the report and year. In the right column give a brief description of the search result, e.g., accident, report, court judgment, etc. What can you conclude

    Location
    Report Texting while Driving
    2012 Texting Pedestrian Study
    Researchers from the University of Washington monitored 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections and observed
    ·         Pedestrians who text are four times less likely to look before crossing the street, cross in crosswalks, or obey traffic signals.
    They also found that texting pedestrians take an average of two seconds longer to cross the street.
    Approximately 86% of drivers said they ate or drank while driving at some point, and 57% said they do it “sometimes” or “often.”
    Over 1/3 of drivers (37%) have sent or received text messages while driving, and 18% said they do it regularly.
    Forty-one percent of adult drivers have set or changed a GPS system while driving, and 21% do it “more frequently.”
    Many adult drivers (36%) have read a map while driving, and 10% do it “sometimes” or “often.”
    One in five drivers have combed or styled his or her hair while driving. One in ten does it regularly.
    Have you ever seen a driver putting on makeup? Approximately 14% have done it once, and 7% do it frequently.
    About 13% of adult drivers have surfed the Internet while driving.
    Results of the poll showed that younger drivers were more likely to engage in distracted driving. Men were more likely to drive while drowsy, drive after drinking, read a map, use a GPS system, and use the Internet.
    A large percentage of the people said they know distracted driving is dangerous, but do it anyway.
    Texting While Driving Statistics
    About 6,000 deaths and a half a million injuries are caused by distracted drivers every year.
    While teenagers are texting, they spend about 10 percent of the time outside the driving lane they’re supposed to be in.
    Talking on a cell phone while driving can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as that of a 70-year-old.
    Answering a text takes away your attention for about five seconds. That is enough time to travel the length of a football field.
    2009 Cell Phone and Distracted Driving Statistics
    In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in the U.S. because of accidents that involved distracted driving. Another 448,000 were injured.
    Of the 5,474 killed because of distracted driving, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a factor. However, the number of fatalities caused by cell phone use could be much higher. For those who were injured, 24,000 involved reports of cell phone use as a distraction.
    The under-20 age group had the highest percentage of distracted drivers; 16% of drivers under 20 years old involved in fatal crashes were distracted while driving.
    The 30- to 39-year-old age group had the highest percentage of cell phone use in fatal crashes.
    More people are driving while distracted when they are involved in fatal crashes. The percentage of fatalities associated with distracted drivers increased from 10% in 2005 to 16% in 2009.
    In 2009, 867 fatal crashes were reported to have involved cell phones as a means for driver distraction (18% of all fatal distracted-driving crashes).
    People driving light trucks and motorcyclists had the highest percentage of total drivers reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes (12% each).
    A teen driver riding with one other passenger doubles the risk of being involved in a fatal car crash. With two or more passengers, the risk increases to five times as likely.
    Research reveals that 46% of drivers under 18 admit to texting while driving. Driver distraction is a factor in 25- to 50% of all car accidents, with 61% of teen drivers admitting to risky driving habits.
    In 2009, the South had the highest percentage of cell phone use while driving at 6%. The Northeast came in at 4%.


    Pennsylvania Cell Phone Car Crash Stats

    In Pennsylvania, although there are no laws regarding talking on the cell or sending text messages while driving, there are emerging statistics that show the connection between cell phone use and car wrecks.

    There were 23,059 crashes involving 16- to 19-year-olds in 2008, resulting in 194 deaths. Driver distraction contributed to about 10% of them, but the number could be much higher.
    In Pennsylvania, there were 1,298 cell phone related accidents in 2008. Of those accidents, 9 resulted in death.
    From 2003 to 2006, car accidents from cell phone use lead to 50 deaths across the state of Pennsylvania.
    Cell phone-related car accidents shot up 43 percent in western Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2006.
    A normal, undistracted driver fails to notice an important road event (like another driver mistake) 3% of the time. An adult dialing a cell phone misses that event 13% of the time, and a teenager dialing a cell phone misses it 53% of the time.
    According to PennDOT, from 2002 to 2006 there were 5,715 car accidents linked to the use of hand-held cell phones in PA.
    PennDOT also reports 367 accidents in the same time period involving hands free cell phones or Bluetooth communication devices.
    In 2004 alone, hand-held cell phone use contributed to over 1,170 Pennsylvania car crashes.
    Accidents involving talking or texting on a cell phone rose from 168 in 2003 to 228 in 2005 in the Western Pennsylvania region. That’s a 36 percent increase in over two years.

    From table search result above can be conclude that now human most depend on technology like phone, and become addicted where-ever they should use the phone even while driving,or walk.
    Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic, quickly becoming one of the country’s top killers. Drivers assume they can handle texting while driving and remain safe, but the numbers don’t lie.




    One Response so far.

    Leave a Reply

    Hi D