"let It Ring" Campaign Saves Lives

According to the National Safety Council, 1.6 million car crashes each year are a direct result of using a cellular phone while driving. In 2009, this national safety group began to advocate for a total ban on the use of cell phones while driving, including both hand-held and hands-free cells. Though no state bans all cell use while driving currently, six states ban the use of hand-held cells. These states include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Utah, California, and Washington, and are joined by the District of Columbia. Novice drivers are banned or restricted from cell use while driving in 17 states.

Few dispute the demonstrated dangers of talking or texting on a cellular phone while driving. A University of Utah study showed that cell phone use while driving is the equivalent of driving drunk regardless if the phone is hand-held or hands-free. A study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimates that cell use causes 12,000 serious injuries a year and about 2,600 deaths. The sheer magnitude of the number of cell users in the United States, currently 270 million, amplifies the problem tremendously with 80 percent of those reporting that they use the phones while driving.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Governors Highway Safety Association agree that banning all cells and wireless devices use while operating a vehicle is a sensible thing to do, especially for inexperienced drivers. However, it is also agreed that enforcement is difficult. There is simply no way to completely enforce such a ban since the use of a hands-free phone is not usually apparent from outside of the vehicle.

The most effective approach to dealing with the problem may be a combination of laws as well as public information and peer pressure that have resulted in successes in other areas such as drunk driving and smoking. One such campaign is the "Let it Ring" program that raises awareness, especially among young drivers, and combines it with fundraising for schools and organizations. This is a popular program for parents of teens who are four times more likely to get into an accident while talking or texting on a cell than adults.

Attractive cellular phone cases with the "Let it Ring" logo prominently displayed serve as a constant reminder of the dangers of combining cellular phone use with driving. The sale of the cases offer strategic fundraising opportunities for schools, clubs, and organizations while helping to save lives.