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Imagine being on your way to school and the driver in front of you is going 30 mph in the middle lane on a 50 mph highway. You can’t cut off the driver because he forgot to turn off the signal lights, and now you are at the crossroads. Are you going to pass him or will you stay behind him and be late to class?

Being a juvenile risk taker, of course you will pass him but he does not notice you are next to him and suddenly, your car is wrecked.

Driving in Los Angeles can be traumatic for anyone who has a license. A city where traffic is horrendous, rush hour has a running time of over four hours and drivers and accidents go together like peas in a pod.

I have learned that driving safe is most important here in California.

One reason to be a cautious driver is because of the increase in drunk drivers late at night. But the biggest threat to drivers can be seen any time of the day: many of them can never let go of their cell phones.

A bigger punishment should be given to those who use their cell phone while driving.According to the National Highway safety Traffic Administration, six percent of the U.S. population drove using their cell phone in 2005. In 2006, this was down by one percent. There has not been a significant change in the behavior of drivers.

It is a travesty when your new car is towed away because the other driver could not put his phone aside for a single moment. In California, a bill to ban cell phone use on drivers was passed and it will take effect on July 1.

But what is the price to pay for violating the cell phone ban?Violators will have to pay only $25 for the first offense and $50 the second, according to www.ca.gov. Considering that a small violation like not stopping under the three second rule at a stop sign or jaywalking can cost over $200, how can a violation that endangers the lives of both drivers and pedestrians cost so little?

The amount is so low that drivers would be okay with paying the fine and doing it again. Drivers would never litter on the freeway because they will not pay the $1000 fine, so California should raise the cell phone fine to a price that drivers would not want to pay.According to the Victorian Litter Action Alliance, there were 22,000 fines for littering in the U.S. the past two years. That is only a tiny proportion of the population in the U.S. A number like that can be doubled to drivers using cell phones.Although drivers will soon be restricted from grasping their phone while driving, hands-free headset users will not be affected by the bill. The ban should not ignore the headset users because they are still distracted while driving. Not only is the headset user distracted from his or her conversation, but so are the drivers around. You are looking at your mirrors to change lanes and from the corner of your eye, a bright flashing blue light is all you see from the car parallel to you, you are distracted for a few seconds and once you look straight, you collide with the car in front.So when it comes to driving, it is about getting from point A to point B. There is no need to do that while talking on the phone. Avoiding the phone while driving will save lives and your minutes.

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