Just when driving down the road, take a second to notice everyone on their phone while driving. Make a game out of it. That is one person, two, three, and is that guy taking a selfie? 

That is then modern-day road reality. 

Recently, the state of Arizona has established a hands-free driving law, entailing that drivers cannot hold their phone when behind the wheel. This is convenient for people who have hands-free systems in their cars, but for those who do not, they will have to fight the urge to pick up the phone.

However, there is an alternative. 

Take a trip to your local big box store: Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, maybe even Best Buy, and buy an FM transmitter system for as low as $15. They connect to your phone via Bluetooth to your car via FM radio, by turning the knob to the right frequency. 

Being simple, cheap, and effective, you can use your phone while you drive, without putting other people in danger. 

Given this solution, here are some statistics: according to Edgar Snyder & Associates, a top-rated Pennsylvania law firm, one in four accidents are caused by distracted driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that some 3,166 people died in 2017 due to distracted driving, almost that of the population on campus. 

In short, there is no good reason to text and drive. 

I know that you are “like totally the best at it” and that “everyone totally does it so why is this so important” it is important because people are dying, and this cell phone ban is a step in the right direction. 

Here especially, Arizonians will drive anywhere from five to ten mph over the speed limit, and in the colder months, snow birds will commonly do five mph under. In general,  Arizona will always be a dangerous place to drive due to inconsistency.  

Ranked 7th in the worst drivers category, Arizona is becoming increasingly more dangerous to inexperienced drivers. 

The average reaction time for a driver somewhere around two seconds, and that is years in terms of traffic lights, stop signs, and speed limits. 

I can’t even get into my phone in two seconds, let alone change my music or respond to a text. The details are what is important: people running into the road, small children and pets, or an accident that hasn’t been tended to by a law enforcement officer. All of these scenarios could require a reaction time less than two seconds. After decades in the works, this hands free driving law has finally passed here in Arizona, and while police officers may not be able to give you a ticket, they can still pull you over for a warning. Stay safe on the roads, and please just put the phone down.