A U.N. report states that 60% of the world’s population has a cell phone subscription up from just under 15% in 2002 with most new cell phone users is coming from poor, developing countries.

Mobile broadband (internet access on the cell phone) has also shown its fastest increase from 3% of people worldwide to 14% in developed countries.  Fixed line subscriptions (home phones) have increased at a slower rate, from 1 billion in 2002 to 1.27 billion in 2009, meaning cell phones outnumber direct-wired phones in excess of three to one.

The 106-page U.N. report, including car cell phone use, published in 2009 also ranked countries by how advanced their information and communications technology (ICT) is. The order went as follows:

  1. Sweden
  2. South Korea (getting nation-wide Gigabit broadband by 2012)
  3. Denmark
  4. Netherlands
  5. Iceland
  6. Norway

The United States came in at #17, with Hong Kong at #11.  The rest of China came in at #73, while India is ranked at #118.  While both have a high technology base, their ranking was affected by their large population’s poor and rural areas.

Our car accident lawyers see this technological culture increasing car accidents in the future due to distracted driving.  In the very beginning, cell phones involved just talking.  While talking on the cell phone in a car is illegal and is very likely to turn you into a distracted driver, the possible activities car drivers may perform on their cell phone may be more numerous and much deadlier these days.

After talking came the beginning of texting on cell phones, which causes many drivers to take both hands off the steering wheel and drive with their knees while taking their eyes off the road.  That just spells the recipe for disaster.  After that came the built-in MP3 players in cell phones, which makes drivers to take their eyes off the road, and select songs on their cell phone.  Now, the use of broadband internet access on cell phones is rapidly coming into widespread use.  Using the internet on cell phones just begs for disaster, for drivers may just start browsing through web pages while driving and completely forget about the road.

This culture is driven by the need of accessibility, because after all, we are in the information age.  Yet, no matter what we do, nothing is more important to a car driver than safety.  So while we support the inevitable advance of cell phone technology, portability and accessibility, we believe that it is best if safety technology is developed that essentially lock their cell phones while the car is in motion, and more importantly, that this technology becomes required of all car drivers.  Accident prevention technology against cell phone use in cars already exists, but it is not widespread enough, because it is not required.

Our firm’s auto accident attorneys strongly support the universal implementation of anti-cell phone use technology in cars, as it may save tens of thousands of lives every year.  And before that happens, our law firm sincerely asks that all car drivers take their family into consideration before taking their hands off the steering wheel and reaching for their cell phone because even the best car insurance policy cannot prevent an accident caused by a distracted driver.

Please feel free to call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or you can click here for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney.  We have a large bilingual staff that can assist you in either English or Spanish.  No fee if no recovery.