At one point of time, a major percentage of road accidents were attributed to drunk driving. But today, usage of mobile phones during driving is one of the common causes of motor accidents. Several incidents have been reported all over the world where people have been seriously injured or have even lost their lives due to the usage of mobile phones while driving.

In an accident that happened in Oklahoma recently, Linda Smith, a 61 year old woman, succumbed to injuries in her neck, head and chest, when she was hit by another car, whose driver was distracted by his mobile phone. In another accident, Joe, a 12 year old boy, died, after the car in which he was traveling, was hit by a woman who ran a red light when she was talking on her mobile phone.

A few days ago, a 30 year old man living in Austria lost control over his car while driving, when he tried to reach for his mobile phone, while driving. The car hit the barricade on the side of the road, giving the man multiple injuries. A 9 year old girl and a 5 year old boy, who were traveling with him, were injured too. While the girl was seriously injured, the boy escaped with minor wounds.

About 6% of motor accidents are caused by drivers using mobile phones while driving. A Harvard study in 2003 showed that every year, almost 2600 deaths and 330,000 accidents were caused due to distraction by handsets while driving.

Studies have shown that people using mobile phones while driving are four times more at risk of meeting with an accident, than other drivers. Drivers using mobile phones are equivalent to drivers who have 0.08% alcohol level in their blood. At this level, drivers are considered to be drunk. Even hands-free usage of mobile phones is considered to be equally dangerous, as it can distract the driver's attention as well.

Many countries have taken steps to ensure that people do not use their mobile phones while driving. Whether the government enforces a law or not, it is the responsibility of every individual to ensure that he drives safely, not risking others' as well as his own life. A phone call is not worth anyone's life.