By Alison Zupkus
With the installation of a new law banning cell phone use and driving, the general sentiment from many people has been one of disapproval.
“If you need to call someone to ask for directions and you don’t have Bluetooth or something, you’re screwed,” said Emily Sonneborn, a junior at Bradley University.
Sonneborn is from Minnesota and is unfamiliar with the Peoria area.
“Most of the time, I have someone in the car with me, but I’ve had to pick up friends before, so finding them can be difficult,” said Sonneborn.
However, despite this general negative attitude toward the new law, other people recognize that it might help lower traffic fatalities
“It’s unnerving to see those signs on the highway telling you how many deaths on the road have occurred so far this year,” said Sara White, a junior at Bradley who is from Illinois. “It used to be wearing your seatbelt, and then not drinking and driving. Phone use is just the next thing.”
According to the United States Census Bureau, traffic fatalities have dropped over 10,000 from 1990 to 2009. As White pointed out, during that time, emphasis has been placed, particularly through school programs, on vehicle safety.
In Libertyville, Ill. for example, a common summer program kids are enrolled in is called Safety Town. It focuses on staying safe both in the car and on the street while riding one’s bicycle or crossing the street.
While Illinois is in the top ten for traffic fatalities in 2009, there were fewer than 1,000 deaths in that year, putting them behind Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia among others.
Despite the fact that California has the most traffic fatalities of 2009, their rate was below the average for the whole United States. The state with the highest fatality rate was Montana. The fatality rate in 2009 for Illinois was also below average.
For drivers, this means that while the added laws, security cameras and police patrols may seem inconvenient, in reality, they’re helping to save lives on the road.
“I don’t text and drive anyway,” said White. “I’ve heard stories about how dangerous it can be, and I’d rather just not do it.”
Statistics found at the website for the United States Census Bureau, 1104